Starting a business is no easy feat. Whether you’re selling handmade candles or launching a local dog walking empire, announcing your new venture is a big deal and should be treated as such. If you’ve put in the work, you’ve made it official, and now it’s time to tell the world you want to do it in a way that sounds like you’re doing more than just fishing for likes.
A few likes, of course, would never hurt, but that doesn’t mean you want your friends and family to feel like you’re bragging. However, we firmly believe that this is an achievement you should be bragging about. So we’ve got 10 fun and creative ways to make your business debut an exciting, memorable one.
Host a soft launch party
You can do this online or you can do it in real life, but nothing says that you’re officially in business like a party does. You can invite friends, family, potential clients, and maybe a few local influencers for a casual get together to showcase what you’re all about. It doesn’t have to be fancy. Consider snacks, samples, maybe a demo of what you do if an in person event isn’t your thing, or in your budget, host a virtual launch on Zoom or Instagram Live. Share your story, show off your products or services, and answer questions. It’s personal, it’s fun, and it gets people emotionally invested in what you’re doing. Parties will often lead to photos and photos leaked to shares.
Create an unboxing experience
Unboxing isn’t just for tech or subscription boxes anymore, it’s a marketing event. If your business involves physical products, make your packaging something worth opening on camera.Think branded tissue paper, fun inserts and a thank you note with a staple of a quality business card on the front. Quality business cards are a must when it comes to doing an unboxing experience because you want people to showcase the business they got their materials from. Send a few early packages to friends, influencers or loyal customers with a hint that it’s a sneak peek at a new product. