Halloween! After the depressing month of September, October comes with one of the best spooky festivals for children, adults, and oldies. It is the best time to use your marketing knowledge to engage with a wide range of prospects.
Because this holiday isn’t just a festivity filled with costumes and candy; it’s a goldmine for creative marketing that resonates with consumers. From the hospitality industry to retail, Halloween offers a wide range of avenues for you to explore innovative marketing strategies.
According to Capital One Shopping, this year, 31% of consumers from America will buy their Halloween goods online.
So, why should you keep reading? This guide will arm you with actionable Halloween marketing ideas tailored explicitly for WordPress plugin and theme-related offers and discounts. Let’s begin-
- How Important is Halloween for Business?
- When Should You Start Your Spooky Halloween Promotions?
- 3 Core Concepts of Halloween Marketing
- 15 Great Halloween Marketing Ideas to Reach Out to Your Audience More Engeangly
- You can do a mystery coupon discount offer
- Run spooky contests and giveaways
- Countdown to “scary good” deals
- Use Halloween-themed templates
- Exclusive offers just for your subscribers
- Your exclusive discount codes
- Your ‘Buy One, Get One Free’ special offers
- “Scratch-and-Win” for extra savings
- Spend more, save more: your in-store deals
- Your cross-promotion discount codes
- Influencer codes just for you
- Your community coupons for extra savings
- Reveal your limited-edition Halloween products
- Get early access to special sales
- Last-minute deals just for you
- Important Halloween FAQs
How Important is Halloween for WordPress Plugins?
First, it marks the beginning of the high-traffic holiday season, serving as a precursor to other major holidays like Thanksgiving and Christmas. This period is crucial for you to test your marketing strategies and tweak them for the upcoming, more lucrative shopping events.
Consumer behavior also changes around Halloween. People buy costumes, decorations, candy, and even thematic electronics and housewares. This surge in diverse product interest offers you a unique opportunity to showcase a wider range of goods and services. Even if your eCommerce business doesn’t directly sell Halloween-related items, the increased online activity can benefit you, as it often results in heightened consumer engagement and traffic.
So, Halloween can be a great revenue-generating period for your WordPress plugin. It presents a timely opportunity to capture consumer interest, boost sales, and refine your marketing tactics for the forthcoming holiday season. While it might not be as critical as the end-of-year holidays, dismissing its potential could mean missing out on valuable market insights and revenue opportunities.
When Should You Start Your Spooky Halloween Promotions?
You should kick off your Halloween promotions in late September and keep them going until mid-October. Launching in late September lets you engage with customers who are early planners looking to get a head start on their Halloween preparations. This time frame aligns well with the seasonal shift from Summer to Autumn when people are already thinking about upcoming holidays and fall activities.
Initiating your Halloween marketing activities from late September to mid-October gives you an ample window to reach a diverse consumer base.
Continuing your campaign into early October ensures that you also cater to last-minute shoppers. During the first half of October, many people are finalizing their Halloween purchases, from costumes and decorations to special treats. Extending your promotional activities through this window allows you to sustain customer interest and benefit from varied shopping patterns.
This approach balances the needs of early and last-minute shoppers, optimizing your opportunities for increased sales and engagement during the Halloween season.
3 Core Concepts of Halloween Marketing
What’s the Halloween festivity all about? Well, it’s about joy and celebration with the loved ones. So, as a marketer, you have to connect with the audience more strategically.
To achieve it, you have to understand the 3 concepts of Halloween marketing and how it works.
Themed campaigns
Themed campaigns are marketing efforts specifically tailored to align with the Halloween season, enveloping everything from visuals and slogans to special product offerings. When you employ a Halloween theme, you do more than catch the eye; you create a cohesive narrative that makes your brand a part of consumers’ Halloween experience.
It might involve everything from a complete Halloween makeover for your website featuring pumpkins, ghosts, and witches to social media posts that consistently use a particular Halloween-related hashtag. By immersing your brand in the season, themed campaigns allow you to connect with consumers in a way that’s directly relevant to their current interests and activities.
Emotional engagement
Emotional engagement goes beyond mere attention; it involves creating a deeper emotional tie between the consumer and your brand. Halloween provides a rich palette of emotional experiences, from the joy and nostalgia of childhood trick-or-treating to the adrenaline rush of a haunted house visit. Your campaigns should aim to evoke these kinds of emotional responses.
It could mean crafting a nostalgic email marketing story that takes your audience back to their childhood Halloweens or creating content that delivers an exciting scare. By fostering emotional engagement, you’re not merely pushing products; you’re making meaningful connections that can result in longer-term brand loyalty.
FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out)
The Fear Of Missing Out, commonly known as FOMO, is a powerful psychological trigger that can drive consumer behavior. It involves creating a sense of urgency and exclusivity to make consumers act more swiftly. For example, you could offer limited-time discount codes, flash sales that last just a few hours, or exclusive products available only to the first X number of buyers.
