Spooky season is officially upon us but it’s more than just a holiday for costume parties and trick-or-treating for us in the industry. It’s also an opportunity for affiliates to conjure up (see what we did there) profitable campaigns. In this post, we look into how Halloween affects affiliate marketing and provide some insights into how to maximize your campaign during this holiday.
Halloween a Marketers Dream
Halloween hasn’t always been the holiday that we know. In the ’70s, marketers created a billion-dollar industry with the introduction of trick-or-treating, candy, costumes and decorations. Halloween is the second-largest holiday after Christmas in the US. The US alone spent over $10 billion in 2022, which was a 5% increase from the year before. This year seems to be heading in the same lucrative direction. Marketers played a crucial role in transforming Halloween from a modest tradition into a consumer holiday that generates substantial revenue.
Consumer Spending: As mentioned earlier, consumers are generally prepared to spend during Halloween. This readiness to open their wallets can be harnessed by affiliates to drive higher conversions.
Rising CPCs: Look, it’s a competitive season and Cost Per Click (CPC) rates tend to rise so it’s important to be aware of this and manage your budget effectively to maximize your ROI.
Meta Ads Spend: Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram often experience increased ad spending during Halloween. Meta’s UK Halloween insights show people are sharing x1.62 more photos at this time and are spending more time online.
Halloween Search Terms: Keep a close eye on popular Halloween-related search terms as they skyrocket at this time. This is a prime opportunity to boost your ad visibility and reach a more engaged audience.
Leveraging Halloween for Your Campaigns
On-Theme Spooky Creatives
One way affiliates can leverage Halloween is by incorporating themed creatives into their campaigns. Whether it’s designing eye-catching landing pages, crafting attention-grabbing pop-ups, or revamping ad content, embracing Halloween-themed visuals and messaging can be incredibly effective.
Take Dating for example, it’s a versatile vertical that can thrive during various seasons, and Halloween is no exception. Porn Hub’s Halloween insights showed a staggering 7224% increase in searches for “Halloween Hottie,” showcasing how holiday-themed content can boost traffic and conversions.
The 2022 report from Porn Hub also showed that costume-related searches experience dramatic surges during Halloween. Terms like “Doctor,” “Nurse,” and iconic characters like “Harley Quinn” see a huge uptick in search volume in the weeks prior. Why not try incorporating this style of imagery into your Dating to potentially boost conversions?
Interactive Engagement
One of the most successful tools in your jack-o’lantern basket during Halloween is interactive engagement. Harness the holiday’s ‘trick or treat’ spirit with some fun, interactive creatives. Gamify your Sweepstakes campaign can help reel in your audience. Allowing them to win a ‘treat’ instead of a ‘trick’ can increase engagement and conversion.
Push Promotions and Discounts
Pushing promotions and discounts works across all verticals during Halloween. Consumers are already in the mood to spend, making them more receptive to special offers and discounts. By offering “exclusive” Halloween-themed deals (or making creatives seem as though it’s exclusive) you can attract a broader audience and encourage higher conversion rates.
Experimentation and Scaling
As per usual, you should be testing and optimizing throughout this period. Halloween is fleeting, so you need to act fast and adapt quickly. Experiment with different creatives to discover what resonates best with your target audience. Once you’ve identified the winning formula, scale up your campaigns to make the most of the season’s opportunities.
You’re In For a Treat
Halloween has evolved from humble origins into a huge consumer event, with the potential for affiliates to reap substantial rewards. Leveraging themed creatives, offering promotions and discounts, and introducing engagement elements in the right verticals can help affiliates maximize their Halloween campaigns. By staying attuned to consumer spending habits, monitoring ad spend trends, and capitalizing on popular search terms, affiliates can make the most of this spooky season to boost their affiliate marketing success.