It’s that time of year once more: the weather is getting cooler (which means it’s a degree or two below 85 here in Florida), the pumpkin pies are baking, and everything is getting just a little bit spooky. Believe it or not, Halloween is next week. This celebration, beloved by adults and children alike, allows all of us to get creative and show off our inspired sides with costumes and creepy decorations galore. Why not use the opportunity to engage your social media followers?
Even if you don’t already have a social media Halloween tradition in place, it’s never too late to start one up. Here are a few scary suggestions from the On Target team:
- Deck out your window with goblins and ghouls. On your social media channels, you don’t have any physical windows in which to put your Jack-O’-Lanterns or creepy butler statues, but you do have plenty of opportunity with your profile pictures, cover photos, and themes! Add a few splashes of orange and black, and maybe even post a photo of your team in their costumes to really help your audience get in the spirit.
- (G)Host a photo contest. Not sure which pictures to use for your cover and profile images? Leave that up to your audience. Host a photo competition in the days leading up to October 31 and encourage your followers to share pictures of their costumes, their dogs’ costumes, their best pumpkin carvings, or whatever else you can think of. Once you’ve selected your winner, feature their image on your company’s page!
Keep it hell-evant to your brand. Do you own a cupcake shop? Have your audience share pictures or recipes of their own creations. Are you the leader of a team of content gurus? Let your readers show off their best horror stories! Keeping your Halloween competitions and engagement tactics in line with your business’ products and services is a great way to cook up some enthusiasm for both the holiday and your brand. - Offer some dreadful discounts (well, really, some good ones would be best). Holidays are among the best times to offer discounts and promotions to your followers. While this option is usually best with at least a few weeks of planning, you can easily find a way to reward followers for inviting friends to like your page. Be sure you set forth an appropriate time period during which this promotion is valid, and make instructions for redemption clear and easy to follow.
- Make your business a trick-or-treat destination for other businesses and your followers. Have a special treat ready for anyone who decides to stop by, and make sure they check in at your location on their social profiles. Even better, allow them to take pictures with one of your costumed employees, and create an album featuring everyone who stopped by! This is a great way to expand your reach and make new connections.
- Keep it hell-evant to your brand. Do you own a cupcake shop? Have your audience share pictures or recipes of their own creations. Are you the leader of a team of content gurus? Let your readers show off their best horror stories! Keeping your Halloween competitions and engagement tactics in line with your business’ products and services is a great way to cook up some enthusiasm for both the holiday and your brand.
Generating some Halloween spirit among your social media followers should be easy, fun, and engaging. Check out this article about some notable brands who have brought happy haunts to their fans.
The team at On Target wishes you a safe, happy, and fun holiday! Share this post with your friends and let us know all of your great, ghoulish ideas.