Thread: Marketing Ideas For Haunted Attractions

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Hi guys, new to this site but I enjoy reading everybodys input. We will be doing our first haunt in 2011 (After many years of buying, planning, and preparing) We realize the importance of marketing and we know it is a costly adventure. What are some ways that you guys have found are the most effective forms of advertising? When do you start advertising your haunt during the year in the media? How have you found is the best way to get people to your website? Any marketing ideas will help greatly!

I just do a yard display but I'v put a flyer on craigslist, started a myspace and facebook page, made a bummper sticker for my car and had a banner made for my front yard.

Since I only put my display up on Halloween I just put my advertizing out a week before.
This coming halloween I'm going to try and do a food drive so I'll be contacting my local paper to see if they can maybe write something small about it so more people will know.

Pens, bumper stickers, a severly decorated car, a highway billboard, tee shirts,costume contests (as a contestant and as the sponser) I had a small booklet published "True Events From A Real Haunted House" (all true) I have been on the cover of National Geographic World, been in numerous paperback books as an odd tourist attraction and haunted house,have appeared on The Home & Garden Show "Extreme Homes" (We live in it) been on The comedy Central Network show "Travel sick", been on the Peoria, Il. PBS show ,WGN tv & Radio,been named one of the years best Haunts on various lists, including Fangoria Magazine's list 2 years ago(even though I don't do "Gore" here) The Wild Chicago tv show repeated the episode with my house in it maybe 35 times in 3 years!
Some of the TV shows like Home& Garden's "Extreme Homes" has been showing for many years all over the world, France, Germany...and yet even being open for house tours almost every night of the year for 23 years.. there will still be many nights nobody shows up here and the phone doesn't ring.
"Word-Of-mouth", friends telling friends& relatives bringing them here is the Biggest method for my success here.
You never get a second chance to make a good first impression.
I do not think there is any "Be-All or End-All" of advertising to really outperform any of the other methods. Give it your best effort, give value of "show" for the admission paid.

I have also done the huge majority of all the work here myself with very little help, another way I have remained financially viable, and it has been a full-time job and only source of income and I sure don't have a pile of money for all of it either..but I have had incredible fun here and incredible creative fun doing and saying pretty much whatever happens across my brainwaves.
The Ravens Grin Inn is a place heavilly influenced by...me.
If you like it, I did it, if you don't like it, I Still did it!

yea word of mouth is the best way but a facebook page could be good if you can get it out to people in your area. also you can try promotions with radio stations, and food banks, one place does well with a blood drive.

Thank you guys for the input so far, we already own and operate a family entertainment center and inflatable and ride amusement company so we have a good reputation in providing good entertainment and hopefully that will bring our "regulars" but we will have to definately consider some other avenues to promote the haunted attraction to reach teens. Thanks for your help and anyone else reading keep the ideas coming!

I was pretty blown away this year while driving on the expressway- I caught up to an amazing haunted house car-truck vehicle. If I remember right, I believe it was a hearst, but built up and out. It was wild man! It was some local farm haunt- I can't remember. But that was certainly unique. I'm sure it was on an atypical cruise on the expressway, going to another location. I would guess on the local roads it does better, as far as advertisement.

Hit any and all halloween stores and get that flier up. I saw lots of fliers for local haunts when I was in halloween express and spirit stores this year. I saw fliers just put up on tress too! Anywhere really. My home haunted display is catching on rapidly just from word of mouth. No matter what level, that remains true- word of mouth. Good luck with everything.

And if you're shooting for teens- go where they go and post fliers. The movie theatre is a big one, ime.

Dan

Originally Posted by SCfearfarm

Hi guys, new to this site but I enjoy reading everybodys input. We will be doing our first haunt in 2011 (After many years of buying, planning, and preparing) We realize the importance of marketing and we know it is a costly adventure. What are some ways that you guys have found are the most effective forms of advertising? When do you start advertising your haunt during the year in the media? How have you found is the best way to get people to your website? Any marketing ideas will help greatly!

Hi SCfearfarm: I would start by seriously pursuing any local shops to co-promote each other's services. By that I mean getting advertising into businesses who have clientele with the demographics of people who would be interested in a haunt. I would start early, especially if you go after any chain stores that need authorization from the corporate office.

At a minimum, this would consist of handouts and posters that would be available at the restaurants and stores where you are able to make this deal happen. I'm talking something slick that people would keep — perhaps with a special discount, and not just b&w photocopies from Kinkos.

In return, you would provide recognition for those businesses that helped promote your haunt with a handout or notice on the ticket sub that offers a discount or coupon special for THEIR business. I call this cross-pollinating, and frequently see this happening between Taco Bell and Six Flags Great America in the Chicago area.

I'm betting that the majority of your business would come from people with a Facebook account. I'd exploit that for all it's worth, have a custom tab as a landing page, and definitely encourage people to "like" your page so you can keep them updated for free and spread the word to their friends. A personal website is a must, too.

My wife and I have built a business for promoting, especially with regard to the entertainment industry. Let me know if we can be of help.