5 strategies for last-minute Halloween marketing on Twitter

Thanks to the advent of social media, it's never too late to launch time-sensitive holiday campaigns. Here's how you can use Twitter to engage with consumers right before Halloween.

With October 31st fast approaching, almost every brand has already launched its Halloween campaign. Each hopes to capture its audience’s attention with a seasonally themed message designed to inform or entertain.

However, when it comes to social media, the work never ends. Real-time marketing demands a constant presence on Twitter, and a continued effort to engage users right up until the holiday hits.

Over the years, brands have concocted some smart strategies for keeping their Twitter content fresh and relevant during the holidays. This one is no exception.

jack-tired-halloween

Halloween brand Tweets are coming as strong as crazed DC Comics character Harley Quinn – which, by the way, Google Frightgeist reports will be a top costume this year.

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What follows are five tried-and-true tactics for Halloween marketing on Twitter, and a dozen brand Tweets that demonstrate how best to implement them.

1. Offer DIY ideas

A good rule of thumb for holiday related Tweets is to share with purpose. It’s when brands try to join a conversation without having anything valuable to add that they get into trouble with consumers.

Come Halloween, the do-it-yourself scene is more active than ever, and consumers of all kinds are aggressively searching for ideas and tips.

Cater to this crowd as Cotton Incorporated did by delivering DIY ideas for your target demographic.

2. Involve your audience

The popularity of DIY projects at Halloween demonstrates consumers’ willingness to participate in the festivities, and that creates an opening for brands to engage them.

To promote the concluding film in The Hunger Games saga, Mockingjay – Part 2, its social media team invited fans who plan to dress like the franchise’s characters and act out their favorite scene, then tweet it with a branded hashtag for the chance to win a prize pack.

Meanwhile, the NHL Network asked its followers to tweet their #HalloweenHockey pics for the opportunity to see them on live TV.

3. Create spirited GIFs

There are countless ways for brands to share Halloween content designed to put a smile on a customer’s face, but video is always among the most effective.

Take Pizza Hut and M&M’s, both of which recently shared Halloween-themed animated GIFs.

The posts call attention to their products, but they’re mostly about sharing the excitement and anticipation.

In a similar move, Montreal-based branding and design shop Baboon Creation used GIFs in conjunction with the ever popular “31 days of Halloween” marketing maneuver. It has provided a new monster-inspired animated GIF each day this month, allowing the agency to demonstrate its skills while keeping Twitter users coming back for more.

4. Make the most of #TBT

Many a brand has capitalized on the #ThrowbackThursday social media trend, but have you considered using it to revive some of your old Halloween content?

Cake International tapped #TBT to showcase its past designs, while HGTV Canada reminisced about the time one of its show hosts dressed up like, well, another show host.

5. Share recipes

You don’t have to be a consumer packaged goods brand to provide your followers with an array of Halloween recipes.

In the U.K., grocery chain Waitrose and retailer Spar deliver Halloween cooking ideas that link to treats online; consumers get contextually relevant content, while the brands benefit from boosted engagement. In the U.S., KOA Campgrounds tweeted a link to some campfire-friendly recipes it had added to its blog.

It isn’t too late to get your brand some social media exposure by tweeting in time with Halloween. Add value, be creative, and your followers will welcome your attempt to get in on the fun.

Homepage and article images via Flickr. 

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