Now that we’re 10 days into the 10th month of the year, there is a lot of chatter going on about Halloween. The annual spook-fest, that is celebrated every 31st of October, is always an exciting time. No matter your type of business, it’s wise to utilize the haunted holiday-that’s-not-a-holiday to advertise all that you have to offer. Scaring up more sales during the month of October is easier than you think. Not to mention, it’s fun!
Show that your brand cares.
A major factor in scaring up sales is showcasing the top quality nature of your brand. We’re not talking about products here. Your commitment to your community and your willingness to participate in charitable events showcase your brand as respectable. Don’t put all your efforts into blatant advertising. As Karen McCandless of The Ascent points out, there has been a backlash against the increasing commercialization of the holiday season.
“Instead of just creating marketing campaigns around Halloween flash sales and Black Friday discounts, think about what you can do for a cause you care about,” she recommends, “When you write a marketing email, make sure that the content is authentic and aligns with your values, as you don’t want to be seen as jumping on the bandwagon.”
Turn your menu into a graveyard scene.
Sounds weird, doesn’t it? But this is the time of year when creepy decor is very popular. In addition to decorating your restaurant with all things black and orange, consider revamping your menu as well. This is an especially good idea for your restaurant’s website since you won’t have to worry about printing costs. Karen Garces of Penji offers up a great idea for a burger joint’s new graveyard menu.
“You can put a caricature of a dead man’s hand holding a burger,” she suggests, “Then you can put your restaurant’s name or logo on the gravestone for consistency. While this design is only suitable for fast-casual restaurants or fast-food chains, it might not fit into the audience of fine dining restaurants.”
Run a Halloween contest.
Contests are great promotional strategies all year round. But, during October, they are especially easy and fun to run. Sure, you could go the classic “best costume” route. But you could also run a contest that requests spooky drawings or stories. No matter the type of Halloween-themed contest you decide to run, ensure that the prize is worthwhile. It will help to elicit more contestants, grow your brand image and encourage purchases.
“There are a ton of Halloween giveaway ideas already out there that you can draw inspiration from,” says McCandless, “For example, Mehron Makeup runs a Halloween-themed social media contest every year that encourages Instagram users to create looks with its makeup and share the results to win a cash prize and other goodies.”
Be open to all payment options.
Do you accept credit cards and debit cards as methods of payment? This is important no matter the time of year. At Priority Pay, we proudly offer Canadian merchants a variety of high-quality payment terminals to choose from. You can easily and securely accept both credit card and debit card payments with the Poynt C Smart Terminal, the Newland 910, the Ingenico Desk 5000 or the Ingenico Move 5000.
To learn all about your options, please don’t hesitate to call us 1-888-431-4344. You may also email us at info@prioritypay.ca or request a quote on our Contact page!