Avoid a Nightmare on Email Street: Tips on Creating a Haunting Halloween Campaign

Fall is officially here. The days are growing shorter, social media feeds are piling up with snaps of apple-picking, and everyone is starting to brainstorm their Halloween costumes. Before you know it, trick-or-treaters will come knocking. Is your business ready?

More than 171 million Americans plan to celebrate Halloween this year, according to the National Retail Federation. Total spending is expected to reach $ 8.4 billion, an all-time high in the history of NRF’s annual survey. Whether your business deals in retail, hospitality, or services, there’s plenty of opportunity to dress up your marketing for the season.

Avoid the nightmare and plan ahead

Forty-three percent of consumers tackle their Halloween shopping in the last two weeks of October — which means now is the time to start planning your Halloween email marketing.

Here are some of our favorite Halloween campaigns already hitting inboxes.

Spooktacular Subject Lines

Give your customers the equivalent of a good “Boo! I got you!” with a subject line that screams the spirit of the season:

• “ BOO! 30% Off HALLOWEEN Candy, Dinnerware, Bakeware & More” (Williams-Sonoma)
  
• “Beware of what’s inside” (Etsy)
  
• “SLASHED. 20% off ALL wines in time for Halloween” (World Market)
  
• “Halloween — Starring You!” (JibJab)
  
• “Carve Out Time for a Massage” (MassageNow)
  
• “No tricks here! Take 20% off gear for Halloween” (ZOZI)
  
• “HALLOWEEKEND: (Fri) Eye Heart w/ DJ Vice (Halloween Sat) Rhonda w/ TEED” (Mezzanine)

Bloody Good Design

Remember that 90 percent of information that comes to the brain is visual, so your emails should contain compelling design and visuals to help make a lasting impression on your subscribers.

Williams-Sonoma leads off with a bold photograph to set the scene for a spooky party — and inspires you to shop for your own party supplies with a handy discount and free shipping:

Craft-site Etsy shares some creative DIY inspiration to encourage readers to click through:

Creepy Copywriting

Puns, rhymes, and festive wordplay abound this season, so hop on the hayride with clever copy of your own. Whether you’re “slashing prices,” or giving your customers a “sweet treat” or “ghoulishly good ideas,” you’re sure to scare up some sales with a memorable line or two.

Etsy encourages its creative readers to “Haunt up the house” with “Spooktacular DIY if you dare” projects. World Market lets shoppers “Get spirited away” and has “No bones about it — this is our most haunting Halloween shop ever” as shoppers discover the many decorations, treats, and other products on their eclectic website. San Francisco-based shorts retailer Chubbies uses their playful brand voice to collect user-generated content by writing customers, “To whom it may concern (that’s you, dude), send a good Halloween costume idea to the ol’ tipline.”

Whether you’re offering customers a “trick or treat” discount or special offer, or simply getting into the spirit of the season with a spooky email — there are plenty of ways to participate in Halloween. Plan ahead today, and as the mummy would say, “That’s a wrap!”

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