Win More Customers This Fall With Digital Advertising: A Complete Halloween Guide | Digital Advertising Guide for Local Businesses During Halloween

Halloween is rapidly approaching, bringing costumes, candy, and community events. However, it’s also an opportunity for local businesses to capitalize on the festivities as the calendar year nears its end.

Even if your products or services aren’t directly tied to the holiday, there’s still plenty of room to join in the Halloween spirit. Regardless of how you choose to celebrate, the goal should be to expand your brand’s reach and increase revenue.

A comprehensive marketing strategy built around Halloween themes can help you achieve exactly that.

From geo-targeted display ad campaigns to social media ads like Facebook and Instagram, there are countless ways to leverage Halloween to your advantage. But before diving into specifics, let’s first look at how much this holiday influences consumer behavior.

Impact of Halloween on Consumer Behavior

The final three months of the calendar year are considered the unofficial holiday season, and it begins with Halloween. While Thanksgiving and Christmas are more popular, a study by YouGov found that Halloween ranks just behind those two holidays as the favorite day of the year for U.S. adults.

The excitement surrounding Halloween has fueled significant growth in consumer spending over the past decade, with the National Retail Federation reporting that Halloween-related sales in the U.S. reached $11.6 billion in 2024, a $4.2 billion increase from 2014. 

Although large department stores and Halloween-specific retailers capture a substantial share of this revenue, local businesses also see major benefits. Of the $11.6 billion spent in 2024, more than $1 billion went to small and local businesses, according to the NRF.

With the right marketing plan, your business can tap into the Halloween spirit and claim a share of this growing market.  So don’t waste time; get your strategy together to make the most of a favorite fall holiday.

How to Beat the Competition

This time of year brings plenty of excitement, making it tempting to dive straight into the spooky spirit. However, before you begin creating your marketing materials, there are a few key steps to take to ensure your business is fully prepared for the celebration.

A great place to start is to optimize your business’s online listings. Whether it’s your Google Business Profile, Facebook Business Page, a local directory, or another platform, make sure your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) information is correct and consistent across all channels. Consistency not only improves the customer experience but also boosts your local SEO rankings. Don’t forget to update any special holiday hours to avoid confusion.

It’s also important to identify your target audience. While you likely already have at least a good idea of who that encompasses, narrowing down your target will help you tailor your marketing materials toward that audience and make the most of your efforts.

Finally, leverage data to identify the ideal time to distribute your digital content to maximize engagement. Reviewing analytics from past campaigns can help you pinpoint the most effective days of the week and times of day to maximize engagement.

Once this groundwork is complete, the fun begins. There are countless ways to incorporate Halloween into your business’s marketing strategy, and in the next section, we’ll share several digital advertising ideas to help you get started.

Digital Content Ideas to Celebrate Halloween

Regardless of the methods you choose, the goal of your marketing strategy should be to build anticipation and set your business apart from competitors. These suggestions aim to do just that. While some aren’t strictly digital, they all contribute to your online presence. Without further ado, here’s our list of content ideas:

• Storefront decorations:  Decorating your brick-and-mortar storefront may not seem like digital marketing, but it creates valuable content. Photos and videos of your decorations can be used in online ads and social posts to showcase your holiday spirit and connect your physical presence with your digital campaigns. If you don’t know where to start, there are plenty of online resources to draw inspiration from that can get you off and running.

• Themed products and packaging: Similar to the last suggestion, themed products and packaging help customers associate your business with the holiday spirit and provide content for online campaigns. Even a temporary change in how products are packaged and shipped can make your business stand out.

• Spooky email campaign: You don’t need extensive resources to run an effective Halloween email campaign. Free templates are available, and they can help you reach your audience with themed promotions. If you’re questioning whether email campaigns actually work, Litmus reported that “for every $1 companies spend on email marketing, the majority receive $10-$36 in return.”

