Thread: How To Get Publicity....

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Basically please tell us tips on getting publicity of your haunt....

You could contact the local newspaper and ask them to do an article about your haunt...

Please Post your tips....

Ruggerz

I know that you can ask your local news station about letting you do/participate in a public service announcement, and adding your haunt info at the end.

make flyers and put them up at local shops/halloween stores

of course put up signs

chain emails

Most newspapers also have a calendar section. Check in advance as to how long you need to notify them to get added. Not sure if they charge for a listing or not. Our area also has a few free papers other than local newspapers that are geared towards events in the area. Many do special featured section on Halloween events. Again, keep track of deadlines.

Network with other haunts in the area and see if they are willing to let you put up a poster at their place or would give a hand out to folks leaving their event. You could do the same as part of a reciprocal agreement.

See if local halloween shops would let you put up a flyer in their store.

Last year I saw someone's thread about a haunt he had (think it might have been on the east coast) and how the local paper did an online listing of halloween events and haunts to visit. It was very nicely done and all linked to a map so you could find things within your own area of town if you didn't want to go far. A click on the map icon would bring up a picture of the place along with operating hours I think. General kind of description of what to expect and maybe whether it was suited for younger kids. Wish I could remember who posted about it but maybe they will see this thread and link to their thread.

If you are tying your haunt to a charity donation, definitely ask if the charity would do some advertising of their own for you through their channels.

Hope this helps.


Curious how big of a haunt are we talking about in your case?

Hey how about this. Pay a few high school students to dress up in costume and hold signage on some key street corners a week or two in advance. Would you need a permit for this? Keep the signage simple and easy to read. Maybe have some business cards or flyers printed to be handed out if people roll down the window and ask for more info.

If you are planning on using actors for your haunt and if your local school has a theater class, inquire if you could hire some students for it (who knows maybe pay would be pizza afterwards). I'm not sure the school per se would advertise for you but I'm sure the kids would be happy to put the word out.

Originally Posted by Ghost of Spookie

Hey how about this. Pay a few high school students to dress up in costume and hold signage on some key street corners a week or two in advance. Would you need a permit for this? Keep the signage simple and easy to read. Maybe have some business cards or flyers printed to be handed out if people roll down the window and ask for more info.

If you are planning on using actors for your haunt and if your local school has a theater class, inquire if you could hire some students for it (who knows maybe pay would be pizza afterwards). I'm not sure the school per se would advertise for you but I'm sure the kids would be happy to put the word out.

lol! My actors showed up at the bottom of my street last year and put on a fake fight with unplugged chainsaws and plastic axes. Im pretty sure this is legal as long as you stay out of the road. This DEFINATELY got some peoples attention!

Getting an article in the local paper is great. Putting in ad space, getting on local calendars, putting up flyers or posters in local businesses, etc.

One other thing you can do is work with a charity. I am negotiating with a foodbank this year and offering a food drive as part of my haunt. in exchange, the food bank is going to include my haunt listing on their materials in September and October.

Originally Posted by Ghost of Spookie

Curious how big of a haunt are we talking about in your case?

Im going to say its a big haunt but not super big.....There is going to be a maze in the back garden with a walkaround path for the rest of the garden....
The fronts it going to be done up quite big....

Ruggerz

As home haunts are such a rare animal here in England, I'm sure the local newspaper will be more than happy to do an article on your haunt if you tell them about it. Local newspapers are always looking for unusual or different stories to publish.
I would notify them soon, that way they can make an appointment in good time. After all, you want the publicity before Halloween. They may well ask you to do a set up of your haunt, come and take some photo's and prepare the article for publication in early October, especially if you tell them that it is also a charity fundraising event.

One of my friends who has a haunt had the local television crew over.....

Maybe i should try and do that...

Ruggerz