5 Tips for Creating Spooktacular Halloween Social Media Content

halloween

It feels like just yesterday we were planning our brand’s summer content. Now BBQs, road trips, and fireworks are just a distant memory, and it’s time to start planning for the many holidays that are to come this time of year. First up is Halloween, which really kicks off the holiday consumer season. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spend about $7 billion on Halloween-related goods each year. Basically, Americans really, really love Halloween. And love spending money on Halloween. This is a prime opportunity for your brand to create Halloween social media content that audiences are eager to engage with, and are a break from the traditional content series and campaigns on your channels.

Below are a few tips to help get you started this Halloween season.

Think of Your Audience First

Audience comes first, always, and holiday content planning is no exception. Ask yourself a few key questions before you start brainstorming any Halloween ideas. How old is your audience? What are they likely to be doing on Halloween? What does Halloween mean to them? Halloween means different things to different people, depending on age and lifestyle, so knowing your audience is key. Take Urban Outfitters for example—their audience is in the Halloween in-between, where they’re too old to Trick-or-Treat and too young to have kiddos who are. This is the angle they took last year, and talk about #ApartmentGoals.

Halloween vibes. ??✨ #UOHome #urbanoutfitters

A photo posted by Urban Outfitters (@urbanoutfitters) on

Consider Going Dark

Unless this holiday has a strong connection to your brand, you may consider skipping a post all-together. There’s nothing worse than scrolling through your feed and thinking “Wait, what?” when you see a random holiday post from a brand that doesn’t quite hit the mark. If you’re stretching to get a content series that connects well with your brand, you may be trying to connect something that just isn’t there.

Show Up Early

From busy moms, to single millennials, think about what your audience will be doing on Halloween. If your audience has a day that’s busy and stressful (think moms with young children), then consider posting your content the week leading up to Halloween. Halloween will be on the mind of Americans for days ahead of the holiday, so don’t hesitate to start the party early.

Don’t Be Basic

If you’re thinking about posting “Happy Halloween” with a picture of a black cat and a pumpkin, go back to the drawing board. Everyone and their mother will be posting content on Halloween (think of all the dogs in costumes you’re going to see!). Given that, your post should be anything but generic. Think back to your audience and what post they would relate to most. It may be they want to hear about Trick-or-Treating safety tips, or healthy alternatives to candy, or maybe they’d relate to Halloween cocktail recipes. Stand out from the crowd by thinking outside of the box.

Expand Your Reach

As mentioned, Halloween is a high traffic day on social media. In order to get your content seen you may consider doing media that is most likely to expand your organic reach. Facebook is prioritizing video and GIF content, so that’s the perfect way to get a leg up on your impressions. Also think of creative ways to incorporate a question to get your audience chatting about their plans. From costumes to favorite candy, users are eager to share their Halloween plans, and that interactive content will give your post a boost.

Still have a few questions about your content before the holidays hit? Send us a note and we’ll help you find a solution before it’s too late.



Ignite Social Media