Halloween is creeping up fast, and it’s the perfect time to conjure up some spooktacular marketing magic for your store!
Whether you’re brewing up a Halloween sale or looking to engage your audience with eerie excitement, we’ve got you covered. Check out these 25 Halloween marketing ideas that will have your customers buzzing and transform your store into a hub of Halloween spirit and spooky success.
Key takeaways
- Plan for Maximum Impact. Start your Halloween marketing campaign early to capture the attention of early-bird shoppers and increase your visibility well before October 31st.
- Engage With Festive Content. Use Halloween-themed products, promotions, and content like customized items and interactive games to attract and delight customers.
- Use Social Media and User Participation. Encourage user-generated content and run social media contests to increase brand visibility and foster a community spirit.
- Implement Strategic Offers. Use time-sensitive deals, flash sales, and themed loyalty programs to drive urgency and reward customer loyalty.
Grab sales opportunities with Halloween promotions
Halloween is no ordinary holiday – it’s a financial powerhouse.
In 2023, Americans alone spent an astonishing $12.2 billion for the spine-chilling festivities.
But this holiday is not just US-based. It’s steadily gained popularity worldwide, with the most impressive spending happening in places like Germany, France, Japan, Australia, and the United Kingdom.
The UK spent an estimated one billion pounds on all things Halloween, with Australians not far behind with almost half a billion Australian dollars set aside for the spooky season.
These enormous figures highlight the potential to capture a significant share of consumer spending.
Consumer behavior and Halloween trends
Understanding how shoppers interact with Halloween products and where they focus their attention will help you tailor your marketing strategies and product offerings to maximize your success.
How much do people spend on Halloween?
In 2023, Americans spent an average of $108 per person on Halloween. This figure represents a significant opportunity for merchants in the print-on-demand industry, as it highlights the potential for profit if your products and marketing strategies are well-aligned with consumer spending habits.
Where do people shop for Halloween?
Online shopping remains one of the primary avenues for Halloween goods alongside discount stores (40%), Halloween-themed stores, and costume shops (39%). With 32% of consumers opting to shop online for their Halloween needs, having a strong online presence is beneficial and essential.
What do people buy for Halloween events and celebrations?
Understanding how customers spend their money can help you tailor your product offerings and marketing efforts to skyrocket your sales. Use the 2023 top sellers in your designs and promotions cleverly.
- Candy. 96% of spooky enthusiasts shopped for Halloween candy, spending a whopping $3.6 billion on chewy, gooey, and chocolatey treats.
- Decorations. Halloween-themed decor is a must for 77% of shoppers, raking in over $3.9 billion.
- Costumes. Shoppers prepare hard for the trick-or-treating event, spending on average $1.4 billion on kid’s costumes, $2 billion on adult costumes, and $0.7 billion on pet costumes.
- Greeting Cards. 35% of Halloween shoppers spent $0.5 billion on spooky-themed cards in 2023.
25 Halloween marketing ideas to spark your spooky promotions
1. Start prepping early
The Halloween season is more than just October 31st. It’s a multi-month event that requires strategic planning and execution. Let’s explore the key periods and strategies for a successful Halloween campaign.
Start 12 weeks out!
Timing is everything. Our data shows that sales for Halloween-related products start picking up 12 weeks before the main event. That means you must have your products, designs, and campaign elements ready by early August.
Why so early?
- Because 28.55% of people shop for Halloween in September, and by that time, your marketing and SEO efforts will have boosted your promotions to the top spots on search results.
Not only that. As with every holiday and seasonal celebration, Halloween also attracts early-bird shoppers looking for exclusive deals and custom designs way before the main event.
- 12.29% of consumers shop for Halloween throughout the year. That’s a significant amount of shoppers to keep in mind.
And they will be the first to spot your early promotions, contributing to your site traffic and rankings, as early feedback can significantly improve your sales. Position yourself with clever Halloween sales ideas to capture these early shoppers who are eager to plan their Halloween festivities well in advance.
2. Offer Halloween-themed products
Offering limited edition products is a proven way to generate excitement in shoppers, and it’s one of the greatest Halloween advertising ideas used by the world’s biggest brands.
The Printify Catalog offers over 900 products ready for your amazing designs. We stock everything from children’s tees to dresses, rugs, tote bags, puzzles, and even kitchenwear.
Add ghouls, goblins, and other spooky characters to make fantastic personalized gifts, costumes, and decorations with a Halloween twist.
3. Halloweenify your store and social channels
Shop owners decorate their storefronts for the look and feel of every upcoming holiday. This generates buzz around your promotion and puts people in the right mood when they open your store page.
Add Halloween-themed elements and spooky fonts to your website and banners to transform your store into a fun shopping experience and increase your Halloween sales.
But don’t go overboard by changing everything. It may be beautiful, but it can also be costly and cause issues with your website – your Halloween promo ideas shouldn’t overwhelm you and your audience.
4. Re-engage last year’s shoppers
Use data from previous years to reconnect with past customers who already know and trust your brand.
