Marketing Events and Campaigns for Halloween

As people prepare to celebrate Halloween, businesses brace for one of the biggest retail events of the year that generates nearly $7 billion in revenue, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF). With thousands of products and shopping options to choose from, here is how retailers will inspire people to shop during this Halloween that you can try for your business.

Offer freebies with every purchase

Most Halloween promotions are likely to include discounts and other special offers. But a smart alternative is to give away free gifts with purchases. You can use low-cost products that are small and easy to ship with every Halloween order, such as pumpkin carving kits or strings of pumpkin shaped lights. These small gestures will push reluctant customers to make purchases and help regular customers feel they’re getting better deals. The product shots of these freebies will also give a holiday feel to your emails.

For example, customers can stop into participating IHOPs and get free scary pancakes for kids aged 12 and under on Halloween from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Host in-store special events

Themed events around Halloween are a great way to invite new shoppers to your store to have a great time. They are also an opportunity to improve overall traffic and get free publicity for your business. Disney is planning something similar this year with their in-store events.

The store invites everyone to come dressed in their favorite Disney costumes to enjoy crafts, treats and costume parades.

All participants can share photos of Disney characters at the event on Instagram with the hashtag #disneystore! Some will be featured later at http://instagram.com/disneystore.

Encourage followers to share Halloween-inspired content

Ask your audience to explore their creativity by sharing Halloween-inspired creations on your business’s social media profiles. Halloween-themed photos on Pinterest will inspire many other kids. Halloween-related stories, drawings and jokes can build excitement among customers; generate search traffic and give you content for Halloween promotions.