Many elements that must work together
Public relations (earned media & branding)
Media planning (advertising)
Ticket & merchandise pricing (how much?)
Sales strategy (what are you selling?)
Customer support
Market research (who is your customer?)
Community involvement (helping locally)
Create a story around your theme. It helps
your customers remember your attraction.
Have actors create their character names
around your story.
Use your story and theme in your advertising.
Sticking with your story will also help you
save money by focusing only on the props
and things you need.
Be consistent. Both in your promise and the
use of the same name, colors, logos in your
promotions. Don’t confuse customers.
Be different. Focus on what sets you apart
from others in your area. Stay away from
“The Scariest” “The Best”. Use facts like
“Indoor queue” “Largest Theme Park” “Voted
#9 in Missouri by fans”
Create a tagline. Even if you don’t use it in
marketing. Mine is “What are YOU afraid of?”
Have a brand message. Your staff should
know this vision as well.
Be true to your customers. With today’s social
media, a negative message travels far.
Create a unique story for each attraction
Take time with your Haunt Name. Be
Write a compelling story for the local reporter
on “What’s in it for me?” Something they
can’t turn down.
Helping with the community
Testimonials from influencers
Home Haunter opens a business
Free Trick-or-Trick for kids
It’s a more connected world but also more
difficult to grab attention.
Find your target market and experiment with
ads with a % of your advertising budget.
It takes a person 7 times to see an Ad to
remember it.
Use a mix of off-line and online ads
Get familiar with social or hire someone like
Billboards
Newspapers
Radio & Television
College/High School papers & sport programs
Flyers, postcards, banners
Vehicle signs & wraps
Parades & local events
Ticket donations to target events
Sponsorships
Website
Google Adwords
Digital Radio
YouTube
SnapChat
Online Television
Your own website. (DeadFactory.com)
Get started for free on sites like Wordpress,
SquareSpace, Wix, Weebly, Google Business
Start capturing email addresses for an opt-in gift.
$5 off ticket coupon, new member VIP access, etc.
Mailchimp is free for 2,000 customers.
Keep it simple, updated, and professional.
Include address, phone, tickets, days, times,
contact form
Set up your Google My Business account.
▪ Most customers use Google as their preferred search engine.
▪ You’ll need to verify your physical address and other information.
▪ You can build a website, customer support, reviews, add photos. The more complete the better.
▪ Get free analytics on customer searches.
Local events. Parades & Town Fairs.
▪ Get permission and fill out proper forms.
▪ Safety is important.
▪ Hand out flyers or coupons.
▪ Try to keep it family friendly and haunt themed.
▪ Keep your actors comfortable and informed.
▪ Create a short but informative blurb for the announcer
▪ Set up a small booth (may be a fee) for Face Painting, SPFX, mini-haunted house to promote your business.
Sponsorships
▪ Create a win-win relationship with businesses that would like to combine resources.
▪ Stick with brands you won’t mind promoting.
▪ Many haunts place sponsor’s logo on their wristbands, banners, flyers, and media ads.
▪ The sponsor helps pay for your advertising and/or places your logos in their marketing.
▪ We get 140 large pizzas for our actors all season for free tickets to their staff.
On your own property
▪ Make sure have road signs and billboards in front of your haunt if it’s allowed.
▪ Create a Photo Op area of your attraction where customers can take photos and put them on social.
▪ Take a $1 off entry or hold a contest if they check-in on social, take a photo of their wristband, etc
▪ Word-of-Mouth still works! Make sure you customers
know WHERE to leave a review and give them a discount if they bring back more friends.
Online ticket websites
▪ Ticket Leap or Haunt Pay
▪ Remarket to your buying customers with email
▪ They take a percentage or you can roll price to your customer
If you’re a Non-profit Haunt..
▪ $10,000 grant in FREE Google Adwords credit
▪ Free listings on local radio stations
▪ Free advertising in local newspapers & events
▪ Sponsorship opportunities to help a charity
▪ Local Tourism Advertising grants. (Chamber of Commerce)
Flyers, Banners, & Postcards
▪ Use sites like VistaPrint for bulk discounts. Local printer. Haunt printers like Pixel Pushers, Jak Prints, DBG
Graphix, Sinister Signs. Local Graphics Art School!
▪ 10,000 4x6 postcards @ $266
▪ Track your cards by including a special code or coupon
▪ Ask local businesses with high traffic for placement
▪ Place yard signs/banners in high traffic areas if allowed
▪ Actors and Staff can help
College & High School Media
▪ Choose schools within driving distance
▪ Think about your target market (who is coming?)
▪ Sports programs, newsletters, events
▪ Student discounts
Newspapers & Ad Finders
▪ Biggest ad you can afford.
▪ Front page if you can get it.
▪ Include tracking number, cut-out, or take a pic discount
T-shirts, wristbands, merchandise
▪ Sell your souvenirs with low profits. The more your logo is out in public the better.
▪ Give discounts to customers who wear wristbands all month, or bring 3 friends, or take a photo on social
▪ Bumper stickers, window clings, coolies, hats, etc
Facebook and Instagram
▪ Yes..you CAN still get organic reach (non paid) on social. But not like it used to be
▪ Set up as Business Accounts. Use free analytics.
