As a small business owner, you need to use every opportunity given to you in order to help you grow. Holidays and the seasons surrounding them are always fantastic chances to use your imagination to create new and exciting advertisements and products. Here are five ideas of how to use Halloween Spirit to your advantage:
- Offer a Sale or Discount for Costumes
Offering a sale or discount if someone wears a costume will get people in the door, and also help build a bond to your local community by showing you care about the fun aspects of the holiday. This also encourages parents to bring their children into the store if they themselves would not want to wear a costume, but still want to take advantage of the sale.
- Offer a Seasonal or Limited Halloween Product/Version
Having a limited or seasonal product is a great way to drive hype and excitement about your business. Just look at Starbucks, their pumpkin spice lattes and candy cane hot chocolate get people more excited when they come back because they know it won’t always be around, compared to if they were products that was available all year.
For an example if you are a baker, consider adding a limited pumpkin or halloween-themed pastry. If you run a pet store, potentially add seasonally themed pet costumes and treats!
- Welcome Trick-or-Treaters to Your Location
Engaging with trick-or-treaters and giving out candy not only brings kids to your location, but also brings their parents as well. It is a great way to build awareness about your location and product! Even if they do not purchase anything, they leave with the knowledge of your business and where they can find you. Parents will also appreciate you giving out free candy to their kids, which leaves a good impression.
- Host a Pumpkin Carving Contest
Having a pumpkin carving contest does two main things. First, it gets you engaged with your local community and helps you build connections. Second, those who win get a taste of your product, which can turn them into future customers. The cost of whatever prize you give to the winner(s) of the contest is usually cheaper than what you would’ve paid for the same growth of brand awareness through more traditional marketing means, and helps further integrate you with your local community like previously stated.
- Adorn Your Store with Spooky Decorations
Hanging up spooky decorations helps show your holiday spirit, and can keep customers in the store longer as they look at all of the decorations and changes you've made to your store. Especially if the decorations can be seen from the outside, it will be more likely to catch a prospective customer’s eye. Having your store change with the holiday season(s) incentivizes people to come back throughout the year to see how your store changes its look.
