In 30 seconds:
- For brands marketing to Gen Z, TikTok is the platform to choose – especially for creating high-performing Halloween campaigns.
- How can you make sure you’ve understood the assignment? A great place to start is looking at the best Halloween trends on TikTok, and taking inspiration for your brand.
- Getting Halloween TikTok right is about making something users want to share or try themselves. It can be a source of inspiration (and sales) for years to come.
It’s that time of year again! Halloween is but a couple of weeks away, and while everyone is prepping their costumes, brands can take advantage of the upturn in spooky, scary content on Tiktok.
With the right angle, any brand can capitalise on the Halloween fun, so it pays dividends to think about the best way your brand can get involved.
Short on ideas? Finding TikTok Halloween inspiration is not as spine-chilling as you’d think. Below, we’ve listed five trends that you can leverage to ensure you’ll get more eyes on your brand this Halloween on TikTok.
Why should brands use TikTok for Halloween?
TikTok is a great platform for any brand to engage in Halloween-related content for Gen Z. The average age of TikTok users is just 22, compared with 32 on Facebook and 40+ on YouTube. TikTok is also a mobile-first app. With 83% of teens’ online time spent more on mobile than desktop, it’s an ideal platform for creating high-impact, trending Halloween content.
Regarding Halloween, Tiktok has shown us some interesting figures that illustrate the impact the holiday has on viewers at this time of the year. As you may expect, the number of #Halloween video views and interactions rise dramatically in October as the end of the month approaches.
Even more enticing for brands, according to the National Retail Federation, per-person Halloween spending was $92.121 in 2020 – an all-time high – and that’s set to increase in 2021. Many of those purchases are driven by social media. Last year, TikTok influenced 59% of Halloween costume purchases and 42% of Halloween sweets and chocolate spending.
Top 5 TikTok trends for Halloween 2021
Ready to get involved with the best Halloween trends on TikTok this year? Below you’ll find our top 5 picks for compelling TikTok campaign content ideas you can get involved with over the spooky season:
1. Scary TikTok videos
It’s not just about funny videos on TikTok. Since 2020, there has been a continued shift towards spooky videos and truly frightening content on TikTok. There seems to be an increase in the number and demand of social media users and influencers telling horror stories or anything supernatural in general.
The #HorrorTok hashtag in particular has yielded some really spine-tingling results – and not just because it’s gained 8.6B views and counting. We’re talking (reportedly) real footage of ghostly happenings and spooks caught on camera.
While you may want to get into the spirit (see what we did there?) with content designed to cause a fright, it’s important to remember that you should tailor your videos to your audience in order to surface on their ‘for you’ page (fyp). If real scares aren’t appropriate for your brand, why not make a mock shaky-cam video that can provide the feel of a ghost caught on tape while striking a balance between scary and funny?
@thereallittlelad 1 million ! on TLL day ! WOW! Thank you #berriesandcream #littlelad #dance ♬ original sound - The Little Lad
@pierre_andre1 I think the consistency is perfect #squidgamenetflix #squidgame #dalgona #kdrama ♬ MONEY - 리사 (LISA)
2. Halloween costumes
So what exactly are the top TikTok costumes for Halloween in 2021? Years gone by have presented popular picks like Harley Quinn from Suicide Squad and even politically polarising figures such as Donald Trump. But why go as a person? One of the most common TikTok Halloween trends in 2021 is… dressing like a trend itself!
Open the TikTok app this Halloween and you may see some costumes that are not quite so common on the high street. We’re talking Starburst berries and cream, Netflix‘ Squid Game dalgona honeycomb, and frozen honey. We’re not making this up.
However quirky, brands should take note of these TikTok trends and memes for potential Halloween costume ideas. They’re a great place to start when thinking about how you can inspire Gen Z and show you understand them.
If you’re lucky enough to have a brand mascot, why not give them some extra attention during October? Consider dressing them up in something extra special for the spooky season, or even trying out some TikTok Halloween makeup. Furthermore, get your followers involved with their own costumes. Make a hashtag (or a hashtag challenge) and hype up fans by reposting their best looks in the countdown to Halloween!
3. Halloween arts and crafts
When was the last time you got busy with some paper and scissors? Halloween is the perfect time to practice your DIY skills, and there’s no better place to display them than TikTok. With the huge number of talented creatives on the platform, there’s a sizable Gen Z audience looking forward to seeing and copying their creations.
There’s plenty of room for Halloween ideas here. This October, fewer countries are in lockdown compared to last year, so many more crafty Gen Z customers will be wondering how to have the best Halloween party ever. Tutorials on DIY Halloween decorations and DIY Halloween costumes (as well as classic Halloween activities like pumpkin carving or harmless trick-or-treating pranks) will really resonate with them.
When you get crafty, make sure you’re clearly showing your creative process. This can be a great way to develop rapport and build a stronger relationship with your audience. A simple how-to video can encourage users to recreate your Halloween Tiktok ideas, which increases user-generated content (which Gen Z loves), and drives more sales of your products.
If you take this route, make sure to properly research and plan your video idea before shooting it. Ensure it’s easy to follow and gives enough information (besides the visuals) that your audience can repeat the steps.
@xgeminidragonx HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!! 🎃 #HappyHalloween #OhNo #dance #coaplay ♬ Spooky, Scary Skeletons - Andrew Gold
@djb_renn halloween like you’ve never heard it before 🎃😳 #fypシ #Yellow #halloween #spookyszn #dj #djmix #djathome #remix #djb_renn #party #serotonin #hiphop ♬ original sound - djb_renn
4. Spooky dances
Dancing videos are very popular on TikTok and Halloween is no exception. One of the most popular Halloween songs ever is ‘Purple People Eater’ – but TikTok music always manages to serve up ghoulish vibes in the run up to 31st October.
Researching the best Tiktok Halloween song or creating a remix yourself goes a long way towards developing the perfect dance video for your brand, and you may find yourself shooting up Tiktok’s ‘For You’ page if you play your cards right, as more users co-opt your sound.
Another thing that TikTok is known for is dance challenges. If you can develop a dance that Gen Z wants to try out for themselves – and it’s Halloween-related – you can unlock incredible exposure for your brand.
A word of warning, however: try not to be overly promotional in your Halloween-themed dance videos. For TikTok, dancing is still very much about freedom of expression. You’ll see more user-generated activity or challenge submissions if your content looks organic. Make clear instructions and links in your copy instead and you’ll be headed in the right direction.
5. Show off your spooky treats
In a similar vein to showing off tutorials, showcasing the goodies you’ve got can be a tantalising way to attract new viewers in time for trick-or-treating. Even if you consider yourself too old to be collecting treats from your neighbours, you can still indulge your sweet tooth and give your audience some ideas for new treats too.
What if you’re not a confectionery brand? Get busy making Halloween recipes yourself! This is where how-to videos really come in handy. If you’re a dab-hand in the kitchen, whip up a Halloween-themed meal. Cooking a ghoulish goulash can be scarily helpful for your brand growth over October (especially as #soup is trending on TikTok right now!).
Whether you’re a health food brand or a confectioner, Gen Z viewers will be super into DIY Halloween recipes tailored for them. You can supercharge that good will (and the sales you get) if you offer TikTok viewers discount codes that are exclusive to the platform.
Stuck for ideas on what to make? Some classic Halloween recipe ideas include:
- Caramel Apples: a classic autumn delicacy that is super easy to make!
- Halloween Cookies: cookies with Halloween decorations, these go down a treat with everyone!
- Pumpkin Pies: a healthy way to make use of the waste from pumpkin carving!
You’ll find more ideas for Halloween campaigns for food and drink brands in our TikTok guide.
Getting ready for Halloween on TikTok
With Halloween fast approaching, getting your TikTok strategy in order will pay off big time. There are countless creepy avenues to explore, and plenty of opportunities to create content that catches generation Z’s attention.
Make sure that the content you create this Halloween is fun and worthwhile for your following and you’ll see them convert into customers with ease. Putting in the work now can help you win over Gen Z for years, as your content can surface on TikTok for Halloweens to come.
If you’re looking for a knowing hand (as opposed to a dismembered one) when it comes to creating spooky-yet-captivating content, get in touch with us here at Fanbytes! We’re the experts when it comes to marketing to Gen Z, any time of the year.
Want to learn more? Check out these links to help you win the hearts of Gen Z at Halloween:
