Halloween is creeping up on us. 👻
You know what this means — it’s the perfect time to sprinkle some Halloween magic into your app marketing strategy.
To guide you through this festive season, we’ve compiled a list of tried-and-true Halloween app marketing tips that will help your app get noticed.
Check out our list of Halloween tricks to ensure your app stands out and enjoys the treats of the season!
Trick #1: Spooky App Icon
We’re kicking off our list of Halloween app marketing tips with the app icon — the key element for leaving a great first impression.
One of the simplest things you can do this Halloween season is to give your app icon a spooky makeover.
There are many ways to do this, but you can’t go wrong with adding classic Halloween elements such as pumpkins, ghosts, bats, blood, and witches to your icon.
As for colors, the most popular Halloween choices are black, orange, purple, and red.
Lacking ideas?
Luckily, it’s 2023, so you can always turn to AI tools. These tools can be very helpful with ideation, so we recommend you give them a whirl this Halloween. Just make sure your prompts are detailed enough, and the results should be satisfying.
Treats: By updating your app icon, you have a better chance of grabbing the users’ attention in the Halloween season. Plus, it can help re-engage users who already have the app on their phones, as the new icon might spark their interest.
Trick #2: Themed App Store Previews
What’s even better than a Halloween-themed icon?
Themed icon + app store screenshots.
If users get attracted by your spooky app icon and land on your app listing, they probably expect this experience to continue.
If your icon is festive, but the rest of your app store listing looks plain, this might leave users disappointed. Hence, many of them will drop off and won’t hit the install button.
However, if you extend the Halloween theme to other app store elements, this should keep users interested and make them more likely to install your app.
Optionally, if you have the resources to do so, another ASO element you can update in your Halloween app marketing strategy is your app’s preview video. This adds a final touch to your app store listing, giving it a complete Halloween makeover.
Treats: App store elements that match the icon create a seamless and consistent user experience. Doing so makes users excited to explore what your app has to offer during the Halloween season, improving its conversion rates.
Trick #3: Customized UX
Your Halloween app listing worked like a charm?
Your job here is not done.
The thing is, by optimizing your app store listing for Halloween, you made a promise to your users.
The users who installed your app because of its themed icon and screenshots will now actually want to see some kind of Halloween content within your app.
It doesn’t have to be anything major.
If you’re low on time and resources, consider adding a small touch of spooky elements to your app’s UX. For example, a Halloween-themed home screen background and eerie sound effects should do the trick.
Treats: Customizing the user experience for Halloween can lead to improved user retention and overall satisfaction. This meets the expectations of new users but also makes things more fun for the existing ones.
Trick #4: In-App Modes and Events
Many big apps, especially mobile games, update their content with annual Halloween modes or events.
For example, seasons, challenges, or tournaments.
By engaging with this content, users can usually win themed prizes they can’t win at any other time of the year. For instance, special Halloween characters or spooky costumes.
Much like people get the sudden urge to watch horror movies during Halloween, these seasonal events draw attention and immerse users in the celebratory spirit.
Treats: Think of in-app events as the finishing touch to your app’s seasonal strategy. While ASO and UX updates lure people in, themed in-game content completes your Halloween narrative. As a result, you can expect improved engagement and retention rates during this period.
Trick #5 Halloween-Themed IAPs
The next Halloween app marketing trick on our list applies to apps that monetize with in-app purchases.
Year after year, people spend more and more money on Halloween shopping. In 2023, Americans are expected to spend a whopping 12.2 billion dollars on Halloween shopping, from costumes to candy and spooky props.
Given this spending trend, it only makes sense to offer Halloween-themed IAPs in your app, tapping into this seasonal spending spree.
What can you offer?
Some popular Halloween-themed offerings include limited-time bundle deals, cosmetic items (e.g. costumes and decor), special characters, unique boosters, etc.
Treats: Just like Christmas time and other big shopping seasons, Halloween is an ideal time to offer seasonal sales. This can not only boost your app’s revenue but also add to the festive spirit of Halloween for your users.
Trick #6: Festive Ad Creatives
If you want to make the most out of Halloween app marketing, make sure to adapt your ad creatives to the holiday theme.
The simplest thing you can do here is to add some Halloween elements and colors to your best-performing ad creatives.
But, we recommend you get more creative.
For example, a language-learning app can teach users how to say “Trick or Treat” in various languages or create spooky vocabulary lists. On the other hand, a video streaming app can entice users with a curated list of horror movies.
Treats: Ad creatives that resonate with real-life events naturally draw users in. As such, they can significantly boost your UA efforts, leading to higher engagement and conversion rates.
Trick #7: Utilize Offerwall Promotions
Another form of UA you should consider during Halloween is offerwall advertising.
Why?
Offerwall publishers make the most out of holidays by running special offerwall promotions. These are time-limited promotions that allow users to earn multiplied currency rewards.
During these periods advertisers see significantly higher visibility, engagement, ROI, and conversion rates.
Add a super cool Halloween app icon to the mix, and we’re sure your app will become a hit among offerwall users. If you want to learn more about this advertising strategy, check out our article on offerwall promotions.
Treats: Placing your app on an offerwall during Halloween and other holidays can lead to greater visibility and engagement. However, it’s crucial to pick out a reliable offerwall that will bring in high-quality users who will continue using the app beyond the install.
Trick #8: Dress up Your Social Media Accounts
Want to round up your Halloween app marketing strategy? Make sure to get social.
Have you embraced the Halloween spirit through your app icon and app previews? Make sure to also update your social profiles to match the Halloween theme.
If you’re adding any kind of Halloween content to your app, we recommend spreading the word about it on your social media accounts.
For example, if you’ve changed your app icon and app store listing, it would be good to also update your social profiles to match the Halloween theme.
Going the extra mile?
If you’re including special Halloween events or modes in your app, use this opportunity to get more creative. Dress up your top social media accounts in Halloween apparel and create announcements and show-off posts that will make people excited about your app.
But remember, different social networks require different approaches.
Subway Surfers, the most downloaded mobile game, is a great example of a successful Halloween social media strategy.
On their Facebook page, Subway Surfers hyped users about the upcoming Halloween mode a week in advance. To achieve this, they used some spooky images, preview videos, and mysterious Reels.
They’ve used some of the same Reels on TikTok, but they’ve also added TikTok-specific content aimed at younger audiences.
Treats: The Halloween season is a great opportunity to create buzz around your app, boost user engagement, foster a sense of community, and reinforce your brand identity.
Halloween App Marketing Tips: Farewell
There you have it, a bag full of Halloween app marketing tips to make your app the treat of the season.
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