Do you use Halloween text messages to boost your sales?
SMS marketing is great for special events because it creates a sense of urgency. Although social media platforms have revolutionized the way we advertise our products, SMS is still a perfect tool for limited-time offers like Halloween.
In this article, we’re going to introduce some great Halloween text message ideas to encourage and generate more leads.
So read the following SMS marketing techniques and be ready for the upcoming Halloween in 2024.
Does SMS Marketing Work for Halloween?
Short answer: Yes, of course!
SMS marketing is the best method for time-sensitive events like Halloween. Let’s review the benefits of using SMS marketing for Halloween to make sure why you have to use it in the upcoming one:
High Open Rates
It’s estimated that around 98% of text messages are opened by people, which is by far more than the open rate of other channels like email (%20.)
As you know, in events like Halloween, we want to reach out to as many people as possible so it’s important to use a channel with a high open rate. As a result, if you want to make sure that your Halloween message is opened, SMS is the best choice for you.
Real-Time Engagement
Around 90% of people try to read their text messages within 3 minutes after receiving them. This means that your SMS has a high chance of getting real-time responses from your customers.
Instant engagement is so important in promoting a flash sale, last-minute deals, or event invitations like Halloween. If you use other channels like email, many potential customers might not see your ads timely and lose the event.
Intimate & Personalized Messaging
SMS is a direct and personal way of communication and is the best method to build a friendly relationship with your customers. Email and other advertising channels look like official communication methods, but SMS is more personalized.
Cost-Effective
Although SMS providers charge you per text message, SMS marketing is still one of the most cost-effective advertising methods. You don’t need much expertise, employees, and expensive marketing tools to run an SMS marketing campaign.
Increases Customer Loyalty
Sending Halloween marketing messages can create a sense of loyalty in your audience. They feel that they’re important to you and part of your brand story. Of course, you should appear too promotional because they might think you just want to make more profits.
Drives Website & In-Store Traffic
SMS is the best method to drive traffic to your online and traditional store. You just need to send Halloween messages to offer a discount and wait for customers to come shopping.
Best Ideas for Halloween Text Messages in 2024 to Promote Your Business
Now that you know the benefits of Halloween text messages, it’s good to learn some tactics to maximize your conversion rates in your campaign.
Here are some of the best SMS marketing ideas for the upcoming Halloween in 2024:
1. Spooky Sale Alert
As you know, Retailers, online stores, and businesses consider special discounts, deals, and limited-time offers called “Spooky Sale” in October leading to Halloween.
You’ve got to prepare your spooky sale alerts before they get late and send them to potential customers. You have to keep your Spooky Sale message fun and engaging. Try to use festive language to build excitement. For example, here is a good SMS template for spooky sale messages on Halloween:
“👻 Boo! Our Spooky Sale is here! Enjoy 30% off storewide till midnight tonight. Hurry before it vanishes! 🎃 [link]”
2. Event Invite
Try to hold an event on Halloween and use SMS marketing to send event invitations. You need to create a compelling text message to make it exclusive by offering a discount for attendees.
“You’re Invited! Join us for a hauntingly good time at our Halloween Bash 🎉 Enjoy 20% off + free treats at the door! RSVP now: [link]”
3. Limited Time Offer
As said earlier, SMS is best for limited-time offers. You have to use it to drive immediate action by your audience on Halloween.
For example, you can send a message like:
“Tick-tock ⏰ Our Halloween Flash Sale ends in 2 hours! Grab your favorite spooky items now at 40% off! 🎃 [link]”
When you send this message 2 hours before ending the event, your customers feel they’re losing something. So they try to attend the meeting and this will boost your sales.
4. Festive Greeting
You don’t have to appear promotional in all of your text messages. Sometimes a simple greeting is the best way to remind customers of your brand.
This way, you build a long-lasting partnership with your customers and inspire them to visit without directly asking them.
So try to prepare and share a festive “Happy Halloween” text message. Of course, you can include a very small promotion, but sometimes it’s not necessary. Here is a sample template for a Halloween greeting message:
“🎃 Happy Halloween from OliveShop! Treat yourself to 10% off your next purchase. No tricks, just treats! 🍬 [link]”
5. Flash Sale
Impulse purchases are really lucrative for many businesses, especially on events like Halloween.
It’s good to run a one-day or even a few-hour flash sale to encourage people to purchase from your business. The best method for marketing this flash sale campaign is SMS. You just need to write an exciting message and highlight the discount and the urgency in your message.
Here is a sample message for the flash sale campaign on Halloween:
“Flash Sale! 🎃 Get 50% off all Halloween costumes for the next 4 hours only! Hurry, don’t miss out! [link]”
6. VIP Customer Message
People like it when you treat them in a special way. You have to give them a sense of VIP so that they think they’re offering something special to them.
You can do that for your previous customers and offer them special discounts for Halloween. If you use your customer data from the last year and offer the same products they bought, you can expect a great result.
Here is a message template for VIP offers on Halloween:
“Hey VIP! 🎃 Get early access to our Halloween Sale—30% off storewide before anyone else! The offer ends at midnight. [link]”
7. Halloween Reminder
This one might seem repetitive, but it’s necessary. Although you have to avoid frequent messaging, you need to remind the customer of your Halloween offer at least 1-2 times.
