If you’re a growing business and need some extra recognition, taking part in seasonal events such as Halloween can help to promote your business through some spooky marketing.
Whether you dress up or come up with a new seasonal product, it’s important that it makes your business more noticeable and attracts new potential customers. Research shows that people are more likely to spend more around events such as Halloween, so it’s the perfect time to grab some extra sales.
Halloween brings people together, and communities often unite and hold events so it’s a good time to get stuck in and gain some extra customers in the process. Below are some ideas for your business to get into the spooky spirit of Halloween, whether your business is online or on the high street.
Halloween-ize your products
As mentioned above, it is likely that customers will spend more during seasonal periods. Limited edition products encourage impulse buys as customers are not sure if they will get the opportunity to buy it again, so take advantage of this and come up with some creative ideas.
If you don’t think a limited edition product is right for your business, you could use a Halloween marketing campaign to promote your existing products.
If you’re a make-up brand, market your red lipsticks as ‘Vampire Red’ or if your business is food and drink based, add a seasonal twist to one of your best sellers. Try something different, the more unique, the more memorable for the customer.
Create bundles of related products and sell them at a discounted price. Get inventive – if you sell sweet treats, bundle sweet and sour products together and create a ‘trick or treat’ sack. Think about where they may be used, office parties or children’s fancy dress events, and create your bundles with that in mind.
Decorate your shop
Adding decorations to the inside and outside of your shop makes your shop not only more appealing but can help you to stand out. From fake cobwebs to plastic skulls, even the cheapest of decorations can have a big impact on small shops.
If you have a window display, decorate it with Halloween themed colours and images to grab the attention of people passing by. Most importantly, don’t forget your pumpkins! Impressive pumpkin designs are likely to be posted on social media or sent to friends, so bear that in mind as it’s an easy way to raise awareness of your business.
If your business is based online, you can still get involved by incorporating Halloween text and images onto your website. It’s up to you whether you choose to hire a web designer to add some Halloween designs or if you want to upload your own Halloween content, as long as it makes the website look interesting and spooky, it’s likely to make a difference.
Get involved with local events
If an event is being held in your local area, partnering up is a good way of promoting your business. Attend and hand out free samples including coupons or business cards to encourage them to visit your store.
If there are no events being held in your community, you could consider partnering up with another couple of small businesses and hosting a joint event to promote your businesses.
You may wish to do something more creative as an independent business, such as if you are a nail salon you could do a lesson on Halloween themed nail art. A similar thing could be planned at a makeup studio, teaching how to creative effective Halloween looks.
It is important with events like this that the promotion starts early to allow people to plan for it and invite their friends along. The most effective form of promotion is probably going to be your social media accounts, so create an eye-catching post to be shared in advance.
Social media marketing
As a growing small business, you should be aware of the importance of social media and the difference it can make for your business. Making the most of your social media accounts during Halloween is essential – it will be a trending topic towards the end of October so use hashtags on your Twitter account to get more awareness of what you are promoting.
Advertising on social media can attract a huge number of new customers to your profile, and creating an online competition on your most followed social media account creates a buzz around your products and brand.
If your business is an online shop, use Halloween themed discount codes, and remember to make them short and memorable, and only for a limited amount of time.
