Trick or Treat: The Dos and Don’ts of Halloween Email Marketing

It’s coming up to that time of year again – Halloween email marketing season!  The short period when we’re bombarded with holiday promotions and Halloween emails packed with spooky images and content. With these tips you can make your Halloween newsletter stand out from the rest.

Because it only comes once a year, this is an awesome opportunity to create fun and engaging Halloween emails that your customers will love. And they can lead to a MONSTER sales BOOOOst.

Terrible puns aside, it’s important that you make the most of the Halloween marketing opportunities with a great email campaign.

This article will examine the dos and don’ts of Halloween email marketing, along with some great example emails, to make sure your campaign is scary good (I guess I can’t help myself 😉).

Tips and Inspiration for Your Halloween Email Marketing

The Email Content

Email content is arguably one of the most important elements of your email marketing strategy, especially when it comes to Halloween emails. Here are some tips and things to avoid when planning out your campaigns.

Do work on your Halloween email subject line

As your subscribers’ inboxes fill up with Halloween marketing emails, the first way to make sure yours stands out is with a winning Halloween email subject line. 

If your campaign includes a promotional discount, consider highlighting this in the subject line. And even better if you can create a sense of urgency by emphasizing that it is time-limited. 

Another effective tactic is writing an intriguing subject line that will make your subscribers want to open to know more. For example, in the email below Lush used the Halloween email subject line “Something wicked this way comes” to spark the customer’s curiosity.  

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Don’t use boring copy

Copy that blends in with other email campaigns will not get your readers excited about whatever seasonal offer you’re providing.

The whole point of a Halloween email campaign is to make the most of the period to get people more engaged. Check out our tips for writing effective email marketing copy to help you produce content for your Halloween email that will convert. 

Do use Halloween-related wit and humor to make your customer smile

As you can tell from my awful puns above, I enjoy a little timely wordplay.

Even if you think it’s unfashionable to use Halloween puns and jokes in your emails, remember that there can be charm in cheesiness. It humanizes your brand and opens up your readers’ emotional connection to the holiday season.

For an example of a Halloween email where the copy hits the mark, take a look at this witty campaign:

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Don’t overload your email with too much copy

Consumers only take an average of 11.1 seconds to read an email. That means you don’t have much time to get them to do what you want.

For the best results, avoid including too much content explaining your offer. That’s what your website’s for!

Instead focus on getting customers to a landing page where they’ll be more willing to read the details. With Sendinblue’s all-in-one marketing platform, you can easily create customized landing pages for your campaigns that look amazing.

Do include Halloween-themed product recommendations if possible

The best way to make the most of holidays like Halloween is to link your business offering to the season.

You can do this in two ways:

• Show recommendations for products that are Halloween-themed.
• Find products that are “scary” and recommend them in a fun way that draws readers in.

For a great example of this, check out the Halloween email below which shares a selection of top Halloween products to go with the theme. The email also shows how you can incorporate Halloween storytelling into your email copy!

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The Calls to Action

The call to action (CTA) in your Halloween campaign is super important because it clarifies to the reader exactly what you want them to do.

But, be mindful of how you use them to make sure you get optimal results.

Don’t bury your call to action

Always make sure your CTA is both visible and eye-catching, like in the following piece of Halloween marketing:

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Do make the goal of your email campaign clear from the get-go

As I mentioned above, customers don’t spend a whole lot of time reading emails. That’s why you need to get straight to the point.

If you’re having a sale on certain items or promoting a special Halloween discount, don’t wait to tell your readers. By getting straight to the point, you’re showing your customers that you care about their time.

Take the following Halloween campaign, for example:

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This email is simple and to the point. Readers know exactly what value they’re getting if they click through instead of having to read in between the lines.

Don’t dilute your main CTA with too many other buttons

In the tip above we talked about getting straight to the point with your objective.

One mistake that can lead to an unclear email is including multiple conflicting CTAs. This can blur the goal of the email campaign into multiple different actions.

Do create a hierarchy of CTAs

If you want to give readers multiple choices, you should create a hierarchy with one (or possibly two) main CTAs using a solid-colored button. Then create a subsidiary group of CTAs that use an outline-only button or a simple link.

This Halloween email shows you how it’s done:

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The Halloween Email Design

Once you’ve got your content sorted, the next step is to design your email in a way that will grab your audience’s attention.

There are lots of ways you can do this, like the colors or images you choose for your campaign. Remember, this is not any old email – so have some fun with it!

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Don’t use the same old format and branding as your regular campaigns

Halloween is a time to get creative with your emails! That means they shouldn’t look like every other email you send out.

Because let’s be honest, if you’re not going to make it fun and on-theme, are you really sending a Halloween email at all?!

Do implement Halloween-style fonts and colors

The whole point of seasonal email promotions is that they’re… seasonal. Using Halloween colors and spooky-looking text can go a long way in increasing your engagement rates.

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Note how the example above creates a Halloween-themed email while still maintaining a cohesive brand feel for readers. If spooky doesn’t fit your image, you could go for a more general fall-themed newsletter.

Get creating your Halloween email

Now that you’ve got a better feel for what to do – and what not to do – for your Halloween email marketing, it’s time for you to start creating those emails!

With Sendinblue’s drag & drop email builder, you can easily design attractive and engaging emails for your Halloween campaign. And, you can try it out for free today!

Just remember that all of these tips should be taken in moderation. After all, too much of a good thing can turn bad.

Happy Halloween marketing!