Offer them exclusive early access to special promotions, sales, or coupon codes tailored to their interests. Use targeted email marketing and social media to invite them back, making them feel valued and appreciated.
Focusing on these loyal customers and offering personalized incentives can increase engagement and encourage repeat purchases.
5. Greet your customers with a trick or treat
Here’s a neat Halloween marketing idea: delight your shoppers with a surprise deal to generate more sales. Whenever a customer visits your storefront, create a pop-up message inviting them to get a treat – a discount, gift, coupon, or free shipping.
Consider turning it into a game. Ask your visitors to choose between a trick or a treat. Make one of them free shipping and the other one a discount. It’s a win-win either way.
6. Engage your customers on social media
The younger crowd, especially those under 25, is turning to social media platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram for designs and products exuding Halloween spirit. These channels are buzzing with costume ideas, decoration tips, and trending themes, so you should also promote your goods and suggestions there.
Post interactive images, videos, or reels. Ask questions to encourage them to share their opinions, thoughts, experiences, and feedback.
7. Organize Halloween giveaways and contests
Use social media to promote a fun Halloween contest or giveaway. People are excited to participate in engaging activities, especially when they can win free merchandise. This creates a festive atmosphere and encourages more interaction with your brand.
Here are some ideas for your Halloween-themed campaign:
- Halloween Story Contest. The most terrifying story wins.
- Halloween Decoration Contest. Ask people to submit their spooky decorations.
- Halloween Costume Contest. The best and scariest costume wins the prize.
- Halloween Menu Contest. Come up with creative food names and Halloween recipes to win a prize.
- Pumpkin Carving Contest. The most cursed pumpkin wins the show.
- Halloween Pet Photo Contest. The best and spookiest pet transformation wins.
8. Create special Halloween bundles
Halloween is perhaps the best time to upsell and cross-sell. Clients don’t usually buy just one piece of decoration or costume. They need a complete matching set.
Help them by preparing special promo bundles and offering them at a discount. Providing more relevant goods at a lower price will save your clients time and money and help you sell more.
9. Send Halloween gift cards
Send your customers gift cards via email or social media that will become active during your sales campaign. It’s a proven and straightforward approach – a simple yet great Halloween marketing idea.
If you have many local customers and a budget, you may even want to send some physical gift cards to your most generous buyers. Receiving something tangible in your mailbox is always a pleasant surprise.
10. Create a spooky video, song, or blog post
Harness the power of Halloween-themed content to captivate your audience with a spooky video, catchy song, or engaging blog post.
For example, Dior’s Halloween video featuring Bella Hadid showcases how a well-crafted art piece can make a significant impact. In this campaign, the video combined eerie visuals with glamorous makeup transformations, perfectly blending the Halloween spirit with high fashion.
Content like this is entertaining, drives engagement, and improves traffic, making it a key component of your Halloween marketing strategy.
11. Launch a spooky Halloween email campaign
Scary good Halloween email marketing ideas will increase traffic to your store’s landing page this spooky season.
Email marketing revenue has surpassed $12.33 billion, proving it’s one of the most effective ways to reach your target audience and promote your offers.
Add a Halloween-ish spin in the subject line to successfully advertise your clothing store, sticker shop, or kitchen utensils.
Before you send out your Halloween emails, make sure they:
- Have a catchy subject line
- Are clear and concise
- Have an irresistible persuasive element
- Are personalized
- Lead to clear calls to action
12. Share your team or yourself in costumes
Authentic brands shine by showing their human side, and showcasing your team in Halloween costumes is a fantastic way to build connection and display team spirit.
Just like Adobe creatively highlights its employees’ friendly atmosphere (like the Halloween-themed content on their Instagram), you can also capture your team’s festive spirit during Halloween campaigns.
Dress up in creative costumes and share fun photos or videos on your social media channels. This playful approach introduces Halloween promotions or contests and humanizes your brand, making it more relatable and memorable to your audience.
13. Create time-sensitive offers
Halloween celebrations last one to two evenings, making for a great time-sensitive campaign.
Flash sales and time-limited offers are fantastic Halloween marketing ideas. When visitors see a deal that will end soon, they fear missing out, which drives them to purchase immediately.
Why promote time-sensitive offers?
- They attract new customers to your Halloween-themed landing page.
- It creates a sense of urgency, nudging people to buy even weeks before Halloween.
- They reduce cart abandonment, urging customers to buy here and now.
An effective way to increase urgency in your store is to add a countdown timer for products on sale, which will help customers make their decisions faster.
14. Use hashtags for exposure
Hashtags come in handy on social media platforms. They help others find you in their Halloween-related searches and give you extra exposure for your posts, reels, and videos.
Use unique, location-based, popular, and promotional hashtags to drive people to your brand page and raise awareness during this shopping season. It’s the easiest way to attract people on social media and send them directly to your Halloween-themed product pages.