The idea is to make your audience feel they’ll miss out on something special if they don’t act promptly. FOMO can be especially effective with social proof, such as showing how many people have already purchased, further amplifying the urgency.
15 Great Halloween Marketing Ideas to Reach Out to Your Audience more Engeangly
Below, we share some of the best Halloween strategies to engage with your audience ideally.
1. You can do a mystery coupon discount offer
A mystery coupon discount spices up the conventional discount promotion by adding a layer of suspense. Customers don’t know what discount they’ll get until the last moment, making the shopping experience more exciting.
For example, you could send out an email with a clickable’ mystery pumpkin.’ Once clicked, it reveals a unique discount code that customers can use at checkout. This adds an interactive and suspenseful element that could encourage more people to make a purchase.
Here is how it can work,
- Create digital coupons with varying discounts.
- Implement a feature on your website where customers can “reveal” their discount.
- Promote the mystery coupon through email and social media.
- Measure engagement through analytics.
- Follow up with an email thanking participants and prompting them to use their coupons.
- Test different types of mystery offers to see which ones yield the best results.
2. Run spooky contests and giveaways
Running Halloween-themed contests and giveaways engages your audience and boosts your social media engagement. A classic idea is a costume contest where participants upload their Halloween photos using a dedicated hashtag.
You’ll encourage participation and create buzz around your brand by offering enticing prizes such as a free product bundle or exclusive discounts. In essence, you will,
- Identify a range of products for daily promotions leading up to Halloween.
- Create a visual countdown timer to include in your promotions.
- Promote each “Deal of the Day” through social media and email marketing.
3. Countdown to “scary good” deals
Creating a countdown to special Halloween deals adds a ticking clock element, enhancing the sense of urgency and exclusivity. Starting a week before Halloween, offer a special, time-sensitive deal each day on different products. Use social media platforms to make daily announcements, perhaps with a graphic that shows a clock or countdown timer to emphasize the time-sensitive nature of the deal.
4. Use Halloween-themed templates
Using Halloween-themed templates for your marketing materials offers customers a visually cohesive and festive experience. You might consider redesigning your homepage with a Halloween banner or even introducing Halloween icons like pumpkins or witches into your regular product photos. This aesthetic touch signals to visitors that your brand is engaged with the holiday, enhancing their overall experience.
5. Exclusive offers just for your subscribers
Loyalty should be rewarded. Send an exclusive Halloween offer to your email subscribers to make them feel valued. This could be a voucher for a free Halloween-themed item upon their next purchase or a special discount code that gives them 25% off any Halloween-related product.
- Create a unique discount code for your email subscribers.
- Send an exclusive email with the offer and call to action.
- Track engagement and use this data for future exclusive offers.
- A/B test different email templates to see what generates higher concentration.
- Send a reminder email before the offer expires.
- Evaluate the ROI of the exclusive offers.
6. Discount codes for goods
Tailoring your discount codes to different audience segments can make each group feel special and more inclined to engage with your brand. For instance, you might post an exclusive code on your Twitter feed that gives followers early access to your Halloween sale a full day before it’s open to the general public.
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7. “Buy One, Get One Free” special offers
Buy One, Get One Free, commonly called BOGO, can be particularly appealing for holiday-specific merchandise.Like, purchase a Halloween-themed mug and get a matching plate for free. This incentivizes customers to make a purchase they might otherwise pass up and also helps you clear out seasonal inventory.
Here’s how it can work,
- Choose products for the BOGO offer.
- Clearly list the BOGO offers on your website and in-store.
- Advertise the BOGO offers through social media, email, and other marketing channels.
- Consider adding a time limit to create urgency.
- Use point-of-sale signage to promote the offer in-store.
- Track inventory levels to ensure product availability.
8. “Scratch-and-Win” for extra savings
The “Scratch-and-Win” concept adds an interactive, game-like element to your promotion. Customers could receive a physical scratch card in-store or a virtual one online. After purchasing online, a pop-up could appear on the thank-you page, inviting them to scratch off a virtual space to reveal extra savings or a small gift in their order.
9. “Spend more, Save more” perfect in-store deals
Offering customers the chance to save more when they spend more can effectively boost your average order value. For every additional $20 spent, the customer could receive an extra 5% discount, up to 25%. This encourages them to buy more while feeling like they’re getting a great deal.
So, remember,
- Set up tiered discounts based on spending thresholds.
- Display this promotional structure both online and in-store for easy reference.
- Promote the tiered discount system in your marketing materials and signage.
10. Your cross-promotion discount codes
Cross-promotion discount codes enable you to join forces with complementary businesses to increase customer engagement. This approach often opens up new audience channels, helping you reach people who might have yet to discover your brand.
Let’s see a case study example: two local businesses in a small town, a café called “Coffee Haven” and a bookstore named “Readers’ Paradise,” decided to enter into a cross-promotional partnership. Both businesses cater to similar demographics: people who enjoy leisurely afternoons and are likely to spend time reading a book over coffee.
