Facebook Haunt Comments - growth opportunity?

[Twin Locusts]

A lot of folks posting tonight about visiting haunts. That may have spurred this comment. These posts are from fairly social people in their mid twenties and early thirties, with disposable income, and spend on local weekend entertainment more than people with more kids in their thirties. Could there be a promo angle going after an under penetrated market segment?

First and second are male, third is female. Very average everyday folks.

[Jim Warfield]

X-actly.

I hear this constantly(of course I'm open every night of the year, more "hearing" time.)
My customers are many of those given phobias concerning ever walking into another haunt again.
Too young, too aggressive of a haunt actor,a loud chainsaw, getting physically grabbed, these seem to be the most common complaints I hear about those past experiences that took them out of ever spending another dollar for a haunt ticket.
They were given something they don't want...but they have something we all need, customer's money.

[damon carson]

Me and other people Im sure on this board had things like that happen to us going thru at a young age. And guess what! We love them. What makes us any different than anyone else?!
Damon

[Twin Locusts]

Yeah, I hear a kernel of opportunity in that post, it’s subtle but telling. Let's face it, you never hear people saying, "That movie scared me so badly, I'm never going back into a theater". The irony here is that the standard approach to the typical haunt market is the scarier the better, so with that there may be small segments of the market dropping out.

I agree with Jim that if the patron is too young almost any scare can seem "too intense". This may be evidence of how smart it is to have 'lights on Saturday Afternoons' or someway to offer an experience directly to the childhood market that will make them a lifelong customer not lose them to a traumatic experience at too young an age.


SIDEBAR: How can a haunt that scares the HELL out of you be lame? Aren't they mutually exclusive in this context? or Maybe when you're 5 or 6 being scared the hell out of is lame.

[HauntedMemphis]

This is why I think this is the entertainment industry, not the scare industry. Scaring is just one way to entertain.

[Spookyfinder]

Someone on this board said that social networking was "for the birds"... The way I see it, it's FREE and if it generates ONE ticket sold, it's worth the little time it takes to do it! Our Facebook page for SCREAMPARK has grown in "fans" like nothing we ever predicted! ...and it's generates at least 100 tickets sold! (fact)

The networking allows us and our customers a better chance to get to know our haunt! We offer exclusive content (pics, videos, etc.), promos/discounts, "know-first" info on special events and other news, etc. etc.

We see it as an extremely valuable source in marketing your event... You'd have to be an idiot to NOT take advantage of this!

I also agree that there is no "scare business"... The haunt industry is merely an extension of the entertainment industry! -Tyler

[Twin Locusts]

Someone on this board said that social networking was "for the birds"... The way I see it, it's FREE and if it generates ONE ticket sold, it's worth the little time it takes to do it! Our Facebook page for SCREAMPARK has grown in "fans" like nothing we ever predicted! ...and it's generates at least 100 tickets sold! (fact)

The networking allows us and our customers a better chance to get to know our haunt! We offer exclusive content (pics, videos, etc.), promos/discounts, "know-first" info on special events and other news, etc. etc.

We see it as an extremely valuable source in marketing your event... You'd have to be an idiot to NOT take advantage of this!

I also agree that there is no "scare business"... The haunt industry is merely an extension of the entertainment industry! -Tyler

Spot on Tyler - The simple fact that it only takes your time and creativity make it an absolute must do. I'm sure media outlets don't particularly like the idea of being taken out of the control position, though the smart ones are integrating their broadcast method into social networking. The key is the right mix of static and interactive marketing.

I think the haunts that allow friends and fans to post are smart - interction creates buzz like no other method - and if you get someone being a troll and detracting from your work you can delete them, similar to the way HF is censored. If you run the page and a comment doesn't fit your communication goals, delete it.

Your live webcast is especially smart because it is most likely to be viewed by the white hot portion of the young market that has a smart phone, cash, and access to wheels. You're efforts on FB will payoff four fold next season compared to this one. I'll take any bets on that.

[extreme evil]

Hey Jim, I have a question for you. I won't be able to open til next Halloween. My question is how long were you in business before you became a year round operation? Did you ease into it? I only ask because this is something I'd like to do at some point? Any advice?