TRICK OR TREAT?

Nights are drawing in and Halloween is creeping ever closer. The occasion is now big business, with Halloween consumer spending nearing on £500m per year in the UK, more than double from just seven years ago. Nearly £30m of that will be on pumpkins alone!

If you are in the business of seasonal fruit and vegetables, confectionary, costumes, toys and gifts, then it is a key period for marketing campaigns. But even if you are not, it is still an opportunity for some fun, engaging content on your social media channels. As with all effective content marketing, aim towards something that valuable, relevant and is consistent with your other content. But tread carefully…

DO’S

• Be funny – Halloween is a rich time to drop some frighteningly good puns
• Be authentic – how are you and your staff celebrating Halloween? Show us the behind-the-scenes culture of your business. Show us the fun side of your people.
• Bring colour, flavour, fun to people’s lives. Pumpkin Pie recipe anyone?

DON’TS

• Be sensitive. An infamous Halloween “Mental Patient” costume sold by Asda and Tesco in 2018 was poorly judged and roundly condemned
• Feel obliged to be involved. If Halloween themes do not work for your business, then give this one a miss. It’s one best avoided for Undertakers
• Don’t forcefully crowbar sales pitches crudely into your posts, particularly if there is no particular relevance to Halloween, it will turn off audiences

Have a devilishly delightful Halloween…and not a grim one.