Halloween is creeping up on us and it’s the perfect excuse to add some exciting content to your brand’s social media channels, grow your presence and make some sales. Topical content is always a winner with audiences so we’ve compiled a list of 17 different tactics to employ this Halloween to make your feeds stand out.
So, here we go…
1. Run a countdown
Countdowns work really well on social media and they’re so simple. Think ‘advent calendar’ but for Halloween and probably a little shorter! Each day leading up to the 31st of October share a countdown post with how many days to go. Share a different product, image or ask a question on each day. Countdowns get your audience glued and looking forward to content each day.
There’s not much hanging around after Halloween and we’re straight into November and looking ahead to bonfire night and Christmas so you have to make the most of the lead-up.
2. Mix up your hashtags
The Halloween season gives your brand a chance to include some hashtags you may have never used. Getting involved in topical and trending hashtags will get your brand in front of new audiences. Think beyond #halloween and #scary to make the most impact and mix up popular and more niche hashtags.
3. Add some humour and puns
Got any spooktacular content ideas? Adding some simple humour to posts is good for a few extra likes which will have a positive algorithmic boost. Many brands find being funny online challenging but global festivals like Halloween create common ground and audiences are looking for brands to be a bit creative.
4. Spooky songs, foods, you name it…
Taking titles of books, foods and songs and giving them a twist to make them Halloween themed is a simple trend to start. You’ll need to have a few up your sleeve to get the ball rolling and inspire the masses.
5. Themed graphics and feeds
Create some Halloween-themed images for your social accounts. They might be from scratch or existing material that you’ve given a creepy feel (like the one by children’s book brand Clever Tykes, below). These can be one-offs or you could theme your Instagram theme or entire Pinterest board for the occasion.
6. ‘Trick or treat’ polls
“Trick or treat” is an age-old Halloween tradition. At least online you’re safe from marauding kids on sugar highs. But the voting and poll functions on the major social networks give your audience a simple way to interact with your brand. Suggest you’ll share some content or an offer based on whether your audience wants a trick or treat!
7. Inspired products or run a limited-time sale
If you’re able to design and produce Halloween-themed or limited edition products, you have a great excuse to shamelessly promote them for a couple of weeks. But it’s also a huge opportunity to give your product range a little makeover and diversify. Don’t have time to produce new products? No problem! Offer a special Halloween sale on a particular line, just for the hell of it.
8. Competitions and giveaways
Competitions and giveaways are incredibly powerful reach and engagement tools. Halloween gives you the perfect reason to run one, even if the competition itself is not particularly Halloween-related.
9. User-generated content campaign
Halloween gives people the perfect opportunity to get involved by way of making spooky treats, carving pumpkins, dressing up or creating some artwork. You can make a competition out of it, but you don’t have to – just give kudos to those people that make an effort! These can be run on pretty much any social network but make sure you line up some initial entries to get the ball rolling.
10. Themed quizzes
Share some relevant brain teasers, quizzes or ‘guess the…’ challenges on social media. This could be based around famous horror movies, novels, witches, wizards or ghosts. In general, people love a good quiz and you can either share a third-party quiz or design your own if you have the resource. These are perfect for Facebook but you can share quizzes on Twitter too.
11. Fancy dress photoshoot
Celebrating in style? Snap yourself or the whole office in full fancy dress! This makes for simple but effective social media content, even for more corporate or B2B brands. If they’re happy for you to do so, tag those featured to leverage their personal networks.
12. Pumpkin carving
Another absolute seasonal classic that brings those childhood memories flooding back. It’s something everyone one can relate to and whether yours is a masterpiece or abysmal, it’s great content. Pumpkin carving is super simple but really effective and lighting them up can generate some awesome imagery. This is another one the office could get involved with, maybe as a team-building activity.
13. Share a spooky Instagram story
Unleash your inner Sir Alfred Hitchcock and direct yourself a micro horror movie. Instagram stories are great for views and engagement so adding a dark side to your brand, maybe with a surprising ending will have your audience on tenterhooks. Keep them short and sweet and be mindful of members your audience who may be underage or of a nervous disposition!
14. Decorate your space
Whether it’s your home or office, people love seeing others getting into the spirit. Some faux spiders and cobwebs along with some scary lighting are all you need to create a sense of mystery.
15. Food and treats
It’s not just pumpkins that come to mind with this one. There are certainly loads of cake ideas you can try and the shops are full of themed sweets for you to add. Seasonal drinks and party food are other great options for things you can find inspiration for.
16. Theme your logo or profile pic
The social media jury remains out on this one. Some people hate it when brands take their logo and spice it up depending on the season. However, it helps your brand stand out to those who have become a bit immune to seeing it, so it’s a great way to get people to take a closer look at your profile.
17. Add a seasonal ‘easter egg’ to your site
An ‘easter egg’, for the uninitiated, is something hidden somewhere on your website that users have to go and find. Sharing some clues on social media is the way to start it off and what they find might be a cheeky offer or access to a special resource. Make is slightly spooky and you’re away. This is a simple but great content idea and is a great way to get users navigating your website!
That should be more than enough inspiration for you to use this Halloween season. Make the most of being able to spruce up your content and reach new audiences. The social networks tend to favour topical content in their algorithmic assessments so combining this with all those extra likes will make for a prosperous autumn!
Head of Social
