AdWords Retail Industry Newsletter

Tricks and treats

Although kids may not believe it, there’s more to Halloween than candy corn and chocolate. Adults also celebrate this supernatural season. For Halloween 2006, 30 percent of adults planned to throw or attend a party and 49 percent wanted to decorate their homes or yards. Another 43 percent had pumpkin carving plans, and a thrill-seeking 17 percent hoped to visit a local haunted house ^[1].

As you prepare your advertising for Halloween, be sure to use this knowledge to your advantage. Here are some tips to help you:

Creativity counts

Think outside the box to determine which of your products might become more popular this time of year. Although costumes and sweets are important, other products might experience a bump in sales too. Don’t forget about items like horror flicks and supplies or rentals for parties.

Leave hide and seek to the kids

Follow your website structure to ensure that all Halloween-related inventory is covered. And, while you’re at it, take out the guesswork by linking your ads directly to landing pages featuring the product you highlight in the ad text. This makes it easier for consumers to complete the purchase.

Shipping out

Highlight special shipping offers in your ad text. Is it free or particularly fast? Make sure your potential customers know about it. Include phrases like “Order by Oct. 25 for Halloween delivery” to let them know when to buy.

Turn negative into positive

Use negative keywords to filter out irrelevant traffic and reserve your clicks for customers who are most likely to complete a purchase. For example, if you only rent costumes, try adding the negative keyword buy to your list.

Savvy spending

Create a new campaign for your Halloween offerings so you can set aside a separate holiday budget. Keep an eye on the recommended daily budget on your Campaign Settings page to ensure that you’re allocating the right amount and pause the campaign as soon as the season is over.

Watch and learn

While looking for that perfect set of vampire teeth, consumers browse websites to find the best deals. Try using Google Analytics ^TM, a powerful and free web analytics tool, to understand how visitors are interacting with your site. Setting up Analytics now will also help you prepare for the busy year-end holiday season that’s just around the corner.

Cleaning house

Looking to clear older products after Halloween’s end and make room for your winter inventory? Refresh your ad text with special offers targeting consumers preparing for next year. Emphasize sales or discounts to attract bargain hunters who are stocking up early.