The month of Halloween is upon us! Before the hauntings and trick or treating starts, we still have a few weeks left to prepare and wow everyone walking through the front door. With that said, take a look at some quick and easy ways to utilize digital signage for Halloween in 2023! As you’ll find, some things you can do within a few minutes, while others are for those among you who want to take the Halloween spirit to the next level.
Countdown clock
Counting down to any big event is always exciting, regardless of the occasion. Of course, nobody waits for midnight to strike for Halloween to start, so a countdown can refer to days left until the big day is here. Make it even more exciting by including custom messages or imagery for each day of the countdown. Maybe include a quick one-liner joke, or a recipe for the best treats for trick or treating. Include lines like “10 days until trick or treating starts!” or “The haunting starts in 3 days!”
OnSign TV Clock apps offer a simple and quick way to set up timers.
Themed menus
It’s pretty awesome if you have unique products, services, or menu items that are Halloween-themed. They don’t necessarily need to stick out from the normal layout, as it’s simply the visual impact that matters. But even if you don’t want to do that, don’t fret. With digital signage, you can very easily add holiday-themed visual elements to make your digital menus pop. Include carved pumpkins, spooky decorations, or even occasional animated bats flying across the edges of the screen.
As you’ll see, with the Dynamic Composition, you can easily section up your screen or even overlay transparent media across your content.
Build digital signage playlists
Compile decorative content, both visual and audio content, and place them into playlists on your digital signage platform. Find music which gives off a spooky vibe, but is light-hearted. Naturally, you don’t want to make visitors uncomfortable. Unless you’re running a haunted-themed event, the ambiance should be spooky but light and fun for everyone.
With the Audio loop, push your ambient music through your displays to accompany the visuals.
Spooky historical facts
If the locals in your town are quite fond of Halloween celebrations, go the extra mile and do some research about local places which have intriguing history and legends which might fit the theme. For instance, a famous haunted landmark, or the origins of a well-known local legend.
Scary Halloween stories
Speaking of stories, look up world-known stories commonly told around this time. They can be both true stories or even fun reads found online. Retell the beginning of spooky stories on your digital displays. Most such stories are timeless, so apart from using them for Halloween 2023, they will come in handy for upcoming years. Then include a QR-code viewers can use to go online and read it in its entirety, if they’re interested. This can be a quick nugget of information on your Halloween-themed displays, but shouldn’t overwhelm with text.
DIY decoration tips
The internet is filled with hacks and tips when it comes to DIY content. Look up the most practical pumpkin carving steps and compile neat visuals to demonstrate them. Pumpkins aren’t the only decorative element, of course. Showcase fun and simple ways to make paper designs, such as bat decorations.
Given the context, you may even promote products for this purpose, so viewers know where to get them. Costume ideas are another idea. They are particularly good if you can tell viewers where to get them or where to buy the supplies needed to make them.
Safety reminders
There’s plenty of information to share through digital signage on Halloween. One example of fundamental content fitting for every business are safety tips. Share Halloween safety tips for parents and trick-or-treaters, emphasizing the importance of visibility and careful street crossing. To stay visible, use crosswalks and look both ways. Stay in well-lit areas, and so on.
Organize events
Every-day businesses can incorporate Halloween visuals in a subtle way. Meanwhile, if you’re contemplating to take it to the next level, engage your audience and organize events via digital signage.
A pumpkin carving contest
Ask your followers on social media to submit their pumpkin carving ideas and results, then share them on your social media. You may even run a vote online and display daily results leading up to Halloween. Even if it’s not a huge competition, it gives you engaging user-generated content to use!
A costume competition
Similar to pumpkin carving, let people submit their costume creations and even the process of creating a costume. Then share it on your digital signage. It’s the time of the year when parents work hard to make the kids happy, particularly when it comes to making a costume from scratch. This can be a great way to elevate the experience further and engage the audience.
Haunted house info
For any larger event you’re physically running for Halloween 2023, such as a haunted house experience, a digital display by the entrance will provide all the necessary information to visitors. Starting with pricing, guidelines, and if the event is appropriate for children.
Social media engagement
Tap into your social media strategies and don’t forget to share them on the digital signage. Similarly, whatever content you’re running on your displays, always remember to include social media handles, so viewers can engage further with you online. With digital signage software, it’s easy to overlay this information into a corner alongside your main content.
Prepare the content for next year!
While building your content for Halloween 2023, whether it’s decorative or promotional, consider how you can re-use it for years to come. On the OnSign TV platform, sort files, playlists, campaigns, and compositions into a section focused on Halloween content. This way, a year from now, you’ll have everything neatly organized and have a strong starting point. If you find it appropriate, you may even schedule some content for the upcoming year right away!
Try all these features, and more, with OnSign TV for free!
Cover image by Skyler Sawyer.