Standout Marketing for October: HalloGreen

Holiday time is approaching. Don’t scream about losing out on the fun of one of the most widely celebrated holidays of the year.  Now is the time to turn Halloween into HalloGreen

HalloGreen is an opportunity for you, as the local real estate agent, to come up with fun and creative ways to celebrate with your community the value of an eco-friendly lifestyle while promoting your business. In fact, utilizing just one or more of these ideas can help generate smiles in your market that will have your remembered and appreciated!

Top 3 Marketing Ideas For HalloGreen

1. Host a Virtual Costume Contest

The first step is to find the platform. Now, depending on how many people you expect, Zoom may be a good option. There won’t be Zoom fatigue when people are dancing and laughing as they watch!

Next, choose a host for the event. That could be you, getting yourself known as the go-to real estate agent, or you can introduce a host that you have chosen. The key is to be lively, energetic and prepared. If you know a local DJ or someone great with music, that will be a nice added touch to generate participation and excitement.

Then, send out a virtual flyer to your network to promote the event via social media and e-mail. Work with your title company, lender or local establishments to create several prizes based on criteria you think best fits your market.

Winning Contest Examples:

• Who has the ugliest costume?
• Most original costume
• The costume you will never forget

One woman won a HalloGreen costume party when she looked through her closet and put items together that still had price tags on them! She was re-using items she already owned, which is an eco-friendly feature. Similarly, we all may have items in our closets that we can re-use, and the fun part is being creative in putting it all together.

The event can be for adults and kids because HalloGreen appeals to all ages. Some real estate agents have reached out to local 55+ communities to have an online HalloGreen contest. Celebrating, being happy, and having fun are ageless commodities. Most importantly, the goal is to have fun and highlight those things that your community or communities are doing to be “green” this Halloween.

2. Host a Virtual Pet Costume Contest

Most people are super attached to their pets and love to show them off. Moreover, the beauty of a pet contest is that you can host it and have it be donation-based. The monies accumulated can then be donated to your local animal rescue shelter or humane society. Remember, there are lots of place that help pets in distress. And the winner of the contest can be featured on social media along with their owner.

There are several ways that you can have this contest. Here are two ideas:

• Photo-Only Pet Costume Contest

Recruit several local judges. Then, have participants send you an e-mail that includes one photo of their favorite pet dressed in costume. Also, have them provide the type of pet, their name and the name of the owner along with a phone number.

Notify every one of the entry submission deadline and the date when the winner will be announced.

Use Facebook to post all the photos. If the community you work with has a Facebook or community page, use that platform. Share it with friends and family as well as your business page. If you choose not to have any judges, may the photo with the most votes win!

• Virtual Pet Costume Contest

Have people register to enter their pet in the contest. Registration can be limited up to the first 50 or the number of people you think is best.

Have each registrant during the virtual event introduce their pet and tell the audience what they love best about them. Record the contest to share on your Facebook or local community page.  Post the photos where people will be able to vote for their favorite pet costume!

Showcase the top 3 winners along with their owners and send it out to your network. Prizes can include pet treats or a gift card to the best local place to buy pet supplies.

Again, if you choose to charge for admission to the contest, then you can use that money to purchase the gifts cards or donate the monies to a local animal charity.

3. Hold a Green Trivia Party Contest

Host a Live Quiz about All Things Green. This can be geared to any age yet is a fun one to offer to kids.

Come up with some clever questions. Here are some sample ones you can use:

1. Is it better to walk, bike, run or drive to school for the environment?
2. Is it better for your school to bring your lunch to school in paper or plastic or reusable containers?
3. What color is HalloGreen?
4. What shade of Green is mentioned often in The Wizard of Oz?
5. Fill-in the blank: The grass is always _______ on the other side.
6. What is a synonym of a newcomer or someone who is inexperienced?
7. What Dr. Seuss book has the word Green in it?
8. What is the popular tv show from the 1960’s with the word green in it?
9. What does a green light symbolize?
10. Which body part is mentioned most often when someone is good with plants?

Ok, these may be too easy or silly for you. If so, come up with your own and have fun with it.

Key components to Green/Eco-friendly events can include:

• Paperless invitations
• Participants in the event use glassware or mugs that are for multi-use, not single use. (That is to say, you don’t throw it away after one use.)
• Purchase pumpkins from a local market or farmers market to decorate your space. If you have plastic ones already in storage, use those. The benefit of a real pumpkin is that you are supporting your local markets and can make some super yummy treats with them. Many times, the fun is in the preparation vs. the end result.
• Buy or create treats for your family or network that are made from natural ingredients, that means without artificial flavors, colors, or preservatives.
• All costumes for HalloGreen are either made from items in your closet or that you already own. Using items that you own is referred to as upcycling. An alternative would be to purchase a costume from a local thrift store.
• Look into your closet, pantry and garage for more ideas to use those items that have been hanging out there.
• Have a closet or garage filled with holiday decorations?  These can be from any holiday or unused items that are sitting in a box.  You can convert them to HalloGreen. Check out ideas on Pinterest.

Re-use and Re-cycle are this year’s holiday mantra, and the ideas above are easy and fun to implement. So don’t get scared, get moving! October is here. Make it a HalloGreen celebration!

Looking for an eco-friendly platform for all your digital transactions?

Form Simplicity is mobile, paperless, and easy to do all your client’s transactions while at the office or on the go. Form Simplicity has live technical support and online training to help you every step of the way.

Written for Form Simplicity by Janice Zaltman, a Realtor, LEED AP, Marketing Coach and Writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing, and media fields.