▪ Algorithm favors interaction with followers and friends
▪ They bump new features that come out to get more people to use them
▪ Stay informed on social trends and changes
▪ Boost posts and create ads by experimenting slowly
▪ Use the Targeting & Audience features on Ads
Videos over photos
▪ Create engaging videos that followers want to share.
▪ Use Live Streaming from your actors, behind-the-scenes
▪ Raw and unedited videos work great too
▪ Upload videos natively. Not a link from YouTube.
Keep engaging with your followers
▪ Commenting helps keep the post active
▪ A SHARE or COMMENT is more valuable than a LIKE
▪ Ask questions. Use polls. Ask opinions.
Run Contests & ticket giveaways
▪ Respect the rules of contests on social media
▪ No lotteries. No purchase necessary.
▪ “This promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by or associated with Facebook.”
▪ No Forced sharing, Liking or Following your page.
▪ Don’t ask to TAG a Friend. Use an engaging post. “Who would you take with you?” “What SCARES you?”
▪ Be clear on dates, ages, judging, randomness, etc
Share original post in local Facebook groups
Ask page non-followers to LIKE your page
Install Facebook Pixel on your website to retarget
Use a video in your Header and Profile Pic
Make sure ALL of your info is there and updated
Use EVENTS as scheduled nights or specials
Use JOBS to look for actors and staff
You can NOW see ads other Haunts are using
Schedule posts weekly by batching all in one day.
Make sure the link in your BIO is active
Keep engagement high & frequent.
Include your address in your BIO
Set it as a Business Account
Link it to your Facebook Page
Share other people’s stories & posts
Use IG Stories and IGTV
Vary up your #hashtags (11-30 MAX)
Create a unique # for your Haunt
You Tube (also Google AdWords)
▪ These are the ads you see or skip when you’re on YouTube.
▪ Detailed targeting lets you choose which channels you’d like to show up on.
▪ TrueView ads (video ads with the 5 sec SKIP option)
don’t get charged unless the viewer watches more than 30 seconds. Trick: get your information in the first 5 secs
▪ Free YouTube Ad: create a video on your channel with an title like Dead Factory Haunted House in Mexico,
Radio (Traditional & Online)
▪ Use channels where your target market is
▪ Ask for packages for onsite live broadcasts & ads
▪ Create your own commercial. VoiceFromHell.com
▪ If budget is limited, focus on one channel.
▪ Hard rock, Hip Hop, Top 40, Metal
▪ Spotify & Pandora ($1,000 minimum)
▪ Do ticket giveaways for more air time.
▪ Have the onsite DJ go through the Haunt
Billboards
▪ Search Billboard companies in your area. Lamar is one.
▪ Prices can be $300 to $5,000 or more a month depending on location.
▪ Keep your Advertising simple and not cluttered. Logo, website…it needs to look like a Haunted House.
▪ If you spot a vacant billboard you want, call the number listed. It may be a private owner & less $$.
Television (cable & digital)
▪ If you see ads when you’re watching, you can advertise.
▪ Cable is losing steam. Hulu, Sling, YouTube TV are up.
▪ Only advertise locally in your target area
Direct Mail to the mailbox
▪ The USPS delivers EDDM (Every Door Direct Mail)
▪ You can choose a certain neighborhood by age, income level, household size, and cost per piece.
▪ This allows you to test areas and adding more each year.
Use a platform where you’re already familiar
with
If you can’t be everywhere, start by
experimenting with a few places to start. Track
your spending and Return on Investment with
unique codes or discounts.
Add more value for extra cost.
▪ Fast Pass: Front of the line service
▪ Create smaller attractions and charge more as a bundle. 3-4,000 square feet each.
▪ VIP Room: a special room where you get a unique experience no one else gets
▪ Terror Upgrade: a more hands on experience
▪ Child’s necklace: a green glow necklace that tones down the show
Create memories for your customers.
▪ Treat your customers the way you would like to be treated in an attraction
▪ Be unique in your show, characters, and professionalism
▪ Go the extra mile for the ones who can’t make it
▪ The better you treat your customers, the more they’ll come back and hopefully bring more with them.
▪ Do not get in a social media war over a negative comment. Try to make it better.
Know your target market.
▪ You may think it’s one thing but it might be something else.
▪ See who is in line and ask them where they heard about you, if it’s their first time, and what they liked or didn’t like. (Ticket booth, door man, or exit survey)
▪ Monitor your ads and see who is watching your videos
Keep them coming back.
▪ Change up your haunt or add to your attraction each year. We shoot for 25%.
▪ Provide a safe & scary experience to recommend to their friends.
▪ Sell them souvenirs to show off on social.
▪ Be a real person and show that you care.
▪ Capture their email address and create a fan group for elite customers.
▪ Offer returning customers discounts for coming back.
Give back to the community.
▪ Donate free tickets to charity raffles and auctions.
▪ Cross promote with your local theater. They might need help seating people or new actors.
▪ Help with local events and community projects.
▪ Host Fireman night or High School football night where a % or ticket sales go to that group. They can help with parking. You might get some new actors.
