Autumn leaves are falling. Pumpkin spice lattes are brewing. Scary movies are playing. The magic of spooky season is in the air, and it’s time for your brand to get in on the fun with well-crafted seasonal marketing campaigns.

In this article, we will unearth trending Halloween 2022 hashtags and how your brand can create a creepy campaign to bolster your larger social media strategy.

Keep reading (if you dare).

Halloween is bewitching social media users

In the U.S., almost everyone celebrates Halloween. About 93% of Americans plan to celebrate in 2022.

@k.rose694

i love halloween i cant wait 🍂🎃 #fyp #halloween #halloweenaesthetic #fall #autumnvibes

♬ h a l l o w e e n t o w n – draculasc

For some, Halloween is a minor holiday meant for eating candy and dressing up. For others, it’s more than a holiday. It’s a lifestyle.

Social media is where everyone from casual celebrants to spellbound fanatics go to find the latest Halloween inspiration, aesthetics, trends and events. According to our data, the months leading up to this year’s Halloween season have seen year-over-year growth on social. In particular, August 2022 saw a 66.23% increase in engagement volume from August 2021.

White text on an orange background that reads, "66% increase in Halloween engagement on social media in August '22 compared to August '21.

Hashtag holidays on Halloween on Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube and Twitter drive content discovery. Brands can use Halloween tags to tap into conversations their community is having on social.

Popular Halloween hashtags for the 2022 spooky season

We turned to Sprout Social’s Advanced Social Listening tool to find out which hashtags people are sinking their teeth into this Halloween. Use this list to inspire your content this year.

Black text on a white background that reads, "Popular Halloween 2022 Hashtags." The hashtags listed are: #Halloween, #Spooky, #Autumn, #Spooky, #HalloweenNeeds.

1. #Halloween and #Halloween2022

Our data from September 1-22, 2022, revealed hashtags like #Halloween and #Halloween2022 are leading in popularity.

#Halloween was the most common with over 466,000 engagements and 778,206,312 potential impressions across social platforms.

These hashtags are used on a variety of posts, from event and giveaway announcements to Halloweencore decoration inspiration. Their simplicity and prominence means they’re a perfect fit for brands of all kinds.

Beware: with such high volume, it might be difficult to find the right audience with these hashtags alone. Pair them with niche hashtags relevant to your product or service for best results.

2. #HalloweenCostume

Costumes are an essential part of Halloween. Whether you’re a fan of classic costumes like witches and zombies or pop culture and humor-inspired looks, social media is home to the best inspiration and DIY tutorials.

@laurenwolfe

Group Halloween costumes you won’t see everywhere! These are all in my amazon storefront #halloween2021 #halloweencostumeideas #costumeideas

♬ original sound – Kiera 🌟

According to our data, #HalloweenCostume and #PerfectGroupHalloweenCostumes are the leading costume-related hashtags.

Hashtags like #Handmade, #Vintage and #ShopLocal are also popular when combined with #Halloween. Use them to help describe your content and support other year-long social initiatives.

Retailers, makeup brands and craft stores typically have the best use cases for costume hashtags.

3. #Autumn and #Fall

Halloween is synonymous with autumn coziness. Crunchy leaves. Fall flavors. Chunky sweaters. Scary movie marathons.

#Autumn and #Fall are popular hashtags that boost Halloween content. You can find them on lifestyle posts that help viewers get in the spooky season spirit and summon the magic of nostalgia.

@flashesofstyle

First halloween cookie batch of the year! 🎃🧡 #halloweencookies #halloweenbaking #autumnmood #autumnaesthetic #fallvibes🍂 #fallvideos #autumnvideos #halloweencountdown

♬ Oh Klahoma – dominique/lars (nabio)

Does your brand release a seasonal autumn line? Could you incorporate your products into a Halloween aesthetic? If so, consider using #Autumn and #Fall with #Halloween on your post.

4. #Spooky

What would Halloween be without thrills? Slasher villains, haunted mansions and supernatural entities are the cornerstone of the horrific holiday.

Hashtags that borrow from Halloween’s spooky origins are popular for promoting films/shows and sharing memes/art.

#Spooky and #MichaelMyers are the most popular scary tags.

Use tags like this when your content is meant to surprise (and petrify) your audience.

5. #HalloweenNeeds

People turn to social media for Halloween how-tos. They want to learn how to put together char-boo-terie cheese boards, fall bucket lists and Halloween movie marathons.

A screenshot of a Pinterest search for #HalloweenNeeds that includes images of Halloween snack boards, Halloween costume ideas, Halloween movie ideas and more.

Try filming an educational video for your followers and use popular hashtags like:

  • #HalloweenNeeds
  • #Pumpkin
  • #TrickorTreat
  • #CodeOrange

Top Halloween hashtags brands use to conjure holiday spirit (and tips to create your own)

Here are some unique, hair-raising Halloween hashtag campaign examples that will leave you entranced.

#31NightsofHalloween

Twenty-four years ago, 31 Nights of Halloween premiered on Fox Family (now known as Freeform) and was an instant success. The TV special broadcasts family-friendly Halloween movies every night in October.

The hashtag #31NightsofHalloween and the related Twitter account were born on social media in recent years. They’re used by the network and its many fans to hype up the seasonal programming block.

Freeform’s online community engages with #31NightsofHalloween with unparalleled enthusiasm—from sharing their love to creating memes to making educational resources.

Our data reveals #31NightsofHalloween found tremendous growth from 2020 to 2021, including a 177% increase in total volume and 2,099% increase in potential impressions.

To capture the genius of the 31 Nights special, go all in on seasonal holidays that are important to your community. Create your own annual event, challenge or giveaway to entertain your audience. Be sure to incorporate a branded hashtag to help generate buzz.

#HandmadeWithJOANN and #Halloween

JOANN Fabrics is the destination for materials you need to make homemade costumes and home decor. They use #HandmadeWithJOANN to teach their followers how to make blankets, wreaths and more. During October, they focus on Halloween on TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.

They pair all their #HandmadeWithJOANN content with #Halloween to repurpose one of their tried-and-true tags for spooky season.

@joannstores

This is so fun!! #fabricdiy #decor #halloweendecor #handmadewithJOANN #crafts #fabric #diyhalloween

♬ original sound – JOANN Stores

Take a cue from JOANN Fabrics by pairing Halloween and branded hashtags together. Not only will you improve your reach, you’ll also zero in on the most engaged audience.

#BringOnTheCandy

Last year, Crest launched their #BringOnTheCandy giveaway. Although Halloween may not seem like the time to be thinking about oral healthcare, Crest found a unique angle for their brand. Crest reminded people to take care of their teeth during the Halloween season.

Even if Halloween isn’t a natural fit for your brand, is there a way you can incorporate it into your strategy that feels true to your identity? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box and stand out from the crowd.

Halloween hashtags are more than just a bunch of hocus-pocus

As the Halloween mayhem continues to grow, social users can’t get enough of spooky season content. Now that you know which hashtags are trending and how to create your own, plan a content strategy you can hang your broom on.

Remember to work towards your overall social goals by incorporating hashtags that are relevant to your audience, brand and unique seasonal offerings.

Want to brush up on ways today’s brands are using hashtags to their full potential? Read: What is hashtagging and how to use it effectively.