The 2nd Most Popular Holiday is Upon Us!
September 29, 2016
We must admit that it's our favorite time of year – beautiful fall colors, cooler temperatures, pumpkins everywhere…and HALLOWEEN! A lot of small businesses overlook Halloween as a vital piece of their yearly marketing plan, but you really shouldn't. Not only is this the start of the always-crazy-but-oh-so-fun holiday madness (and most businesses best time of the year), but Halloween is the 2nd most popular holiday after Christmas. Plus it gives you the chance to really step outside your marketing box and try new things out (which is always fun!).
So, let's throw around a few ideas to get you started:
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One of the easiest ways to get into the Halloween spirit and attract people to your business is by decorating your location with spooky or fall-themed touches. This also works online – change your Facebook and Twitter cover photos to something spooktacular or autumn-y for the month of October! (But do be sure to understand how your buyer personas are likely to observe the holiday to best target your blog, social media, emails, and other forms of content.)
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If you have a physical location and are in a good spot, make your business a trick'r'treat stop. Parents want safe places to take their kids and businesses are always a good bet for that.
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If there’s any surefire way to get your fans’ talking, it’s to ask them about their Halloween plans. Whether you’re calling for photos of costumes or images of their Jack-O-Lantern, inviting your audience to share their custom content in a contest can provide you with a wealth of resources to share on social media or your blog.
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You can even create a dedicated hashtag for customers to share their creations or show off how they use your products on platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
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Halloween themed contests are very popular, and there are no end to the possibilities both online and offline. RES.NET, a company that provides software and services to the real estate industry, has in the past hidden monsters throughout the Internet and their system for people to find, with a prize drawing for each monster found. The purpose of the contest is to drive brand recognition, as well as membership purchases/renewals.
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One of the simplest ways to get your business in on the Halloween fun is to just incorporate popular Halloween symbols into your branding. Even a little jack-o-lantern or Frankenstein on your signage, website or store bags can show customers that you’re into the holiday and encourage them to visit you throughout the season!
Halloween is one of the few times each year when nearly any brand can be as silly, scary, or strange as they like, so take advantage of it! Get creative – even if you think there is nothing about your product or business that can be tied to Halloween, we promise, there really is. If all you sell is Post-It notes, then have a contest to see who can make the most elaborate, artistic pumpkin from them. If it's food you're offering, dive into fall flavors or give a dish a “frightening” name. The sky's the limit.
And if it's help you need this holiday season, Social Marketing Solutions has got you covered. We create a personalized plan for any company in any industry, and with three different levels of services, we have a plan to fit every business's needs at an affordable price. Call us at (973)265-2833 or message us today to get started! Stay spooky!
Author
- Kelly Jones
Social Media Manager
