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As the crisp autumn air ushers in the Halloween season, it’s not just ghosts and goblins that come out! Brands have a golden opportunity to conjure up marketing magic. Your business and creators could leverage the fall spirit, especially with the approaching holiday. Halloween marketing allows you to garner intense engagement, hit niche audiences, and grow a community of loyal consumers. The beginning of fall is the perfect time for Halloween marketing, so get out your marketing cauldron and stir up a concoction of creativity, strategy, and a touch of seasonal whimsy to captivate the niche audiences that’ve previously slipped through the cracks.
Get in the Spirit: Hauntingly Good Halloween Marketing Ideas
While it might not be directly relevant to you as a brand or creator, Halloween tends to capture the attention and sentiments of a wide range of demographics – with trends and social “vibes” that can also be captured in a Halloween marketing campaign. Think of it as an open invitation to enchant your audience with fresh, exciting content that resonates deeply. From eerie Instagram challenges, to captivating email campaigns, to spooky TikTok trends – there’s content for every brand to adopt. This fall, Halloween offers a playground of possibilities to connect with consumers in ways that feel both authentic and fun.
Understanding Influencer-Driven Holidays
Brands that can tap into general holidays like the Olympics or traditional celebrations like Halloween can unlock a powerful marketing edge amongst their competitors – regardless of the industry. From beverage moguls like Poppi, to clothing brands like Lululemon, and influencers across platforms, being able to latch onto trending topics – even if they’re associated with a specific season or holiday – is instrumental in your overall success.
Holidays like Halloween provide a rich backdrop for creative campaigns that capture attention and spark engagement. This especially amongst consumers that aren’t familiar with your brand. If they’re not interested in purchasing your product, marketing campaigns in association with relatable holidays can build a community online. These events allow for marketing campaigns to be pumped with authenticity, excitement, and trust.
By aligning with these occasions, brands can ride the wave of heightened public interest, leveraging trends to amplify their message. Sometimes, it’s exactly this kind of “unhinged marketing,” that we’re prone to highlighting in the NeoReach industry newsletter, that shines a light on the people and marketing moguls behind the campaign – the people who truly connect with viewers and consumers.
@setactive any excuse to talk to you 🥰🥰
For example, clothing brand Set Active’s social media was previously run by a relatively popular TikTok creator, who not only added his unique personality flair to content, but strayed away from typical marketing campaigns to highlight the humanity of their brand. While that kind of transparency isn’t required to be successful, using holidays like Halloween can aid in your relatability.
Leveraging the Halloween Audience & Trends
One of the key ingredients in this seasonal potion is understanding your audience’s unique quirks and interests. Halloween provides the perfect backdrop to segment your market and tailor your messaging to various niche groups. However, that doesn’t have to mean following the traditional marketing pack.
Get Clear About Who You’re Targeting
The Halloween “vibes” of Gen Zers, following social media trends, aren’t going to have the same interests as Gen X. Similarly, home owners in cities with trick-or-treaters might feel differently about the holiday than someone in a non-accessible high-rise. Think about the pillars of the holiday – horror movies, pumpkins, costumes, and candy – and find where your brand’s interests lie.
Engagement
Of course, let’s also not forget about the power influencers carry in this seasonal symphony. Influencers spark new trends, indulging e-commerce platforms and consumerism with costumes and decor, and leverage their audiences to drive engagement. Influencers act as your brand’s very own friendly ghosts, spreading the word and amplifying your message with their established communities.
Engagement is the name of the game. Halloween is all about the thrill of the unexpected, so use that to your advantage. Remind consumers that you’re all human behind the brand, and target authenticity over a forced trend-savvy post. Whether it’s a Halloween giveaway or a quick TikTok about your brand’s Halloween plans, there’s ways to get involved.
@drinkolipop The moment we’ve been waiting for… RIDGE RUSH⚡️🏔️🥤 #olipop #OLIPOP #ridgerush
For example, at first glance, OLIPOP’s – a rising star in the beverage industry – new campaign with their “Ridge Rush” flavor isn’t inherently “Halloween themed,” but the campaign is intentionally focused right now: at the beginning of fall in preparation for the upcoming holiday. With the mountainous backdrop, this new flavor is leveraging the cool weather and viewers’ yearning for a muted color scheme.
Think outside of the box, but don’t forget to connect with yourself along the way. What gets you and your team excited about fall? Is Halloween a holiday you love or loathe? What kind of content would you genuinely be excited about in preparation for Halloween, whether from another brand or a creator?
Closing Thoughts
Focus on setting a clear objective in preparation for Halloween, whether you’re a brand looking to resonate with a new niche audience or an influencer focused on driving engagement, that is feasible for you to achieve. Align with your intended audience, ensuring that it makes sense with your interests and demographic, and craft content that’s equally authentic, exciting, and engaging. Lastly, choose your platform – Instagram for visuals, TikTok for its e-commerce integration, or even Pinterest to capture the “planners” – to best suit your campaign goals.
At the end of the day, every holiday in the influencer marketing space serves the same purpose – driving engagement, connecting audiences, extending reach, and most importantly, fostering community and humanity in a new way for viewers, brands, and influencers alike.
