October 18 2020
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 you remembered and appreciated!
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 email. 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:
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 reusing items she already owned, which is an eco-friendly feature. Similarly, we all may have items in our closets that we can reuse, 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 places 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 email 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 everyone 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 three 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:
Okay, these may be too easy or silly for you. If so, come up with your own and have fun with it.
Reuse and Recycle is 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!
Janice Zaltman is a Realtor, LEED AP, marketing coach and writer with more than 20 years of experience in the sales, marketing and media fields.
To view the original article, visit the Form Simplicity blog.