Popular Halloween hashtags:
#Halloween2024
#HalloweenCostume
#HalloweenMakeup
#TrickOrTreat
#HalloweenRecipes
#HalloweenSale
#Spooky
#Enchanted
#HalloweenContest
#October
#Pumpkin
#HalloweenGiveaway
#Horror
#SpookySeason
#HalloweenDeals
#SpookySavings
#HalloweenSpecials
#GhostlyDiscounts
#FrighteningFinds
15. Run Halloween ads to increase brand awareness
The trick-or-treating season is perfect for introducing your brand and merchandise to a new audience. With Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, use Halloween sales to raise brand awareness and popularity.
Create different ads for your products, services, and Halloween sales. Showcase them on multiple channels like Instagram and Facebook, or try Google Ads. Tell everyone about your offers and send them directly to your store page with just one click.
16. Host a Halloween event or a workshop
Halloween-themed fun is not limited to brick-and-mortar stores. Host online events on social media to engage your audience and promote your Halloween products.
Consider positioning it as an exclusive event where participants can buy limited-access products or special discounts. This is a great way to strengthen your brand’s connection with shoppers.
17. Use influencer marketing
Social media is booming with influencers in every industry and category. The best part is that their fanbase seeks influencers for advice and product suggestions.
84.8% of businesses admit that influencer marketing effectively improves their sales.
Partner with successful content creators on various social media platforms. Find them on apps like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube to spread the word about your business and epic Halloween promotions.
18. Partner with other brands
If influencers aren’t your focus, consider co-branding with complementary or even unrelated brands for your Halloween marketing campaign.
This partnership expands your reach by tapping into each other’s customer base, increasing traffic and sales. Sharing resources makes the campaign more cost-effective, while collaboration sparks innovation and creativity, leading to unique ideas that stand out.
For small business owners, partnering with a bigger brand enhances credibility and builds trust, driving more engagement and loyalty.
19. Don’t forget about SEO
Help excited Halloween shoppers find your store and spooky sales faster with some help from search engine optimization (SEO). This is a tactic where you incorporate relevant keywords and phrases into your website, product listings, and descriptions to make it easier for customers to find you through search engines.
Create keyword-rich Halloween content, snippets, meta titles, and descriptions for your blog posts, videos, and social media posts. Make sure your website has everything an enthusiastic Halloween shopper might search for.
Use sites like Ahrefs and Semrush to stay on top of your store’s SEO.
20. Offer free shipping
Offering free shipping is a proven strategy that significantly grows online sales. With 48% of shoppers abandoning their carts due to extra costs, including shipping, this tactic addresses a major barrier.
Free shipping during your seasonal campaign enhances the perceived value of your offers and the overall shopping experience. It’s a cost-effective way to gain a competitive edge, attract more traffic, and build a positive brand image.
Announce this benefit across your social media channels and Halloween marketing campaigns to maximize the impact.
21. Halloweenify your packaging
Halloween promotional ideas don’t have to be complicated. They can be small and simple, enhancing your marketing campaign with little spooky touches.
Add themed designs and stickers, or insert cards featuring creepy and cute graphics or Halloween treats. This approach delights your target audience and makes unboxing a memorable experience, aligning with the eerie season.
22. Launch a Halloween quiz or game
Create a Halloween-themed quiz or game to engage your audience and enhance your Halloween campaign.
Design an interactive experience focusing on a specific Halloween tradition, trivia, or fun facts, and host it on your website or social media. This approach keeps users entertained and connected with your brand, making your Halloween sale ideas more memorable.
23. Create a Halloween style guide or cookbook
Develop a Halloween style guide or cookbook to captivate your audience and enhance your Halloween event.
- For a style guide, feature tips on creating festive decorations, costumes, and themed setups to inspire your customers.
- If opting for a cookbook, include Halloween-themed recipes like spooky treats or seasonal dishes.
Share this content through your website and social media campaigns. Or hand out free downloads with every purchase. This approach drives engagement, aligns with holiday shopping trends, and promotes your Halloween sale.
24. Offer “build-your-own” Halloween-themed products
Elevate your Halloween marketing with a customizable product campaign. Allow customers to personalize items like t-shirts, phone cases, mugs, or rugs with pre-made Halloween designs, patterns, and messages.
Promote this offering through a targeted social media campaign, leveraging online videos to demonstrate the customization process. Engage your audience by encouraging them to share their unique creations on your Facebook page or other platforms using a special hashtag.
This strategy drives sales and fosters community involvement through user-generated content. It’s a fun and interactive way to celebrate Halloween while showcasing the versatility of your products, making your small business stand out in a festive and personalized way.
25. Create a Halloween-themed loyalty program
Launch a Halloween-themed loyalty program to raise engagement and sales.
Offer customers rewards like exclusive discounts or promo codes for every purchase they make or for sharing user-generated content related to Halloween on social media.
Highlight this initiative in community events, on your website, and on social media. This will incentivize repeat purchases and build excitement around your brand during the Halloween season.
Wrapping up
And that’s a wrap on marketing tips for your Halloween promotions! From hosting a pumpkin carving contest and offering flash sales to filming a promotional video and utilizing user-generated content, these marketing ideas are designed to increase engagement and sales for your big or small business.
Whether planning a Halloween party or launching a themed loyalty program, these strategies help create a festive atmosphere that captivates your audience.
Happy Halloween!
