That’s a lot of dough.
And that’s also a great content marketing opportunity for businesses, so why not tap into it by making some Halloween content?
I know, I know. You’re going to say: My business hasn’t really got that much to do with Halloween, or costumes, or sweets… or it’s just not scary at all.
But I’m here to tell you, where there’s a will there’s a way! And there’s always a will.
Don’t let the season pass you by without generating some Halloween content, from a list to a competition, or maybe even a video, consumers love to get in the spirit of Halloween with this content and will share it happily!
1. User Zombie-Generated Content
I’ve already spoken about how UGC already the most trusted form of content amongst millennials, and Halloween is another great opportunity to tap in to this. Idealaunch even stated that one of their client companies, called HomeFixated, tripled their traffic from Twitter in just one day after they published content regarding Halloween inspired UGC.
The thing about UGC is that it engages people in the creation process: And people love to share stuff that they’ve created!
1. Create-it Competitions
Ask people to create something relating to your business and Halloween.
Get people to carve a pumpkin with something relating to your business/brand on it like League of Legends!
Get people to create short movies or spooky images like the software company The Foundry did last year. They challenged their customers to create the images and videos using a design software that they created called MODO.
One 3D printing company called My Mini Factory even had people design potential 3D spooky models to be entered in with a chance of winning (a very expensive) 3D printer!
2. Costume Competitions
Halloween is all about dressing up, so channel this!
Do you have a mascot as part of your business? Why not set a competition to see who can come up with the best costume based off of your business?
Maybe you run a dating/love website? Your Tango runs an annual couple costume competitions where the winners get a romantic vacation away!
Martha Stewart is the queen of content marketing, and she’s always sharing her ideas when it comes to different seasonal events. Halloween is no exception. This year she’s hosting Francesca and Sharkey’s Halloween 2014 Canine Costume Contest! (Francesca and Sharkey are Martha’s dogs) where users are encouraged to take photos of their pets all dolled up for Halloween and share it with them with the hashtag #shriekorchic!
2. Create Some Leering, Lingering Listicles
What I love about lists is that they can kind of be whatever you make them to be. They’re really adaptable to different seasons and events. Oh and an added bonus is that readers absolutely love them too!
Interior design? 10 spookiest Halloween decorated houses.
Gardner? 5 Most Terrifying Plants!
Author? My top 7 favourite horror books.
Seriously, I can do this all day, but I think you’ve gotten the point.
3. Try a Ghoulish Giveaway!
Trick or treat? TREAT! Obviously.
Why not use this traditional slogan as an opportunity to give something back to your readers!
You can observe the holiday by offering up some creepy freebies to your customers as a gift-with-purchase type deal, or simply as a way to say “thank you”.
Eyeball candy, pumpkin carving kits, pumpkin scented candles – Whatever you opt for, I’m sure your customers will be more than pleased!
4. Go for Gold Ghost with some Creepy Videos
Halloween gives businesses a chance to be ridiculous, spooky and a little bit silly, and a video is a great way to show this more human (or more zombie) side to your business
One eCommerce brand Westlake Ace Hardware created a spooky zombie preparation video around their hardware store and it was shared and viewed over, 40,000 times on Youtube alone.
Toothpaste doesn’t seem like it would have much to do with Halloween does it? Yet Crest still managed to create engaging and funny Halloween content, by highlighting the fact that children are probably going to eat a lot of candy at Halloween, and while there’s not much you can do to stop that, Crest toothpaste will help to deal with the consequences!
5. Oooooh… Spoooooky Stories!
As I’ve said before, storytelling and marketing go hand in hand for me. Stories allow for you to connect with your audience in an amazing way that no other method can.
1. Tell a Real-Life Horror Story
Got any bad stories from your time with your company? Or with a past job? Everyone loves a scary story, so much so that research has even studied the phenomenon and called it “negativity bias”, which basically means that we pay more attention to the negative stuff.
Business Insider did a great listicle/horror story a few year back with an article titled McDonald’s Employees Share Their Worst Horror Stories. The stories are seriously creepy, and will probably put you off going to McDonalds for the foreseeable future (which is probably a win-win situation for us!)
Carol Roth did something similar with her Customer Service Horror Stories: The Small Biz Edition where she shares some personal horror stories that she’s experienced with customer service representatives (I know I’ve a few of these of my own!)
2. Leverage a Familiar & Freaky Tale
Frankenstein? Dracula? Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde?
For centuries we’ve been entertained with the most gruesome of tales, so why not leverage one of these stories with one of your own spooky retellings?
Tide went viral with their spooky Halloween themed vines. They’re hilarious, but still manage to be completely on point with the Halloween content trend by satirizing such horror classics as the Shining and Carrie.
Washing detergent and Halloween? Who’d have thought that the two could go together!
6. Halloween Content Straight From the Office
If you work in an office, why not decorate the place and get your employees/colleagues in the Halloween mood. Take a photo and have some pumpkin pie – there really isn’t anything like seeing the real people behind the scenes of a business.
The Oklahoma coaching staff and support staff did just this as they attended Wednesday’s practice in all dressed up!
If there’s a policy that doesn’t allow that you take photos in the workplace, why not just add some “Happy Halloweens” to your social media sharing with a nice Halloween graphic (branded for your business, of course) for people to share.
Note: Including puppies in costumes will likely increase sharing by a bazillion percent.
7. Halloween & Your Business: Making Links
Washing & Halloween. Toothpaste & Halloween. Hardware & Halloween. Dating & Halloween. Customer service & Halloween.
So far I’ve given you examples on how each of these businesses have made links between them and Halloween.
Still don’t think you’re business isn’t Halloween-able? (That’s totally a word. Sssh.)
Still not convinced that you can do it?
Well, Booking.com weren’t so easily defeated, cashing in on the spooky season by marketing the most haunted places to stay around!
8. Infographics
Infographics are an old classic, but their effectiveness has declined recently. They really work best if you have original of your own or a very complex idea that is well-explained in the infographic.
But where infographics really shine is when there’s a sprinkle of humor in them. That’s why REI’s emergency preparedness infographic went down such a treat.
Halloween content doesn’t always have to be scary either.
Progressive’s “Flo” was getting a lot of attention at Halloween, so they tapped in to this by encouraging people dress up like the character with their “Dress Like Flo” page where you can find information on how to do the hair, make up and costume as well as Downloadable templates to get the full effect!
9. Write a Blog on How to Create Halloween Content
Like this one.
Tada!
If you have any question, comments or if you just want to say hi, feel free to do so by leaving a comment below! Thanks for reading!