The strategy for this cross-promotion is that customers who purchased over $20 at “Readers’ Paradise” received a coupon for a free coffee at “Coffee Haven.” Likewise, any customer who bought a large coffee at “Coffee Haven” received a 10% discount coupon valid on any purchase at “Readers’ Paradise.”
11. Influencer codes just for you
Collaborating with influencers can extend your reach far beyond your usual audience. Offering an exclusive discount code through a reputable influencer acts as a form of social proof, giving prospective customers a nudge to try out your products.
For example, if your company sells skincare products, you could work with a skincare influencer who could showcase how your products prepare the skin for Halloween makeup. The influencer could offer their followers a 20% discount on your products, boosting sales and increasing brand visibility.
12. Your community coupons for extra savings
Creating a sense of community can dramatically improve customer loyalty. Offering exclusive coupons to select members can make them feel privileged, further cementing their loyalty to your brand.
In a case point, a coffee shop could offer its loyalty program members a special coupon code that provides a free Halloween-themed cookie with the purchase of a large coffee. This can incentivize members to visit the coffee shop and become regular patrons.
13. Limited-edition Halloween products
Releasing limited-edition Halloween products can create a buzz around your brand. The scarcity and uniqueness of these items often generate more attention and demand.
If your business is a craft brewery, you could release a limited-edition pumpkin-spiced beer. You can use phrases like “Get it before it’s gone!” or “Limited stock available” in your marketing materials to instill a sense of urgency and exclusivity, encouraging quicker purchasing decisions.
14. Get early access to special sales
Early access to sales can instill a sense of exclusivity, encouraging customers to purchase. It can also make your customers feel valued and appreciated.
If you run an online clothing store, you could offer your newsletter subscribers a particular early-access period to shop your Halloween sale. This could increase sales and boost your subscription rates, as people want to take advantage of future exclusive offers.
15. Last-minute deals just for you
Leveraging the power of urgency through last-minute deals can capitalize on human psychology. Procrastinators or hesitant shoppers are more likely to pull the trigger if they know a deal is about to expire.
A bookstore could send out a 48-hour flash sale email offering 30% off on all horror novels just a few days before Halloween, pushing those contemplating a purchase to take action.
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Important Halloween FAQ
What are the most sold products on Halloween?
Costumes are the top-sellers, often including the latest pop culture characters. Candy sales skyrocket as people stock up for trick-or-treating. Decorations also sell well, as people love transforming their homes and yards into spooky paradises. Given this information, aligning your inventory with these high-demand products could be strategic.
Is Halloween a big business?
Halloween is a major business opportunity. According to industry reports, billions of dollars are spent yearly in the U.S. on Halloween-related items. From costumes and candy to decorations and party supplies, businesses in various sectors experience a notable uptick in sales.
What should I post on my Halloween business page?
To captivate your audience:
- Focus on sharing exclusive offers, early-bird specials, or limited-edition Halloween products.
- Use visually striking Halloween-themed images and videos to engage your audience.
- Create blog posts or videos that provide value, like DIY Halloween decoration ideas or makeup tutorials, to attract more visitors to your website.
What are some best Halloween marketing slogans?
You can use these amazing and captivating Halloween marketing slogans for your deals and page design,
- “Unveil the Thrill this Halloween”
- “Scary Good Savings Await You”
- “Haunt the Aisles for Spooktacular Deals”
- “Trick or Treat Yourself to Savings”
- “Where Every Night is Fright Night”
- “Boo-st Your Savings this Halloween”
- “Get Your Boo On with Our Deals”
- “It’s No Trick, Our Treats are the Best”
- “Fang-tastic Finds for Halloween”
- “Witch Better? My Candy or My Discounts”
What are some good marketable Halloween crafts to sell?
If you want to sell Halloween crafts, consider hand-painted pumpkins, spooky candle holders, and themed wreaths made from unique materials like twigs or mini skulls. Fabric crafts like trick-or-treat bags and Halloween-themed face masks are also popular. These crafts cater to a wide audience and can make your business a Halloween hotspot.
Get Started with Your Plans for Halloween 2023
And, that’s some of the best ideas you can implement in your Halloween campaign. Trust us, these strategies are practical ideas that have brought the treat to many marketers without breaking a bone. And, with a bit of creativity, you can also do the same.
We like Sevdka’s short horror video series, a great marketing strategy. Svedka launched a campaign to attract tech-savvy millennials to their liquor, but instead of the typical horror advertisement campaign, they used a bit different approach.
Their “Real World” short horror series contained everyday social media situations, like having 4 reactions or not getting a massage from a girl you have a crush on. Well, it may seem like simple stuff, but it worked. Svedka is now the #3 most imported Vodka in the USA and voted number #1 in 2023.
This success story can inspire us to take creative decisions from the absolute plain and make something exciting and unique for our audience. Trust us! That time, taking the risk will be worth it.
Best of luck with your Halloween marketing ideas!