How’s this for a fun fact? Halloween, a day marked by candy and kids in costumes, is the second most important holiday for retailers in the U.S. Yes, second only to Christmas. An estimated $8 billion will be spent to celebrate the holiday. A record 170 million Americans, or 7 out of 10 people, will be spending an average $79.82. Among those celebrating the holiday:

• 51.4% will decorate their home or yard
• 45.0% will dress up
• 36.2% will host or attend a party
• 33.2% will take their children trick-or-treating

With these numbers, you can still capitalize on the moment even if you’re not in the costume business or own a Target or Walmart. Here are some simple marketing ideas that let you capture some of the magic of these stats.

Contest Marketing
Probably the main appeal of Halloween is that it gives people a chance to be someone, or something, else. It’s a celebration of fantasy and imagination in the real world. As a business, you can participate in the fun by running a costume contest. Encourage members on your distribution list to send in photos or videos of themselves in their outfits. Then engage everyone by setting up social voting on your Facebook page to pick the winner.

Trick-or-Treat!
If you run a business that has a physical presence, like a restaurant, retail store, or even a medical office, you can drive traffic in by running Halloween-themed promotions. Send an MMS blast or mobile eCard with an eye-catching image, or advertise a mobile keyword that enables recipients to redeem a mobile coupon for a discount or free goodies. Offer the little ones in costume candy - or floss and toothpaste, if you own a dentistry.

As Halloween as Pumpkin Pie
If you really want to get into the spirit of the season, make your business a holiday destination by decking out your store, restaurant, or office with Halloween decorations on your walls and tables. Really attract attention and traffic by cooking up special Halloween menu items, like pumpkin pie and candy apples. Or take notes from Westlake Ace Hardware, which used every tool in the marketing shed, including parody video newscasts and interviews, a dedicated Facebook tab, and national media coverage - featuring zombies.

Contact Trumpia to get started on your Halloween Mobile Marketing Campaign

888.707.3030