Attracting More People?

ShadyHallows · #1 03-02-2008

I'm really un-sure how to bring more people into our haunt. We were in the paper last year and had a pretty good number of people but still not quite a constant flow. The majority of the people that came through were people we knew, dispite halloween. We have had a pretty good looking website running with info and what not and put up a skim amount of flyers, most of them around my highschool. How do you guys advertise and is like... a sign that says Haunted House this way outside the neighborhood a good pull in? Thanks again!

Eric Striffler · #2 03-02-2008

We've got huge posters in all the towns around here on big wooden signs.
And there are flyers in windows of every shop in the towans around here.
Plus there's a front page article every year in the paper, but mostly everyone already knows about it anyway and it works through spread of mouth.
We're the longest running haunt on Long Island so most people know about it.

ScareShack · #3 03-02-2008

Besides the schools, which u are doing, utilize anything free. Bullinten boards in laundrymats, grocery stores, craigslist are a few.
Seeing how u made the paper last year, I would contact them prior and have them do an annoucement as well...when its coming and such.
Just a few ideas.

Zombie-F · #4 03-02-2008

I put up flyers around my neighborhood, usually on every other telephone pole. I do this for my street, and the 3 adjacent streets. This helps a bit, but you'll find that word of mouth will be your biggest draw. You have to remember, that the people who saw you this year, will tell their friends about you and that will increase your turnout next year.

Utilize any free outlets you have. Flyers around your high school is a good start, but see if you can get some posted in your local middle school, on a community bulletin board, etc. Also try to get the paper back again next year, but get them there a few weeks before you open so the article can run before opening night.

crossblades400 · #5 03-02-2008

Those are good ideas guys. I would do that too, since I would like more people... but I feel paranoid giving out my address if its just a yard haunt, but a GOOD yard haunt. Any suggestions? Maybe just say "look for this house, on "blank" street" and describe it?

GothicCandle · #6 03-02-2008

last year i made flyers. I geuss it worked because we had almost twice as many people come as the year before, and we only had to close because we ran out of candy!

I put a flyer at the local library. 200 people a day come in there and were sure to see it, now granted not all those people came to my haunt lol. but it means a lot of people saw the flyer and had the choice to come to my haunt.

Brckee1 · #7 03-02-2008

ShadyHallows, are you a home haunt or a pro attraction?

tobmaster · #8 03-02-2008

Like you, we started small...in fact, nine short years ago, I had five wooden tombstones and a ghost made from a white sheet and a kick-ball...Halloween day, I spent in the basement starting to finish it....

Then I found the internet.....Eight years later, we are building like mad, spending tons of money, and have thousands of people to entertain. We have to work with the police for parking, volunteers to aid with traffic, security, and things you just wouldn't imagine. Once again, this is a GREAT hobby. I LOVE building and decorating....but be warned...it grows FAST. A few newspapers, then the TV, then it goes nuts...If you build it...they will come.

joker · #9 03-03-2008

Word of mouth works great. I guess it helps that there are lots of kids in my neighborhood, and my son 7 has quite a few friends. Last year with no formal advertising we had around 150 kids in 2 1/2 hours and that was our first attempt ever for a haunt. We even had people who had gone to a local paid haunts (i wouldn't call them professional...lol) that claimed we had done a lot better job with less space and should be charging.

DarkShadows · #10 03-03-2008

See if their is a website with local haunted attractions around your area... For instance, I advertise on the HauntedIllinois.com website. Word of mouth is the key tho. I dont feel safe putting my adress to my home on flyers and pass them out on cars/on bulletin boards. If it were a Pro haunt, then I'd be trying to make as much money as possible and advertising everywhere. As Toby said, it CAN get nuts, so be preparred.