• Ghostly social media posts: Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram are ideal for showing your creativity. You can create captivating graphics, host contests, post poll questions, and many other options. If the goal of your marketing campaign is to encourage engagement with your brand, social media is the place for you.

• Website decorations: Your website is essentially your digital storefront, so why not spruce it up with a little Halloween flair? Simply adding a ghost, pumpkin, or other related elements to the homepage of your website not only shows your holiday spirit but also shows that you care about the way your site looks and regularly make updates to it. Just be careful not to overdo it, as you could harm the user experience.

• Halloween content: Blog posts are a great way to tie your expertise to the holiday. For example, a photographer could share Halloween photo tips, or a medical professional could offer trick-or-treating safety advice. Using seasonal keywords can also boost your local SEO.

• Local magazine promotion: In an increasingly online world, it can be easy to forget about physical mail. However, it’s still proven to have tremendous benefits. According to Persuasion Nation, 80% of consumers trust print ads more than any other type of advertisement. Place your business’s spooky ad in a local magazine to improve brand recognition.

• Themed referral incentives: Launch a Halloween-themed referral program that rewards customers for bringing in friends and family. Discounts and coupons encourage participation, while personal referrals build trust with new customers.

• Costume contest or giveaway: Hosting a contest or giveaway is perfect for social media marketing campaigns to expand brand awareness. Everyone wants free stuff and many love to put on a costume, so combine the two to benefit your business. Just remember to clearly state the rules and deadline for entry to avoid participant frustration.

• Local event sponsorship: Most cities and towns have festivals, parties, or fairs around Halloween and have sponsorship opportunities. It’s a great way to get your brand in front of locals and show you’re invested in your community. It also creates content that would benefit social media campaigns and website content.

• Local businesses partnership: Many of the above-mentioned advertising suggestions can be done alongside another local business. It provides both businesses the opportunity to introduce themselves to a potentially new audience while splitting the cost of sponsorships and other promotional materials.

• Limited-time offers: Nothing communicates to a customer that it’s time to act now like scrolling through their social media feed and seeing an offer from a local business that has an expiration date or limited supply. This can expand beyond Halloween, as Thanksgiving and Christmas are around the corner, and encouraging early gift shopping can be effective.

• Influencer collaborations: Take your advertising efforts external and let a local influencer bring you brand awareness. Many communities have influencers with a following that are eager to partner with local businesses, and Halloween is a great time to create unique content, so browse your area for someone who you believe can represent your brand well. 

Maximize Visibility By Targeting the Right Audience With Digital Ads

Once your marketing materials are ready, it’s time to deploy them. Schedule Facebook, Instagram, and other social media ads to post consistently during peak engagement times, ensuring they reach customers when they’re most likely to take action.

But don’t stop there. Display ads are another powerful tool that expands your reach beyond social media, appearing across countless websites your potential customers may visit. With geo-targeting, you can ensure these ads are shown only to your ideal audience in your area, helping you maximize your marketing budget.

By combining social media ads, display ads, and listings management, you’ll be well-positioned to capitalize on the holiday season and secure your share of Halloween-related revenue. It may feel like a lot to manage, but these steps are part of a comprehensive marketing plan designed to help you finish the year strong.

Get Spooky With Best Version Media

Time is valuable, especially for local business owners. If you’re looking to save time while elevating your digital advertising, let Best Version Media help. With bundled display and social media ad campaigns, plus listings, reviews, and reputation management all in one simple dashboard, BVM makes it easy to ensure your marketing strategy covers every base.

So don’t wait; get in touch with BVM today and put your local business in position to make the most of Halloween and close out the year strong.

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FAQs: How Local Businesses Can Boost Halloween Sales With Digital Advertising

How can my business take advantage of Halloween?

To take advantage of Halloween, your local business can decorate its storefront and online presence, run special themed sales and promotions, host or participate in community events like trick-or-treating or costume contests, and create engaging social media content such as videos and giveaways. Partnering with other local businesses or influencers can also expand your reach and attract new customers during this festive period.