Did you feel that change in the air?
All across the country, zombies are climbing out of their graves, vampires are emerging from their crypts, and clowns are sharpening their chainsaws. Haunt Season has arrived!
The exact date Haunt Season begins is always a subject of debate. Some say it doesn’t start until October 1. But we know plenty of haunts that have been open for a week or longer, so we think it’s safe to say that the season begins sometime in September. And we’re here for it.
Whether you’re just starting to open your doors or you have a few more weeks to go, here are three things you need to check off your to-do list to have an amazing Haunt Season.
1. Set Up Your Ticketing and Test Equipment
If you haven’t already set up your ticketing, now is the time to get on it. Haunts who follow the timeline and steps below report fewer issues and smoother opening nights. And we want you to have a fab-boo-lous opening.
| DESCRIPTION | COMPLETE THIS BY |
| Onboarding call with our support team | Two weeks before opening |
| Test your scanners and card readers | One week before opening |
| Train your team to use any hardware or software they will be using | One week before opening |
What if you’re already past those recommended dates? Reach out to our team now – we’ll always do our best to help you!
2. Email Guests Who Visited You Last Year
The folks who had a screaming good time at your haunt last year are more likely to buy tickets again. But they need to be reminded that you’re open! Send an email to every customer who visited your haunt; include details like when you’ll be open this season, any new rooms or other offerings they can expect, and how to get tickets.
This is a great time to offer things like:
- Early Bird Pricing, so you can get more sales early in the season
- Weekday Specials, to fill those less popular days and time slots
- Promo Codes, as in discounts for repeat visitors
- Social Media Discounts, to encourage guests to share your haunt with their friends
Not sure what you did with last year’s email list? If you used HauntPay, just login to your admin dashboard and run a Tickets Report. Then, you can download those customer emails.
3. Promote Your Haunt
Guests won’t magically find your haunt on their own. It’s up to you to get the word out. That may include paid promotions, earned (unpaid) media, and organic search & social media. Here’s where you should start:
- Call your local media contacts. A lot of media outlets cover haunted attractions during this time of year. Let them know you’re open and what new stuff you may have going on. Start with any journalists who covered you in the past.
- Use our simple form to list your haunt on local media directories in your area. Save yourself the headache of submitting your haunt’s info to hundreds of different directories, all with different requirements for word count and file uploads.
- Start sharing content on social media. Consider boosting a few posts or even running ad campaigns if your budget allows.
- Run through our guide to haunted house advertising for more ideas to help get the word out.
‘Tis the Season
We think Haunt Season is the most wonderful time of the year. There’s nothing we love more than seeing your incredibly creative, surprising, and terrifyingly gruesome visions come to life. And we’re grateful everyday that you let us play a small part in that. If there’s anything our team can do to help you have a successful Haunt Season, please reach out. We wish you all happy haunting!
