You 
may have noticed Halloween and fall decorations adorning your favorite retail stores or maybe you’ve seen the random Halloween outlet stores popping up in shopping centers near you. With the excitement building around this much anticipated holiday, you may want to get in on the fun.
Halloween is the time of year for goblins and ghouls, but it’s also a time to get creative. Demonstrate your creative side to customers and prospects with one of these Halloween marketing ideas.
Host a Costume Contest
People who spend money and time on their Halloween costumes want to show them off, that’s why hosting a Halloween costume contest is a great way to bring top-of-mind awareness to your dealership. You could run a traditional contest and incentivize people to dress up and come to your dealership, or you could take a simpler approach and host the costume contest on your social media channels. Leveraging social media for your contest improves your dealership’s online reputation, reach, and engagement, plus you don’t have to go to the trouble of hosting an event at your dealership.
Once you’ve determined which social media channel you’ll use to host your contest, be sure to promote it everywhere, like your digital and print marketing, your website, and your complementing social media platforms. Be sure in your communications to reference how winners will be awarded and what the winners will receive. You’ll want to make sure the prizes are worth talking about to gain excitement and reach for your campaign.
Host a Trunk or Treat
Now-a-days many families take their children to Halloween events long before October 31st. In fact, some trick or treat events happen as early as September. The kids (and grown-ups) get extra candy and more than one wear out of their Halloween costumes. Think about hosting a trunk or treat event at your dealership. This is a great way to drive brand awareness, foot traffic, and fun to your dealership.
All you’ll need to do is buy a bunch of candy, decorate your dealership for the Halloween festivities, and communicate with customers, prospects, and members of your community. Then, have your staff and 2015/2016 lineup strategically stationed around your lot so the kids get the perks of the candy and the parents get to see your newest models.
Halloween is a great time of year to get outside the box with your marketing. This year, get creative with your marketing to drive more business to your dealership.