AMG Newsletter – What Halloween Can Teach Marketers

Published: Mon, 10/28/19

Heidi Cohen – Actionable Marketing Guide

Around the world this week is chock full of holidays!

Depending on where you live and your beliefs, they include:

  • Diwali, 
  • Halloween, 
  • Day of the Dead and 
  • All Saints Day.

New York City hosts the Halloween Parade. To join the march of about 50,000, you must wear a costume.

Witching you a Happy Halloween

To appreciate candy aisles bursting with “fun size” offerings, Americans spend $2.6 billion for 600 million pounds of candy.

This makes Halloween the top candy selling holiday in the US. They spend an average of $86.27 per family


Beyond Halloween’s promotional value, marketers can learn from its history. 

Originally known as Samhain, it marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the new year in ancient Britain and Ireland. 

At this time of year the Celts believed the dead returned to visit their homes because the barrier between the living and the dead became thin. To frighten evil spirits, they built bonfires and wore masks to avoid recognition. A tradition that continues to the present.

British and Irish immigrants brought Halloween to the US in the mid-1800s where it eventually became a community holiday focused on ghosts and scary stories. America's oldest ghost story, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, was written in the 1820s by Washington Irving who lived on East 17th Street.

In 1947, Clyde and Mary Emma Allison had an idea to use Halloween trick-or-treating to encourage children to help other children in post World War II Europe. A few years later, they connected with Eleanor Roosevelt, the UN ambassador at the time, and started “Trick or Treat For UNICEF”.

Actionable Marketing Tip:

  • Use a holiday or promotion to support a not-for-profit (NFP) or cause. For example, Orbit Media’s Content Jam donates a portion of their proceeds to a Chicago based NFP. (BTW, you can still get tickets to attend!) 

While we’re talking pumpkin orange, why not support the Orange Effect Foundation? Started by Content Marketing Institute founders, Joe and Pam Pulizzi, it helps children with autism to lead normal lives. In honor of Halloween, why not donate $31? I am! 

Despite the geographic differences in their origins, Halloween and Day of the Dead reveal consistencies among people. Both holidays celebrate the dead.  

By contrast, the Meso-American Day of the Dead celebrates life since they view death as a part of the life journey. So they honor loved ones who have died. But sweets including sugar skulls are a part of the celebration.  

Day of the Dead

These holiday similarities underscore our humanity and a universal sense of the passing of time.  

Get rid of your marketing mask and talk to your prospects.  

Beyond using these holidays as hooks for promotions where they apply to your business, shorten the distance between you and your audience.  

Actionable Marketing Tip:

  • Build your community or participate in one that already exists and let the light of your fire burn brightly. I'm testing Marketing Salons in New York City. My objective: To build a community where marketers can get together and exchange ideas.
 

Important Annual Content Marketing Research Released 

Orbit Media’s State of Blogging Research

The top findings from Orbit Media’s Blogging Research: 

  • How long does it take to craft a blog post?  (3 hours 57 minutes) and 
  • How long is the average blog post (1236 words)? 


How long does it take to write a typical post?

My key blogging survey take-away: 
Blogging is NOT dead! Long live blogging!
 

Caveat:
Provide deep, quality content and offer new content on a consistent basis!
(BTW: This applies to both blogs and email newsletters!) 

The survey results provide the data to prove the on-going power of blogs to achieve core marketing and business objectives.  

But blogging must be an integrated part of your marketing and more specifically your content marketing strategy and plans.  

RECOMMENDED READING:

Consistent Content Distribution plan

Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs 2020 B2B Content Marketing Research

Among the top findings from Content Marketing Institute/MarketingProfs 2020 B2B Content Marketing Research:

  • 66% of respondents put customers’ needs ahead of their business needs. 
  • 45% of respondents focused on building an email list. 

Both of these findings should be 100% to stand out and serve your audience over time!

 Top 3 Content marketing Activities B2B marketers Think Their Organization Might Prioritize in 2020
 

Content Marketing Institute’s Robert Rose put it best: "You have to stop thinking of content marketing as the thing that’s only worth investing in if it creates a lead or an opportunity."

Actionable Marketing Tip:

  • Partner with others to create quality content. For example, Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProfs have always worked together on this research. (Also, take note, this research generates revenue since it’s sponsored!)


Want to improve your marketing?
Then join SEMrush’s Global Marketing Day Conference on Wednesday, October 30th! Even better it's free! You can attend from the comfort of your own computer or other device! 

Please let me know if you have any specific marketing topics that you would like me to cover in the coming weeks. 

If you’re running an event that you would like me to speak at, please let me know. (Just hit reply to reach me.)
 

Shout out to new readers: Sharon, Rene, Dennis, Faysal, Zeeshan, Ken, Slane, Sally, Chris, Reeva, Michael and Alessandro. Welcome and thank you for joining our community.

Happy Marketing,
Heidi


PS: Do you have a friend or colleague who would benefit from reading the Actionable Marketing Guide newsletter? If so would you please forward this email to them?

 

FEATURED ARTICLE: 2020 B2B Content Marketing Research

2020 B2B Content Marketing Research ReviewedCan B2B content marketers improve their business results in this environment?

Why do I ask?
Because we’re at an important point where outside factors create incredible marketing opportunities—and challenges!

 
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FEATURED ARTICLE: Sales Forecasting

sales forecasting

As budget season sets in, here’s the help you need to develop your sales forecast.

Even better, this article arms you with the full list of questions and considerations you need to ensure that your projections are on track to succeed.

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FEATURED ARTICLE: Author Interview With Nir Eyal

IndistractableHeidi Cohen talks to Nir Eyal about his new book, Indistractable, a valuable guide on "How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life."

Read Nir's previous book, Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products.

Read More...

    

Heidi Cohen Around The Internet

  • Heidi Cohen was featured in Onalytica’s Complete Guide To B2B Influencer Marketing. It’s jam packed with useful information you can use!
     
  • Talkwalker also spotlighted Heidi Cohen in their Social Media Trends for 2020. Personally, I love what Jay Baer says about social media in 2010. To paraphrase, social media returns to its personal communication roots. (Translation: Away from mass marketing.)
 Click here to get this and previous AMG newsletters on the Web.
Photo credit: Pumpkins at the Market – ©2019 Larry Aronson
Day of the Dead – ©2019 Henry Weinberger


The fine print: