Advertising your Halloween Haunts

icetross911 · #1 (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 06:27 PM

I am curious if anyone advertises your houses that are decorated for Halloween? It's more word of mouth, grown throughout the years, but have had people suggest that we contact the local news paper and have them come out and do a little story about our haunting....

Conman · #2 (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 07:13 PM

i put up a sign at the bottom of my street that says my adress and it worked really well

haverghast asylum · #3 (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 07:16 PM

I'm can't advertise, but word of mouth works well enough for me. I got around 800 last year.

Muffy · #4 (**permalink**) 08-25-2008, 07:50 PM

In the past there has been quite a few threads that covered this topic.....it might be worth your time to use the search engine to find them. I know that in the time I have been here its been discussed quite a bit. I paid close attention to what I read because we were going to advertise our small haunt this season but BASED on what I read here on the board from other members, I have decided to wait one more year.

Its relatively easy to get newspapers to do stories. The newspaper hunts for stories around the holidays but if they select to do a story on you, best be careful when you give your address out. Good advice is>>>to be ready!

We had a lot of people come last year & each year the numbers have been increasing. Last year was a lot of adults,......so many that this season I made special TOT candyboxes for them & the kids will still get their usual bag of goodies & bag of popcorn.

I have dealt with newspapers before, was even on TV on the local news with a business I had. After that coverage things went crazy. So the point I'm trying to make is....plan well & be prepared.

I know to get the story in my local newspaper my haunt has to be ready to go early cause usually we are decorating right up to the 1st TOT ringing the doorbell. I plan on stopping in to talk to the newspaper the end of September next year & to let them know that if they are interested in a story for halloween to please come out & have a look at our place.

I'm doing a few flyers this year just around where I live, we'll see what that brings. Best thing is to get the info out slowly & give yourself a chance to see what your advertising will bring. Putting out to many flyers at one time in addition to something running in the newspaper.....well theres no telling how many people may stop by!lol

the Muffster

Litenin · #5 (**permalink**) 08-26-2008, 04:56 PM

I guess about 3 or 4 years ago, somebody drew up a map to their house for some friends to come over and visit their display. They also put on the map 2 or 3 other houses that they knew of in the area who also decorated.

One time, I had a woman come up to me and ask me where a house was that she saw on this "map" that she was following that had brought her to my house. I asked her what she was talking about, and she shows me this map with about 5 or 6 houses marked on it, including my address written in. She told me where she had gotten the map, so I took a ride.

It turns out I knew the guy who made up the map, but never knew he was so into Halloween. Ever since then, I have been adding houses to the map as we find them or as people come up to us and tell us about this house or that.

I think the map is up to 9 houses including a block party held for charity usually the weekend before Halloween. I keep a bunch of copies to hand out. I'll ask people who seem really into the Halloween spirit, "Do you have the map?" The response is usually either one of 2 answers - "Yes, that's how we got here, and we're on our way to here next." or "There's a map?"

We steadily increased in visitors year after year. Last year, my dad stopped clicking his counter at around 1000 around 8PM.

A lot of people come up to me and ask me why I don't get pictures in the newspaper or on TV. I usually tell them that I'm not the one who looks for publicity for myself. If somebody else called, and they showed up, I'd be happy to show them around, but I won't be the one to call. My crowds come through word of mouth (and now the map), and I have never been disappointed in the turnout. This year will be our 13th.