Why do some haunted houses have a line that stretches around the block, while others struggle to find customers?
It’s all about marketing.
Often, the size of your crowd has nothing to do with the quality of your attraction. It’s all about how many people know you exist, and more importantly, why they should spend their time visiting your haunt specifically.
With so many haunted houses popping up each year, it can be challenging to stand out and attract visitors. In this blog post, we’ll discuss how to promote a haunted house and make it a success.
Create a Website and Social Media Pages
It seems like even zombies carry a smartphone these days, so an online presence is a must.
Create a website and social media pages for your haunted house to promote your event.
Make sure your website is mobile-friendly and includes all the essential information such as location, dates, hours of operation, ticket prices, and a description of the event. Use social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to post updates, photos, and videos of your haunted house. You can also run social media ads to reach a wider audience.
Partner with Local Businesses and Organizations
Partnering with local businesses and organizations can help you promote your haunted house. Reach out to local businesses such as restaurants, bars, and retail shops to see if they would be willing to display flyers or posters for your haunt. You can also partner with local schools and universities to promote your event to students. In exchange for promoting your haunt, you can offer discounts or special promotions to their customers or students. Track the effectiveness of your promotions by assigning a unique promotional code to each group or business you part with.
Offer Group Discounts and Special Promotions
Offering group discounts and special promotions is a great way to attract more visitors to your haunted house. Consider offering discounts for groups of 10 or more or deals such as “flash sales” or “early bird” discounts for those who purchase tickets in advance. You can also offer VIP packages that include perks such as front-of-the-line access or a guided tour.
Host a Preview Night for the Media
Hosting a preview night for the media can help generate buzz and promote your haunted house. Invite local news stations, newspapers, and bloggers to attend your event for free in exchange for coverage. You can also offer exclusive access to behind-the-scenes areas or interviews with actors and staff.
Utilize Outdoor Advertising
Utilize outdoor advertising to promote your haunted house. This can include billboards, bus shelters, and posters placed in high-traffic areas. Make sure you have the necessary permissions before hanging posters randomly around the city, as some locations will fine businesses who do this.
Create advertising that is eye-catching and includes all the essential information such as the location, dates, and ticket prices. You only have a few seconds to catch someone’s attention as they pass by your ads.
Offer Add-On Experiences
Offering add-on experiences is a great way to generate more revenue and provide a unique experience for visitors. This can include escape rooms, virtual reality experiences, or even a haunted hayride. You can offer these experiences at an additional cost or include them as part of a VIP package.
Create a Referral Program
Creating a referral program can help you attract more visitors to your haunted house. Offer discounts or free tickets to customers who refer their friends or family members to your haunt. You can also offer incentives to those who share your business on social media or leave a review on your website.
Host Special Events and Theme Nights
Hosting special events and theme nights can help generate more interest in your haunted house. This can include “lights out” nights where visitors navigate the haunted house in complete darkness, or “zombie nights” where actors dress up as zombies and chase visitors. You can also host special events such as Halloween costume contests or pumpkin carving contests.
Offer Merchandise
Offering merchandise such as t-shirts, hats, and souvenirs can help generate more revenue and promote your haunted house. Make sure your merchandise is high-quality and includes your logo or event name. You can sell merchandise at your event or online through your website.
Need some inspiration? Check out our blog post all about selling merchandise at your haunt.
Encourage Visitors to Share Their Experience
Happy guests can become your haunt’s best advertising. A positive review helps to boost your online reputation, and adds authenticity to your paid promotions. You can even highlight quotes from online reviews in your ads!
Encourage visitors to share their experience on social media and leave reviews on your website. You can do this with a follow-up email after they visit. Those reviews may be the deciding factor when new guests are considering which attractions they want to visit.
Find the Right Ticketing Platform
The right ticketing partner can do more than just process transactions. They should support your business goals and give you the power to grow your fanbase. Ask these 10 questions to help you choose the right ticketing platform for your haunt.
HauntPay is the #1 ticketing & payments platform for haunted attractions because we help you reach more fans and sell more tickets. In fact, haunts that stick with HauntPay for at least two years more than DOUBLE their revenue on our platform, on average.
We attract more than 6 million haunted house fans searching for tickets every season. When they’re searching in your area, we’ll send them your way. Whether your haunt is large or small, you can benefit from that additional traffic.
Schedule a demo today to see how HauntPay can help your haunted attraction reach more fans and sell more tickets.
Final Thoughts
Promoting your haunted house is key to growing your fan base and making your business a success. By creating a strong online presence and using a combination of paid and free strategies, you’ll have a line around the block in no time (no zombies, please!).
