When you think of fall, you probably think about football, cooler temperatures, and Halloween. Fall is also the perfect opportunity to upgrade your marketing game. Use the following fall marketing ideas to boost engagement, increase revenue growth, and stand out from competitors.
1. Hold A Final Summer Sale
Convert last season’s inventory into profit by holding a final summer sale.
H&M, for example, turned leftover inventory into revenue by offering 50 percent off select summer clothing.
2. Welcome An Autumn Brand Image
Embrace the new season and differentiate from competitors by incorporating autumn colors into your brand image.
3. Release A Fall Newsletter
An email newsletter can start, develop, and maintain customer relationships. And after a summer of fun and less time spent checking emails, fall is the perfect opportunity to catch consumer attention.
LendingTree used Halloween and playful wording to uplift the serious topic of money lending.
4. Embrace Fall Slogans
Fall slogans strike a chord with consumers and leave a memorable impression.
AARP’s fall newsletter used a fall slogan to capture the reader’s attention.
Fall Slogan Examples
- Falling Leaves, Falling Prices
- Hello Pumpkin!
- Autumn Skies & Pumpkin Pies
- Sweater Weather
- A Price To Fall For
- Apple Cider, Nothing Nicer
- Life is Gourd
5. Use A Fall Hashtag
Make social posts easier to find by including a fall hashtag.
Fall Hashtags
- #Fall
- #Autumn
- #October
- #SpookySeason
- #Halloween
- #Leaves
- #Pumpkin
- #PumpkinSpice
- #FallFavorites
- #FallFoliage
- #AutumnHikes
- #HauntedHouse
- #AppleSeason
- #FallFashion
- #SweaterWeather
- #November
- #Cozy
- #Thanksgiving
- #GiveThanks
6. Add Some Pumpkin Spice
Each year, Starbucks reintroduces its iconic pumpkin spice latte. The traditional autumn flavors form the perfect seasonal drink and remain a fan favorite.
Follow suit and ring in the new season by adding some pumpkin spice or seasonality to your products.
7. Create A Holiday Buying Guide
Help buyers through the chaotic gift-giving season by creating a holiday buying guide.
Anthropologie relieves shopper stress by tailoring gifts to different personas, prices, themes, and interests.
8. Decorate A Spooktacular Storefront
Decorate your storefront to showcase the excitement of Halloween and entice shoppers to enter the magic behind the door.
Cole Hardware in San Francisco used its storefront and the spooky season to show off its wicked broom selection.
9. Share A Pumpkin Carving Contest
Engage consumers by sharing a friendly pumpkin carving contest. Ask social media users to vote for the winner and award the best pumpkin a prize!
American rock band Weezer announced a “Weezerween” pumpkin carving contest for superfans who are also crafty with a knife. The winner of the contest won a billboard.
10. Give Out Branded Trick Or Treat Bags
Show off your business with a branded trick-or-treat bag. Reese’s, for example, launched a pumpkin bag with a secret candy compartment to grab consumer attention.
11. Hold A Costume Contest
Add gamification to Halloween by holding a costume contest. Whether organized in person or online, encourage participation with a fun prize.
12. Offer An Oktoberfest Beer Special
Oktoberfest – an autumn festival held in Munich, Germany – is centered around beer. Join the worldwide celebration and offer consumers a discount on the beloved beverage.
13. Acknowledge Financial Planning Month
Heading into the holiday season (aka heavy gifting expenses), National Financial Planning Month is observed in October. Provide value to consumers by posting a financial health blog or offering an expense template.
14. Launch A Black Friday Campaign
Launch a Black Friday campaign to attract new customers and show appreciation for loyal shoppers.
Target offers significant price reductions on a variety of items to drive business.
15. Run A Cyber Monday Promotion
70 percent of US consumers are willing to buy something on Cyber Monday – meaning the day is a massive sales opportunity for eCommerce retailers.
Kate Spade encouraged rapid Cyber Monday purchases by offering its discount for a limited time.
16. Introduce A New Holiday Product
In an overcrowded market, releasing a shiny new product for the holiday season will help you rise above the noise.
Kylie Cosmetics released a holiday collection inspired by reindeers. The festive packaging and products are designed to complement the holiday season.
17. Make Shipping Free
90% of consumers recognize free shipping as the biggest incentive to shop online. And the customers who need a small something extra to sweeten the deal are more likely to support your business when you offer this desirable perk.
18. Support Movember
Movember is the annual growing of mustaches during November to raise awareness for men’s health issues.
UK advertising agency Matta celebrated every type of mustache, from the furriest to the patchiest. Creating the slogan “Whatever you grow will save a bro,” led to success and awareness for the campaign and the company.
19. Partner With A Charity
Partnering with a charity can unlock networking opportunities and strengthen brand awareness.
For example, Gillette has been a Movember partner since 2012, offering a free razor to individuals who partake in the yearly challenge. Who could be a better addition to the campaign than a razor brand?
20. Run A Veteran’s Day Social Campaign
Pay your respects on Veterans Day to highlight your values, impress existing customers, and earn new ones.
Soylent showed support with a special discount and a respectful newsletter.
21. Create Christmas Packaging
Christmas packaging attracts consumer attention and evokes the feeling of the season.
Ghirardelli uses festive packaging to enhance its product and stand out among other brands.
22. Send Printed Or Virtual Holiday Cards
Holiday cards are a vital marketing tool to strengthen business relationships.
In its “Fittingly Enough” holiday campaign, Nordstrom expressed deep client appreciation.
23. Participate In A Holiday Parade
Holiday parades allow communities and businesses to come alive in celebration. Advertise your business in a decorative float, hand out branded gifts, or sell refreshments.
24. Share A Gingerbread House Contest
Engage consumers by sharing a gingerbread house contest. Post pictures online and ask social media to vote for a winner. Award the best house a prize.
The Omni Grove Park Inn in Asheville, North Carolina, holds an annual National Gingerbread House Competition to bring people across the country together in celebration of the holiday season.
25. Promote Stocking Stuffers
Stocking stuffers are the perfect impulse buys to increase holiday sales.
Urban Outfitters has a separate section dedicated to the mini gifts that are sure to impress.
26. Send A Holiday Marketing Gift To Clients
Marketing gifts help create meaningful connections between a business and its clientele. Send your deepest appreciation in the form of a branded hat or a fresh bakery basket.
Or, opt for a prepared basket from Williams Sonoma.
27. Offer A Post Holiday Discount
Lastly, as the holiday season draws to a close, offer an end-of-season sale to clear out inventory for the new year.
Anthropologie, for example, offers 50% off sale items.
28. Celebrate Q3 Success
Celebrate any and all Quarter 3 accomplishments. Whether it be the goals achieved, quotas met, or any work anniversaries, toast to a successful three months.
Ways To Celebrate
- Host a celebration
- Organize a company spirit week
- Give employee shout outs on social media
- Distribute a token of appreciation
- Cater lunch
29. Respond To Google Reviews
Whether positive or negative, responding to reviews will build customer trust and solidify your online reputation.
30. Update Your Google Business Profile
Change your Google Business Profile to reflect Q4 goals and improve SEO rankings.
31. Refresh Your Website
Add a fresh design to your website to enhance customer experience and boost website exposure.