Whether you want to admit it or not, Halloween brings out the kid in us all. For some, it’s just a reminder of what childhood was like.  But for others, it still brings about the fun spirit of getting dressed up and getting competitive with your friends with your costumes.

As a small business owner, that competitive spirit has likely shifted to growing your business. But the good news is that you can actually use Halloween to show a new side of your brand. Here are a few ways you can rely on the Halloween theme to add some excitement to your brand without recycling the same old tactics other business are using.

Halloween Party (With Costume Contest): You can keep this party to just your staff and their families or open it up to your clients, too. As we already said…Halloween brings out the kid in us all and a great Halloween party gives everyone an excuse to let that side of us out. Spring for some spooky decorations and make wearing a costume mandatory. You might be surprised at some of the costumes and the people who wear them.

Social Media Fun: Hold some Halloween themed contests to get customers involved. You can engage your customers with some friendly contests such as posting their best costume pictures to your Facebook page or tweeting a link to a picture of an awesome jack-o-lantern. Halloween is a time to go all out, and that includes on social media as well.

Jack-o-Lantern Contest: This is another area where the competitive streak can come out. It seems that year after year, jack-o-lantern carving becomes even more popular than the year before. Promote a contest among your clients with a great reward up for grabs. And to get in on the fun, try carving your brand’s logo into a pumpkin and keep it around the office.

How about you? Do you have any great Halloween branding ideas?