The COVID-19 pandemic is no match for Halloween, according to the National Retail Federation, which projects that 65% of Americans plan to celebrate the spooky holiday this October 31st. That’s compared to an annual average of 70% in prior years. Not bad!
Translated into dollars-and-cents, the retail industry will see a total of $10.1-billion in revenue across the board thanks to Halloween this year. We’re talking $102.74 spent per person on costumes, candy, decorations, and greeting cards, among other Halloween-themed favorites.
For retailers, Halloween is a lucrative holiday to take advantage of, but you’ll need to go beyond stocking your shelves with Halloween products if you want to cash in on the potential sales boost.
Do you have a marketing strategy in place to get the word out about your Halloween promotions?
In this blog post, we’ll look at the biggest industries and how they can apply these 5 fun marketing tactics this October:
● In-Store Halloween Events
● Social Media Halloween Videos
● Halloween-Themed Landing Pages
● Spooky Email Marketing Campaigns
● Halloween Product Photos for Social
Would you rather have our team handle your Halloween promotions? Contact FTx 360 to get started with digitally marketing your retail business. Otherwise, let’s dive in!
Pet parents never fail to include their dogs, cats, and other furry friends in their holiday celebrations, and Halloween is no different.
Pet costume contests are sure to draw in a crowd, especially if you award bonus prizes to pet parents who also dress up.
Facebook Live and Instagram Stories have the power to engage audiences far more deeply than a single photo post alone. Throw on a spooky costume and use social media videos to tell people about your Halloween pet supply sales.
You don’t have to revamp your entire website to show consumers you’re in the Halloween spirit. Simply design and add a Halloween-themed landing page to your website. Keep the content short and sweet by only promoting your best Halloween products and the dates of your sale.
Create Halloween-themed email marketing headers, footers, and graphics using FTx AdPro, our sister company’s free graphic design software. Then, launch a Halloween email campaign to promote your in-store Halloween events and special Halloween sales.
Videos might be rising in popularity, but pictures still speak a thousand words, which is why posting photos on social media of your employees dressed up for Halloween with their pets will undoubtedly trigger a lot of social engagement. Use a creative, branded hashtag that users can follow throughout the month!
Working in the hospitality industry, you understand the importance of providing your customers with the best “home away from home” possible, which is why you don’t want to miss out on transforming your establishment into a Halloween haven that doesn’t resemble a haunted house.
Costume contests for the kids and cocktail parties for the adults are the two best Halloween ideas you can offer your guests this October 31st, just be sure to advertise each one using the following digital marketing ideas.
Your guests want peace and quiet no matter what holiday is happening, so reassure them of your policies using short social media videos, and don’t forget to mention special discounts or any Halloween events you’re planning on hosting in the lobby or restaurant of your hotel.
Delight your potential customers who are investigating your hotel, motel, or B&B online by sprucing up your Home Page with Halloween colors, like orange and black, and adding some festive pumpkin and ghost graphics.
Thanks to your CRM software, you probably have access to hundreds if not thousands of email addresses, many recipients of which might not have visited your hotel in a while. Even if it might not immediately boost reservations this month, send out a Halloween-themed email marketing campaign telling former guests about your upcoming events. Ask them to follow you on social media and to consider booking their next visit now.
Have you gotten into the Halloween spirit and decorated your establishment? Does your restaurant menu now offer Halloween cocktails and special menu items for the month of October? Take photos and post them on Facebook, Instagram, and other social media platforms.
People want to look their best when they attend holiday parties, and salons and barbershops can play a big role in that this Halloween.
Run a contest for your employees where the best Halloween manicure, pedicure, or makeover will win. Customers will love being the focal point of the contests, which will boost sales. Then award the winner with a special holiday bonus.
Use time lapse video footage of your nail technicians giving customers Halloween manicures, and use the videos to promote your seasonal discounts on social media. The same type of time lapse can be posted of barbers giving haircuts to customers, just be sure your Halloween decorations are in frame to give the video a festive feel.
If you’re running a special Halloween promotion on social media or through Google AdWords, consider connecting it to a new, Halloween-themed landing page to help you track and measure lead generation.
Holidays are a great excuse to use deep discounts to boost sales, but if your customers don’t know about the promotions, they aren’t going to book appointments. Segment your email recipients and design an email marketing campaign for each group that features photos of your Halloween-themed services and a strong CTA.
As your Halloween promotions are running, take photos of your customers’ Halloween manicures, pedicures, and other services, and post them on social media with urgent, exciting-sounding captions that invite followers to book appointments.
Pet supply retailers, hospitality businesses, and salons aren’t the only retailers who can benefit from using our 5 marketing tactics this Halloween. Try using similar digital marketing ideas if your retail business falls within the following categories:
● Liquor Stores—Like all seasonal sales, Halloween-themed promotions help to move stock, and there’s no reason liquor and wine stores shouldn’t participate in the festive holiday this October 31st.
● Gyms & Fitness Centers—Fitness enthusiasts definitely show up to your gym to get their sweat on, but an enjoyable, added bonus is that your gym is also a place where members socially interact and relax, which makes it the perfect location for a little Halloween fun.
● Grocery & Convenience Stores—As the owner of a grocery store or convenience store, your shelves are probably already stocked with Halloween products, including costumes, candy, greeting cards, and decorations. All that’s left to do is transform your decor, advertise your goods, and market, market, market!
● ECommerce Retailers—This year, consumers will heavily rely on eCommerce retailers for their Halloween celebration products. Though brick-and-mortar retailers are bouncing back after long lockdowns, many consumers now prefer to shop exclusively online, which means that your promotional marketing and shipping options must be outstanding.
FTx 360 is a full-service digital marketing agency. We provide a wide range of services to clients of all industries. Our digital marketing services include consultation and management options that cover all of your business marketing needs–content writing, social media marketing, email marketing, inbound marketing, industry-specific market research, and customized marketing strategies. When you partner with FTx 360, you’re working with a branding agency you can trust.
"Marketing is enthusiasm transferred to the customer."
