As a haunt owner, you have a direct line to a captive audience of thrill-seekers. SMS or text message marketing can be a game-changer for driving ticket sales, enhancing the visitor experience, and building a loyal following of fear fanatics. This guide will walk you through the best practices, crucial regulations, and spooktacular ideas to make your text message campaigns a screaming success.
Best Practices for SMS Marketing: Don’t Be a Ghost
Before you start sending spine-chilling texts, it’s essential to understand the ground rules of SMS marketing. Following these best practices will ensure your messages are welcomed, not exorcised.
- Obtain Explicit Consent: The golden rule of SMS marketing is to only text individuals who have given you clear and direct permission. This is often done through a web form, a text-to-join keyword, or a physical sign-up sheet at your venue. A double opt-in, where subscribers confirm their subscription via a follow-up text, is required by some phone carriers and is a good practice to adopt even if your phone company doesn’t require it.
- Timing is Everything: Respect your customers’ time. Avoid sending messages too early in the morning or late at night. The ideal window is typically between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. in the recipient’s time zone.
- Keep it Short and Scary-Good: Text messages are meant to be concise. Get straight to the point with a compelling offer or update. Use clear and urgent language to encourage immediate action.
- Personalize Your Frights: Address your subscribers by name to create a more personal connection. You can also segment your audience based on their past visit history or interests to send targeted and relevant messages.
- Include a Clear Call-to-Action (CTA): Every message should have a purpose. Whether it’s “Buy Tickets Now,” “Watch the Teaser,” or “Enter to Win,” make it obvious what you want the recipient to do.
- Make Opting Out a Breeze: Legally, you must provide a clear and easy way for people to unsubscribe from your messages. The most common method is to include “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” in your texts.
Navigating the Labyrinth of Regulations: Stay Compliant
Ignoring SMS marketing regulations can lead to hefty fines and damage to your reputation. The two main governing bodies in the United States are the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA).
Here are the key compliance points to remember:
- Prior Express Written Consent: The TCPA requires you to have “prior express written consent” before sending any marketing text messages. This means the consumer must knowingly agree to receive promotional texts from you.
- Mandatory Disclosures: When someone opts in, you must clearly and conspicuously disclose the following:
- Your haunted house’s name.
- The frequency of the messages they can expect to receive (e.g., “up to 4 msgs/month”).
- A disclaimer that “Message and data rates may apply.”
- Clear instructions on how to opt-out (e.g., “Text STOP to cancel”).
- A method to get help (e.g., “Text HELP for help”).
- Maintain Records: Keep a detailed record of every subscriber’s consent, including the date, time, and method of opt-in. This will be crucial if you ever need to prove compliance.
- Respect Opt-Outs Immediately: When a user texts “STOP,” you must cease sending them marketing messages immediately, with the exception of a single confirmation of their opt-out.
Spine-Tingling SMS Marketing Ideas for Your Haunted House
Now for the fun part! Here are some creative and engaging SMS marketing ideas tailored specifically for a haunted house:
Pre-Season & Ticket Sales
Early Bird Discounts
Reward your loyal followers with exclusive early bird ticket prices before they go on sale to the general public.
Sample Text: “BEWARE! Tickets for [Haunted House Name] are on sale NOW. As a loyal victim, get 20% off before they disappear into the fog. [Link] Txt STOP 2 end”
Flash Sales for Slow Nights
Boost attendance on typically slower weekdays with limited-time offers.
Sample Text: “The spirits are restless on Wednesdays. Dare to visit us tonight and get 2-for-1 tickets! This offer vanishes at midnight. [Link] Txt STOP 2 end”
New Attraction Teasers
Build anticipation by sending cryptic clues, behind-the-scenes photos, or short video snippets of your new scares.
Sample Text: “Something sinister is stirring at [Haunted House Name]. Can you guess what new nightmare awaits? [Link to teaser video] Txt STOP 2 end”
Engaging Your Audience
Interactive “Choose Your Fate” Story
Create a text-based adventure where subscribers’ choices determine the spooky story’s outcome, leading them to a special offer at the end.
Sample Text: “You find a dusty old book in our haunted library. Do you A) Open it or B) Leave it be? Text your choice to see what happens next…”
Trivia and Contests
Test your audience’s horror movie knowledge or run a photo contest for the best scream.
Sample Text: “Think you’re a horror buff? The first 10 people to correctly answer this trivia will win a fast pass! [Question] Txt STOP 2 end”
Countdown to Opening Night
Build excitement in the days leading up to your opening night with a daily countdown featuring a fun fact, a spooky GIF, or a behind-the-scenes tidbit.
Enhancing the In-Venue Experience
- Real-Time Updates and Queue Management: If you have long wait times, allow guests to join a virtual queue and receive a text when it’s their turn to enter. With HauntPay, this is scary simple because we have a free virtual queue system built right into our platform!
Sample Text: “Your time has come… Head to the entrance of [Haunted House Name] now. The terror awaits.” - In-Haunt Interactive Elements: Trigger special effects or reveal hidden clues within the haunted house by having visitors text a specific keyword they see on a sign.
- Post-Visit Follow-Up: Send a thank you message after their visit with a link to a survey and a discount for a future visit or a special event.
Sample Text: “Thanks for surviving [Haunted House Name]! How was your nightmare? Take our 1-min survey & get 15% off your next visit. [Link] Txt STOP 2 end”
Put Your SMS on Autopilot with HauntPay + Zapier
One of the most powerful ways to streamline your SMS marketing is through automation. By connecting your HauntPay account to Zapier, you can automatically trigger text messages based on specific actions, saving you time and ensuring timely communication with your guests.
Zapier works on a simple “trigger-and-action” system. An action on HauntPay (the “trigger”) can automatically cause something to happen in an SMS application (the “action”). This allows you to create seamless workflows without any coding.
Here are a few examples of what you can do:
- Automated Welcome Texts:
- Trigger: A guest purchases a ticket on HauntPay.
- Action: Zapier instantly sends them a confirmation text through an SMS service like Twilio or SimpleTexting.
- Sample Text: “Thanks for your order, [Name]! Your tickets for [Haunt Name] are confirmed. We can’t wait to stalk you on [Date]! Txt STOP 2 end”
- Pre-Event Reminders:
- Trigger: A new event is created in your HauntPay account.
- Action: Zapier adds everyone who has purchased a ticket to a “Day-Before Reminder” list in your SMS marketing tool.
- Sample Text: “Get ready, [Name]! Your visit to [Haunt Name] is tomorrow! Here’s a link to our map: [Link]. See you there! Txt STOP 2 end”
- Post-Event Feedback Requests:
- Trigger: An event is completed in HauntPay.
- Action: A day later, Zapier automatically sends a follow-up text to all attendees.
- Sample Text: “Thanks for coming to [Haunt Name]! We’d love to hear your feedback. Take our 1-min survey & get 15% off tickets to your next visit ! [Link] Txt STOP 2 end”
Final Thoughts
By combining these best practices, adhering to regulations, and unleashing your creativity, you can transform your SMS marketing from a simple tool into a powerful engine for terror-ific engagement and business growth. Now go forth and give your customers a scare they’ll never forget.
