##From pumpkin pageants to monster mashes, creative Halloween contest ideas will boost your customer engagement and build your fan base

Halloween is big business in North America. In the U.S., consumers will spend an average of $75.03 on costumes, decorations, candy and party favours this year, with total spending projected to reach $6.9 billion according to the National Retail Federation.

And with Canadians keeping pace, businesses on both sides of the border have an opportunity to grab a slice of the (pumpkin) pie.

###Scare Up Your Creativity with Captivating Halloween Contests

Halloween fuels the creative juices and brings out our urge to dress up, go out and have a great time—with all the accoutrements.

Harness that creativity with a Halloween promotion and you have an opportunity to increase engagement with your customers, give fans a little recognition for their imagination, and capture a share of the spending that surrounds Halloween.

Here’s some Halloween contest inspiration to fuel your tricks and treats:

###Jeff and Amanda’s Pregnant Pumpkin Pageant

Sure, coming up with an original costume is hard, but it’s even harder with a baby bump. Pittston, Pennsylvania radio station 98.5 KRZ appealed directly to its audience of expectant mothers with an invitation to skip the costume and decorate their pregnant bellies.

Creative entries so far have included skulls, pumpkins and several belly-based twerking scenes all vying for a year’s supply of diapers and a six-month membership to the YWCA.

###Monsters Challenge from Redbubble

Halloween wouldn’t be complete without a host of ghouls and goblins. But this year, monster fans can skip the usual Draculas and Frankensteins and come up with their own monstrous creation.

The contest, launched by Redbubble, a California-based creative marketplace for designers from around the world, is offering $1,600 in cash prizes plus a product placement for the most “fearsome, frightening, fascinating, furry, funny or just plain fricken terrifying” monsters.

###Ballet Victoria Halloween Costume Contest

You can’t go wrong with a costume contest, especially when costumed performances are your specialty. Ballet Victoria timed its 2013-14 season launch of Frankenstein perfectly with Halloween, and its Halloween costume contest offers free child admissions for every entrant, a great incentive for customer uptake. Its grand prizes include an iPad, free admission and backstage passes to the ballet.

###Launch Your Own Halloween Contest or Sweepstakes

It’s not too late to launch your own Halloween contest or sweepstakes. Here are a few things you’ll need to consider:

####1. Goals

Before you put time and resources into a Halloween promotion, consider why you’re doing it. Are you looking to gather customer data or leads, or simply to increase brand awareness? Are you hoping to build followers on your social channels or subscribers to your newsletter? Settle on a primary goal so you can focus on achieving it.

####2. Judging

Decide whether you want to run a contest or a sweepstakes. If your promotion is a sweepstakes, you can draw winners at random. However, if your promotion is a contest, you’ll need to consider judging criteria. Will you open voting to the public or do the judging in-house?

####3. Prizing

What kind of prize will motivate your customers to enter the contest? Will you offer one killer prize or numerous smaller prizes? How much public recognition will participants receive? If your contest has a high barrier to entry, a higher value prize can attract more entries.

We can help make your Halloween promotion spooktacular. Contact us for ideas or assistance with implementing your contest or sweepstakes, and treat your customers to a hair-raising Halloween