[pmm6904]

Does anyone use Facebook or other social media to promote your yard haunt? If you do, has it increased the number of tot's you get?

 

[McBernes]

I imagine that some people who do big haunts every year probably do have a facebook profile just for their haunt. There might be some who hve a domain for their haunt too, or both especially if it is open all year. Having a facebook or website for your haunt couldn't hurt your traffic.

 

[Oak Lane Cemetery]

We do. Don't know if it has increased our attendance as much as word of mouth, being in the papers a few times and being on the news last year, but we have over 17,000 Facebook followers now and only get 300 or so visitors on Halloween. First year we only had about 50, but we were no where near as elaborate as we are now. We have a little spooky looking sign out on our cemetery fence that says "Like us on Facebook" too so people who stop to look will know we have a page.

 

[mrincredibletou]

I used craigslist and I believe it helped attendance.

 

[hostelbaygreekislandpass]

I've used facebook events and did pretty well. We organised a themed party with some friends and had extra guests because of social media

 

[SlayKnotV1]

We made a FB page for our house right after Halloween 2015 and it took off way better than I thought it would (We do a Huge Christmas display also). as of today our FB page has 6,200 likes. Halloween 2015 we had about 150ish kids. the following year we had about 350 kids and Last year we had 1,400 kids from like 3-9:30. Facebook is the way to go and if promoted right be prepared for ALOT of people

 

[UnOrthodOx]

I'm not shooting for numbers as we have ENOUGH at 500-1000 every year (depending on day of the week and weather), but we do have a facebook and announce our annual party over that as well. But, mostly just as an easy means to get the info out to the folks that already come annually, not really advertise.

We made a FB page for our house right after Halloween 2015 and it took off way better than I thought it would (We do a Huge Christmas display also). as of today our FB page has 6,200 likes. Halloween 2015 we had about 150ish kids. the following year we had about 350 kids and Last year we had 1,400 kids from like 3-9:30. Facebook is the way to go and if promoted right be prepared for ALOT of people

I got similar response from 1st year to 2nd via word of mouth alone. From 100 kids to 300 the second year. (I didn't have an internet presence at all back then)

We've held steady for several years now without me making a concerted effort to bring folks in. I'm convinced location is far more important than most other considerations for the trick or treat crowd. At least in my neck of the woods.

 

[dawnski]

If you have a subdivision FB page, that would be a nice place to put a shout out about your haunt. Also the website nextdoor.com lets you hit all your nearby neighborhoods.

 

[marencib]

There's a free app you can download called Next Door and it'll usually hit a good radius around your home. It's free and works really well to get the word out.

 

[Zombie4*]

I dont have Facebook. Apparently someone who loved my display did a big write up on their Facebook on my display. I wondered why i literally had people stopping in the median in front of my house, pulling in my driveway and flooding the sidewalks looking at my display??

 

[Spooky_Girl1980]

I have a facebook page, website and blog for my haunt. When we started 9 years ago we probably got less then a hundred trick or treaters now we get upwards of 250 to 300 every year. Lately the number is climbing closer and closer to 300. Last year we even had a guy stop in the road in front of my house to take a picture of my display.

Edited to add I also have a Instagram account for my haunt as well.

 

[Plastic Ninja]

I have a facebook and instagram for my haunt, but I got very little engagement with either so I kinda stopped updating them.

 

[Madame Leota]

I only post pictures of my display on my personal fb page and and all my photos are"friends only" viewable. I have no interest in becoming a social media attraction. At one point we were getting 500-600 kids and that was great but when it slowed back to 250-300 I didn't complain. It's actually perfect for us the way it is right now. I'm thinking it's a "be careful what you wish for" scenario, as it could become too much to safely and affordably manage very quickly. Plus, there's something about social media that just brings out all the crazies.

 

[chachabella]

We do. Our yard haunt is actually a live variety show that runs the week before halloween, complete with dancers and fire spinners. So facebook is our main source of advertisement. Otherwise I would have strangers ringing my doorbell nonstop to ask when the show is.

Although last year I was in the yard tinkering the day before our first show. A car drove by and slowed down to look, as they always do. But then a couple got out of the car and came to talk to me. They were from Texas, I am in Missouri. They were in town visiting relatives and had been at Lowes. They over heard the people in line in front of them talking about our show/yard. And they wanted to come see it for themselves, before they left town to go home.

So even though we intentionally use social media to advertise I REALLY like the grass roots, underground, cult classic, word of mouth advertisement best.

 

[richardharrison]

facebook pages can help build the hype

 

[Kwll2112]

For those of you using Facebook, do you have any suggestions? We are running two or three fundraisers this year for local school music programs, and I want to create enough type to get lots of people to them. We only charge $3 per person and give 100% of the money collected to the schools, so the more people, the better.

I’m particularly interested in how you set up your page, what to say, what not to say, etc.