Halloween is an exciting time of year, filled with spooky decorations, creative costumes, and thrilling events. If you’re in the hospitality or event planning business, this season presents a golden opportunity to boost your bookings and increase revenue. In this blog post, we’ll explore proven strategies to help you make the most of this spooky holiday.
Understand your audience
Halloween is more than just a one-day event; it’s a festive season that lasts for weeks. According to the National Retail Federation, Americans spent over $10 billion on Halloween in 2021, with expectations of continued growth. And more than 5.3 million Australians will celebrate Halloween this year, with spending forecast to reach $490 million – up 14% on 2022.
Understanding this market can help you tailor your services to meet the demands of this lucrative holiday. Analyse data from previous years, gather feedback from customers, and monitor industry trends. Use this information to tailor your offerings and effectively communicate the value you provide.
Kick it up a notch at the venue
Transform your business into a haunted attraction that will captivate your audience. Decorate the space with Halloween-themed props, lighting, and music. Offer Halloween-inspired menus, drinks, and specials. Consider hosting themed events, such as costume contests, murder mystery dinners, or ghost tours, to create a unique and immersive experience.
Remember, the key is to make your guests feel like they’re part of a larger, exciting Halloween event.
Optimise your online presence
In today’s digital age, your online presence can make or break your Halloween bookings. Here are some tips to enhance your visibility:
- SEO optimisation: Use keywords like “Halloween bookings,” “Halloween events,” and “Halloween menus” in your website content and meta descriptions to attract search engine traffic.
- Social media marketing: Share your Halloween offers on social media platforms. Use engaging visuals and compelling captions to attract attention.
- Email marketing: Send Halloween-themed emails to your mailing list. Offer special discounts or packages to encourage bookings.
Create dedicated Halloween landing pages and promote them through email campaigns, social media, and online advertisements. Monitor online reviews and respond promptly to inquiries, ensuring a positive customer experience.
Partner with local businesses
Collaborating with nearby businesses can help you reach a wider audience and increase bookings. Identify complementary businesses in your area and explore opportunities for cross-promotion, such as bundle deals, joint events, or shared marketing efforts.
Say you’re a pizza parlour, your brewery down the road might be interested in getting together for a deal for the spooky holiday. These kind of partnerships not only benefits both venues but also strengthens the local presence.
Offer flexible booking options
Providing flexible booking options can make it easier for customers to commit to your Halloween offers. By implementing features such as online reservations, deposit payments, and cancellations with reasonable notice periods. This approach demonstrates your understanding of customers’ needs and builds trust in your business.
Now Book It offers a seamless platform for restaurant owners and managers to take bookings, manage covers, take deposits or pre-authorisations, and monitor cancellations. Additionally, a standby list and waitlists are great additions to ensure more customers get a chance to book in.
Providing exceptional customer service
No matter how fantastic your Halloween offers are, poor customer service can ruin your bookings and future business. Ensure that your staff are well-trained and ready to provide exceptional service. This includes responding promptly to inquiries, addressing any issues, and going the extra mile to make your guests feel welcome and valued.
If you have a new menu, table layout or holding an event the phone is likely to ring more than usual, as people will have questions. If the information is not clearly listed on your socials or website, you can expect a higher volume of calls. Look into hospitality-led AI phone assistants such as Sadie, powered by Now Book It AI to help you service this.
Leverage user-generated content
Encourage customers to share their Halloween experiences on social media by offering incentives, such as discounts or freebies. Competitions are also a good idea here to get people involved and can generate a response from the wider community.
This user-generated content not only promotes your business but also serves as social proof, demonstrating the value and enjoyment customers derive from your venue.
Measuring success for your Halloween event
After the Halloween season, take time to evaluate your success. Look at your booking numbers, customer feedback, and online engagement. With a booking dashboard that provides dynamic customer insights, you can even find out what customers are ordering or the most popular time they’re booking. Use this data to adjust your strategy for next year.
Maybe you need to offer more family-friendly activities, or perhaps you should focus on attracting larger groups for higher average covers. Whatever the case, data-driven decisions can help you maximise your Halloween bookings skip the scare of unexpected situations year after year.
Don’t let this Halloween be a trick or treat for your seasonal revenue. Book a demo today to learn how Now Book It can help you maximise bookings for the holiday.
