Halloween: That Other Big Holiday
Are you ready to catch the Holiday Spirit? No, not those holidays (although we’re not far off). I’m talking about Halloween. You know: the $7+ billion consumer holiday that many online retailers forget about? It’s understandable if the branding bug stops biting you in October. After all, it is sandwiched between two ecommerce giants in the Back-to-School and winter Holiday seasons. Nevertheless, it is one of those benchmark times of the year to capitalize on your customers’ enthusiasm.
Even though you may not offer products traditionally associated with Halloween such as costumes, sweets, or party goods, it’s important to remember that the branding calendar is a circular one. Every visitor that comes to your store, each existing customer you email, and all those people on social media sharing viral content are all opportunities to make a lasting impression. And by all means, have some fun.
Here are a few ideas to get the blood flowing (pun intended). Consider an email blast with a Halloween inspired coupon code such as ‘Pumpkin’, ‘Zombie’, or ‘Goblin’ for reduced shipping on orders before Halloween. Or even better, offer a Mystery Sale where customers have to click an activation link in order to find out. Do you offer gift wrapping on orders? If so, try going with Orange and Black for the next few weeks. Don’t forget that the ordering experience itself is just one piece of the branding puzzle. Email confirmations (both Order and Shipping) are two more touchpoints to have some fun. Perhaps add some ghoulish clip art or a cob web graphic to your emails. The same can be done with your packing slips. One classic that never seems to get old is using a group costume picture of your staff in your email signature for the weeks leading up to and after Halloween. Last but not least, there are two types of people in the world: those who like candy and liars. Throw a treat in the box along with the packing slip and their merchandise and you’ve just made a friend. A rubber spider is sure to get a reaction of a different kind.
Nexternal clients are able to customize their Order Confirmation/Shipped Emails and Packing Slips in Settings>Policies, Addenda, and Disclaimers. Bulk emails can sent in Customers/Mail Wizard. Gift Wrapping can be enabled in Settings/Site Options.
Chris is a Senior Account Executive at Nexternal and has been with the company since 2005. Before joining Nexternal he worked in the cloud-based educational software industry. Chris enjoys establishing new relationships with online merchants and working closely with those clients as they grow.
