5 marketing lessons from horror movies

There are rules for people in horror movies: Don’t investigate a bump in the night. Don’t split up the group to each check out some mystery. Don’t wear high heels when you expect to encounter a psychopath with a chainsaw. But did you know the scariest horror movies follow a few guidelines of their own?

Tropes (or literary/film devices) are the reason that you’ve got a bad feeling about that boarded-up amusement park and think that a clown outside of the comfort of a circus stage is really, really creepy. They prepare your mind for what comes next by giving clues that something is about to go down, and that thing is probably not going to be good.

In business, these well-established horror tropes do have a practical use. They make you better at marketing, particularly during the Halloween season. Follow this creepy code to shock and awe your audience (slashers and psychos: totally optional).