Haunted Sales: Spook-tacular SMS Campaign Ideas for Handmade Sellers

Boost Engagement with Creative Halloween Campaigns to Capture Spooky Season Sales

With Halloween around the corner, it's time to brew up some marketing magic and get your handmade business ready for a frightfully fun season. Halloween-themed promotions can drive sales and build a strong connection with your customers. Today, I’m sharing how to create an SMS campaign that’s equal parts spooky, engaging, and packed with scary-good savings. Plus, I’ll show you how to take it to the next level with a month-long Halloween scavenger hunt that’ll keep your audience hooked.

In this blog, you’ll learn how to:

✅ Grow your email and SMS list with simple yet powerful tactics

✅ Tailor your BFCM (Black Friday Cyber Monday) approach to suit your audience

✅ Keep momentum going all month long with varied promotions

✅ Warm up your email list so you don’t get lost in the inbox flood

✅ Use retargeting ads to capture more post-BFCM sales

Spooky Idea #1: Halloween SMS Scavenger Hunt

A scavenger hunt is a perfect way to engage your audience and give them a sense of fun and exclusivity. Here’s how you can kick off a month-long campaign that keeps subscribers entertained and engaged:

Invite Subscribers: At the beginning of October, send an SMS blast inviting your subscribers to opt into your Halloween scavenger hunt. Make it clear that participating comes with the chance to win weekly prizes and a grand prize on Halloween. This initial message is also an excellent opportunity to grow your SMS list. Include a link to share the game with friends for extra entries.
Weekly Trivia: Each week, send a spooky trivia question via SMS. Keep it fun and related to Halloween (e.g., “What’s the most popular Halloween candy in the U.S.?”). Those who reply with the correct answer receive a small promo code (e.g., 10% off) and are entered into the grand prize draw at the end of the month. This encourages continued engagement and interaction with your brand.
Grand Prize: On Halloween, randomly select a grand prize winner from those who answered correctly throughout the month. The prize could be an exclusive Halloween-themed gift box, a limited edition product, or a generous discount code. Make sure to announce the winner via SMS to all participants—this keeps everyone in the loop and excited for your next event.

Scary-Good Tip: Personalize the experience by using your customers' first names in the SMS messages. A friendly, personalized message like "Hey [Customer's Name], ready for this week's spooky trivia?" makes them feel more involved.

Real-World Example: Last Halloween, I launched a similar scavenger hunt campaign for Wicked Good, my fragrance brand. Each week, I sent out a new trivia question, and those who replied with the correct answer got a coupon code for 15% off their next order. At the end of the month, everyone who participated was entered into a draw for a grand prize—a limited edition Halloween fragrance collection. The engagement rates were phenomenal; my SMS open rates increased by 30%, and I saw a 27% growth in my SMS subscriber list. Not to mention, the weekly coupon codes drove a consistent stream of sales throughout October.

Spooky Idea #2: Tailor Your BFCM Approach for Halloween Warm-Up

Black Friday and Cyber Monday are looming on the horizon, and a Halloween-themed SMS campaign is a great way to warm up your list in preparation for the holiday season. Here’s how to incorporate Halloween into your BFCM strategy:

Early Access: Offer early access to your BFCM deals to those who participate in your Halloween scavenger hunt. Let them know they’ll get exclusive access to your sales if they engage throughout October. This builds anticipation and a sense of exclusivity.
Varied Promotions: Keep the momentum going with varied promotions. One week, you could offer a discount; the next, a free gift with purchase. Use the scavenger hunt as a way to keep the audience engaged with different kinds of deals leading up to the holiday season.
Tease Your BFCM Deals: As the month progresses, start teasing your BFCM sales to create excitement. Use the scavenger hunt as an opportunity to hint at upcoming promotions. For example, include questions like, "Can you guess one of the discounts we'll offer on Black Friday?" This primes your audience for what’s to come and keeps them engaged.

Ready to conjure up some sales this Halloween? Launch a scavenger hunt that captivates your audience with weekly quizzes and offers spooky-good rewards. Your subscribers will love the thrill of the game and the chance to win fun prizes.

Spooky Idea #3: Warm Up Your Email List for BFCM with Halloween-Themed Content

While SMS is great for quick engagement, don’t forget about your email list! October is the perfect time to start warming up your email subscribers for BFCM. Create a month-long Halloween email series that aligns with your SMS campaign to build excitement and momentum.

Themed Content: Send Halloween-themed emails throughout October, featuring your products in a fun, seasonal context. For example, if you sell candles, highlight your “Witch’s Brew” or “Pumpkin Spice” scents as must-haves for the season. Include a call-to-action (CTA) to join the scavenger hunt via SMS for exclusive discounts.
Encourage Cross-Channel Engagement: Use your emails to encourage SMS sign-ups. Mention the scavenger hunt and explain that subscribers will get bonus entries if they also engage with your emails. This multi-channel approach helps strengthen your customer relationships and ensures you don't get lost in the inbox flood during BFCM.

Real-World Example: In the weeks leading up to Halloween last year, I sent a series of themed emails highlighting my fall fragrances. Each email included a CTA to join my SMS list for exclusive discounts and Halloween scavenger hunt participation. The combination of email and SMS created a sense of urgency and exclusivity that boosted sales by 25% that month. By the time BFCM rolled around, my subscribers were fully engaged and ready to shop.

Scary-Good Tip: Use retargeting ads to capture more post-BFCM sales. Those who participated in your Halloween campaign are prime candidates for retargeting through social media and Google Ads. A fun, Halloween-themed ad with a CTA like, "Missed our spooky sale? Don't worry; it's not over yet!" can drive even more conversions.