doNYC’s Halloween Boo$t
The inaugural WWYNFDT?! post comes to us from Jon and Johnny at doNYC. Last year around this time they had the brilliant idea to create a Halloween-themed dedicated email blast (in addition to their weekly top picks email) to earn extra revenue heading into the final quarter of the year.
It’s no secret that Halloween is one of the biggest party nights of the year. Here in Austin it’s a Top-4 moneymaker for the famous Sixth St. bar district -- topped only by New Year’s Eve, Mardi Gras, and Texas Relays.
It's for this reason that doNYC knew a Halloween email blast was a no-brainer. DoNYC's audience (& the rest of the network's) are all actively looking to make plans and promoters have bigger budgets than usual for their Halloween events. Venues are competing to get the biggest crowds possible through the door, so a dedicated email blast is the perfect way for them to get the word out to an engaged and interested group of party goers.
In fact, Jon Wilson at doNYC said promoters were more than eager to spend money with them last year. He started by reaching out to their regular advertising partners to let them know what he had in mind, they were game on to place additional ad buys for inclusion in this dedicated email.
How Did NYC Do It?
The biggest key was starting early. Since this email blast was totally separate from their regular newsletter, doNYC had to figure out what their template would look like and what they wanted to charge for the ad space.
doNYC sold a handful of 155x155 Featured Event ads, plus a large banner ad at the top of their email. Depending on the email template you use, you may plan out your ad inventory a little differently. Also, doNYC threw in one or two social mentions per ad as a way to sweeten the deal.
The important thing is to plan your inventory early so you can start pitching. Trust us -- your local partners already have their Halloween budgets in mind by early September. If they're not spending it with you yet, they're spending it with someone else.
To source the Event listings, Johnny at doNYC worked hard to make sure their Halloween List was as comprehensive as possible -- costume parties, parades, shows, everything. For the email the doNYC team just picked the best content to highlight alongside their Featured Event ads.
What Would NYC Do Differently?
Even though Halloween is 7 weeks away, Jon and Johnny at doNYC are already making moves for this year's email blast -- and thinking about how they can improve it.
First, they're putting together a serious pitch deck and reaching out to ad partners starting now. Last year they contacted advertisers in early-to-mid October, and while response was great Jon thinks there's a lot more money to be had in September. Promoters are certainly looking for a boost the week or two before Halloween, but most of their ad budgets are spent by then.
Second, they're planning two Halloween email blasts this year -- one the third week of October and one the week of Halloween. This means double the revenue but it also reinforces the need to start locking down inventory and pricing now. Jon said they decided to offer a discount to advertisers that reserve a block on both of those blasts as a way to incentivize them to buy early.
Finally, doNYC is looking at other creative ways to monetize the email blasts and Halloween list this year. Getting a brand to be a title sponsor for the email blast and/or List could be a great way to earn extra cash on top of the event ads and social mentions.
How To Do It In Your Metro
This is a strategy that every single metro in the Network should copy and get a nice revenue boost from heading into the end of the year.Sit down as a team this week and talk about what a Halloween List and email blast would look like in your metro:
- Pricing: What's your asking price? This year doNYC is selling three different ad options ranging from $400-$600 per email blast. If you want to see details, check out the email pitch Jon is sending to his local Event partners. (If you have questions, just email delivery@dostuffmedia.com).
- Brand Sponsorships: everyone can come up with at least 5 brands to pitch. Do It.
- Content: How can you make the email and List more engaging to your audience? What do people in your city look forward to the most around Halloween?
- How many? Are you planning two Halloween email blasts in October or just one?
Once you have your Halloween plan set, start sourcing the content on your site and sending out pitches to your regular advertising partners as soon as possible. They have Halloween budgets to spend and will be excited to hear you have something special planned.
Looking Ahead: Thanksgiving, NYE, and Beyond
The best thing about this strategy is that it can be repeated for every other big holiday weekend throughout the year. doNYC did this exact same thing for their New Year’s Eve email blast.
What are some other big bar weekends throughout the year that your readers will be looking ahead to? Thanksgiving? New Year’s Eve? St. Patrick’s Day? Start looking ahead to other holiday email blasts that you can do and how you would sell them to your local partners and brand reps.
Why Would You NOT Fucking Do That?!
Looking Ahead: Thanksgiving, NYE, and Beyond
The best thing about this strategy is that it can be repeated for every other big holiday weekend throughout the year. doNYC did this exact same thing for their New Year’s Eve email blast.
What are some other big bar weekends throughout the year that your readers will be looking ahead to? Thanksgiving? New Year’s Eve? St. Patrick’s Day? Start looking ahead to other holiday email blasts that you can do and how you would sell them to your local partners and brand reps.
Why Would You NOT Fucking Do That?!
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