Beware: These ideas may lead to an increase in revenue and engagement.

While many marketers already have their sights set on Black Friday/Cyber Monday, another big holiday is just around the corner: Halloween. 

Last year, Halloween spending reached a record $10.6 billion. This year, consumers are eager to (trick or) treat themselves to new costumes and decorations, but they’ll be looking for bargains and coupons to help stretch their budgets.

Keep in mind: this retail holiday isn’t limited to selling costumes or candy. Any brand can get in on the beloved traditions and fun celebrations.

Carve out room in your marketing calendar for these Halloween campaigns and strategies.

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1. Milani Cosmetics: Boo-sting conversions with free perks

Makeup brand Milani Cosmetics created a series of touchpoints to engage their audience and drive revenue around Halloween. The first campaign promised shoppers a free sticker set with the purchase of any Halloween item. (Pro tip: Offering a free gift with purchase is a fun incentive strategy that fosters customer loyalty, but it’s also a great alternative if your brand doesn’t offer discounts). 

Towards the end of the month, Milani sent a second message with a friendly shipping deadline reminder to encourage last-minute makeup orders for Halloween. Plus, they included a relevant promo code (“SPOOKY”) that shoppers could use to get free shipping.

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2. Sprayground: Driving revenue from limited-edition products

Bags and accessories brand Sprayground is known for their unique backpack designs, such as their limited-edition “Boo Collection” featuring colorful monsters and zombies. The brand came up with a creative campaign to promote the limited-edition collection, pairing a Halloween-inspired poem with an eye-catching GIF that showcased the products in a spooky, animated scene.

The exclusive nature of the promotion also created a sense of urgency for their customers to act fast, so they wouldn’t miss out on the chance to shop the collection. 

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3. ELEMIS: Incentivizing opt-ins with a Halloween giveaway

Luxury skincare brand ELEMIS launched a Halloween giveaway to convert their website visitors into SMS subscribers. They customized their mobile and desktop sign-up units to capture the attention of browsers, daring them to opt in to SMS for a chance to win. ELEMIS also included a Text-to-Join keyword to make sure anyone who was already on their SMS list could get in on the fun, too. 

After someone entered the giveaway, they received a triggered text message with a discount code they could use to shop in the meantime. The multi-faceted strategy was a clever way for the brand to grow their subscriber base while incentivizing purchases from both new and existing customers.

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4. Beachwaver: Encouraging customers to treat themselves

Beachwaver treated their customers to a “spooky good sale,” inviting them to enjoy 30% off Halloween favorites plus free shipping for a limited time. The curling iron brand announced the offer a few days before Halloween, sending a mix of email and SMS reminders leading up to the final hours of the sale on October 31. 

(Pro tip: This strategy is called bookending and it can help you maximize engagement and revenue during timely promotions. Make sure to use segmentation to exclude recent purchasers from getting too many follow-up messages.) 

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5. Farmacy Beauty: Featuring a relevant (and popular) product

Clean skincare brand Farmacy Beauty has the perfect product for Halloween enthusiasts: their Green Clean cleansing balm. They sent their customers a playful message touting the balm’s benefits, namely, its ability to effortlessly remove even the boldest of makeup looks. They also included a real customer testimonial celebrating the product's effectiveness, highlighting why it’s worth buying, not just for Halloween, but for lighter makeup days, too.

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Halloween falls right before the biggest shopping week of the year. It’s the perfect time to experiment with new ways to engage your audience and see what resonates with them. Check out our SMS gallery, Texts We Love, for more Halloween marketing ideas and inspiration.  

Looking for more ways to prepare for the holiday season ahead? Explore our 2023 BFCM Planner. ​​You’ll find plug-and-play SMS templates, tips for becoming an AI pro, and more (don’t forget to sign up for content drops).