Avoid bothering the customer but try to entice them by using FOMO in your reminder. Here is an example of a Halloween reminder:
“Final call for Halloween! 🎃 Only 2 days left to shop our Spooky Sale with 20% off everything! Grab your treats here: [link]”
8. New Product Launch
SMS is a great way to announce your new products, especially Halloween-themed products. Try to promote your products in the text message and redirect customers to a webpage, containing more information. Here is a sample message for Halloween new product launch:
“👻 New arrivals just in time for Halloween! Check out our spooky collection of decorations, costumes, and more. Shop now: [link]”
9. Cart Abandonment
This item is for ecommerce businesses and online shops. If your customers have unprocessed shopping carts in their accounts on your online store, Halloween is the best time to remind them.
You can combine a Halloween greeting and a cart abandonment reminder to kill two birds with a single stone. Take a look at the following SMS example to see how you can encourage a customer to finalize their purchase on Halloween:
“Hey, did you forget something? 👻 Finish your order on Halloween and get 10% off your spooky goodies! 🎃 [link]”
10. Trick-or-Treat Halloween Text Messages
Trick-or-treat is a fun game on Halloween and is a great idea for SMS marketing. You can surprise your customers with a Halloween gift in their inbox!
Try to offer a small freebie or discount in case they visit your store or buy a specific product from your ecommerce website. Look at the following trick-or-treat SMS sample for Halloween and try to customize it for your business for the upcoming event in 2024:
“🎁 Trick or treat? How about a little of both? Use code TREAT2024 for a free gift with your next purchase. Happy Halloween! [link]”
11. Countdown to Halloween
This is another way to create excitement before Halloween. You can send text messages days before Halloween, but you’ve to avoid using this too frequently. For example, you can send it 10 days before, and then repeat it 5 days before Halloween.
It’s actually a trick to remind customers of Halloween and shouldn’t be used too much because they might get annoyed.
12. Costume Contest Invite
You can hold a costume contest and use SMS marketing to send an invitation. Of course, it’s good to define a valuable prize like a discount or early access to new products. You can use the following SMS template for your contest invitation:
“👻 Think you have the best costume? Enter our Halloween Contest for a chance to win a $100 gift card! Upload your costume here: [link]”
13. Halloween Party Promotion
Halloween parties are also common among businesses. Try to hold one of them and promote it using SMS marketing. Just like previous SMS techniques, you’ve to consider a discount or any other offer to encourage more entries.
14. Post-Halloween Follow-up
Last but not least, you’d better follow up with your customers after the event and try to encourage them to buy new products or finalize the abandoned carts after Halloween.
Tips for Halloween Text Message Marketing
Apart from the mentioned SMS ideas for Halloween, you need to pay attention to some tips to increase the conversion rate of your Halloween text message campaign.
Get Clear Consent for Halloween Text Messages
Your SMS marketing campaign should comply with GDPR and other communication regulations. One of the most important items of these laws is getting consent from the recipients. In fact, you can’t send ads to people’s phone numbers without their knowledge. So make sure you’re complying with these rules to avoid trouble in the future.
Create a Sense of Urgency
SMS is best for time-sensitive events like Halloween. So try to make the most of it by creating a sense of urgency. You have to make customers believe they’re losing something important and that other people are buying it.
Use Fun Language
Do not talk to your audience officially. Halloween is a fun event and you need to be as cool and fun as you can. Try to use emojis and fun MMS items to make your text attractive.
Timing Is Key in Halloween Text Messages
Try to schedule your Halloween text messages to be sent at the best time. Considering at least 3 intervals before Halloween can be a great idea. For example, 10 days before, 5 days before, and several hours before the event. Remember that you need to avoid sending SMS late at night or early in the morning because many customers might get annoyed and unsubscribe.
Segment Your Audience
You have to recognize and segment your audience. You can’t send the same SMS to all people without considering their differences. Also, you can categorize them based on age, gender, location, and income to laser-target them efficiently. You can then customize your messages for each group and offer them something specifically to them.
Final Thoughts
SMS marketing is one of the most effective means of advertising your products, especially at events like Halloween. When it comes to time-sensitive marketing, you have to use a channel with a great potential for outreach and fast response.
With a bit of creativity and some valuable offers, you can encourage potential customers to visit your store and become your loyal customers. We offered some great ideas for Halloween text messages to help you in your SMS marketing campaign.
You can also contact us if you need more info.
FAQs
How do you market a Halloween event?
It’s recommended to host a Halloween event, like a Halloween party. Then, you have to use several channels like SMS marketing to promote your event. Try to consider special offers for each marketing campaign to encourage people to attend.
How do you write Halloween text messages?
Your SMS should be short, simple, and with a conversational tone. You have to include a strong CTA and a valuable offer like discounted prices or early access.
How do you increase sales at Halloween?
There are many ways to increase sales on Halloween. SMS marketing campaigns are really effective in reaching out to new audiences and converting them into loyal customers.
When should I start Halloween marketing?
Many people believe you have to start Halloween marketing in September. You can then repeat your SMS marketing on special days, like 10 days before and 5 days before the event.