Yes, I am THAT person. On October 1st, my entire house smells like pumpkins, leaves, and cinnamon (if not earlier.) I would rather carve pumpkins than decorate a Christmas tree any day. And, yes, I unironically use the word “spoopy” in casual conversation. 

I admit it. I love Halloween. 

And, because I love Halloween, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to trick-or-treat myself to a little self-indulgent Halloween blog. This month, we’re taking a look at horror movies, specifically, three tips pulled from your favorite fright-filled flicks that surprisingly relate to social media marketing! 

Build Suspense

Famous horror director Alfred Hitchcock once said “There is no terror in the bang, only in the anticipation of it.”

Okay, maybe Hitchcock wasn’t referencing Instagram, but the concept still applies when we look at social media campaigns! The impact of one post is inconsequential. A “On Sale” graphic is the equivalent of a jump scare — attention-grabbing but laughable.  However, a well-thought-out two-week campaign that builds anticipation and encourages engagement? Now that creates a bang! 

Here’s how to build suspense for your next campaign:

• Create a countdown to events and/ or sales. This encourages the audience to mark their calendars and create an intentional engagement with your brand. 

• Approach every topic from multiple angles. For example, October is all about Halloween! Instead of sharing a general message on the 31st, create “13 Days of Fright” leading up to that day with costume tips, pumpkin carving templates, throwback photos of staff dressed up as kids, etc. 

If You Want To Scare, Make Us Care.

A scared college girl runs screaming from the showers. Camp counselors huddle in the shed while circled by an unknown entity. We’ve seen it all before. And, while these horror movie stereotypes might be a bit cliche, they do teach us a valuable lesson. Give your audience a reason to care. 

By creating likable, relatable characters, screenwriters get the audience invested in their survival. By creating charismatic, informative, and genuine social media content, marketers make customers care about their brand, thus creating band loyalty and purchase intent. 

Here’s how to start making your audience care:

• Think of ways that your brand can provide value through information. This could be an explainer video on how to use the product on Instagram Reels or a blog with recipes and tips! 

• Show your team in action! Audiences love to see the people behind a company, as it makes them feel as if they are supporting real people and not “big business.”

• Don’t forget to support your community. If your team donates to charity, participates in volunteer activities, or has deep connections with other local businesses and entrepreneurs, make sure to shout that out. 

Don’t Show the Monster!

Every horror movie has a monster. Whether it be a real monster like a werewolf, vampire, or ghost; or a creature like a shark, serial killer, or unknown masked man, every movie has one thing in common. They let the audience’s imagination do the work!

When the audience only sees a glimpse of the monster they will fill in the gaps from their own imaginations. And, more often then not, the thought of the monster will always be scarier than actually seeing one on the screen! 

When creating social media content, try to find ways to suggest “a threat” to the audience, without actually presenting one. This could be missing out on a deal by not purchasing now or not being the first to know about a new product because they are not an email subscriber.

Here are some of my favorite phrases to evokes feeling of urgency: 

• While supplies last! 

• This deal won’t be here for long!

• Updates are coming *very* soon! Join our email list to be the first to know. 

• This is our biggest month of events yet!

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