5 social media trends to try in time for Halloween | October

Adobe Express is teaming up with social media expert Rachel Karten to bring you five high-impact post ideas every month. With over a decade of experience in social marketing — including her time at Bon Appétit Magazine — Rachel knows what works. She also writes Link in Bio, a must-read Substack newsletter for social pros.

We get it — consistently creating engaging content is one of the biggest challenges of running a social account. That’s where Rachel comes in! She scrolls the Internet so you don’t have to, curating the most effective post formats that drive engagement. Each month, she’ll break down five proven ideas — plus easy ways to bring them to life with Adobe Express.

5 social ideas to try this month

Boo! Happy October everyone. This month we’re celebrating Fall and Halloween (Falloween?) so it only feels right to theme the trends around these two moments. One thing I always do for big holidays is to review the trends from last year and see if there’s a way to tweak them for this year. Below are some spooky thought starters to kick off your next content brainstorm.

1. Halloween bucket meme

Set up a Halloween bucket outside of a door, put your product in it, let people know to “only take one,” and take a photo. The more ridiculous the better. A Halloween bucket filled with dumplings? Pots? Plants? The world is your oyster. This is one of my favorite trends of the year. It never gets old.

• Check out these examples from Staub and Taco Bell
• Express Tip: No time for the perfect photo setup? Just snap a quick pic of your bucket anywhere, then use Remove Background in Adobe Express to isolate it in one click. Drop it into one of 550,000+ free Adobe Stock photos and videos or use Insert object to add items to your bucket for an extra-weird twist.

Feeling inspired? Check out our collection of templates for this trend and others

2. Floating broom tour

This trend is a stop motion video of someone jumping with a broom a lot of times to stitch together and make it look like they are flying on it. Yes, it’s time consuming. Yes, it’s worth the effort. Use this format to tour your office or show followers around a store. Bonus points if you dress up as a witch.

• Check out this example from Untitled Group
• Express Tip: After capturing your stop-motion broom shots, use Adobe Express to upload, reorder, and preview your sequence frame by frame. Add a voiceover or text overlay to guide viewers through your tour — or drop in spooky sound effects from Adobe Stock to make it extra fun.

3. Content for your inner child

There’s something about Halloween that brings out your inner child. The costumes, the pranks, the scary stories. Create a post that feels whimsical and playful! Maybe it’s a mini campaign with a new character you make for the holiday (remember Dunkin’s Spidey D) or a picture book story that’s told in carousel format. Audiences are craving wholesome right now.

• Check out these examples from Dunkin’ and Loewe
• Express Tip: Turn up the whimsy by adding customizable animations to your design. Add them to unexpected elements to create a playful feel or select “Animate all” to quickly animate your entire design.

4. Costume bag meme

Another classic Halloween trend! Use Adobe Express to mock up the perfect costume for your brand. Put it on a photo of a costume bag typically found in your local Spirit Halloween. It could play into the archetype of a customer or be a literal version of your product. Have fun with this one!

• Check out these examples from Chipotle and Subway
• Express Tip: Create a memorable label for your costume bag by generating an on-theme text effect. Just type your prompt describing what you want your text to look like (e.g., disco ball, pink balloon) or choose one of the pre-generated options from the menu.

5. Carve a pumpkin

Easy, fun, and impressive! Partner with an artist like Gus Smithhisler (a.k.a. SquashCarver) to turn your logo or product into a perfectly carved pumpkin. Or if you’re feeling particularly artistic — carve it yourself!

• Check out these examples from Graza and SquashCarver
• Express Tip: Turn up the drama on your carving recap with Adobe Stock music and sound effects. Try searching for “dramatic,” “spooky,” or “scary” to set the tone for Halloween season.

That’s it! Tag me @milkkarten and @adobeexpress when you try one of these formats!

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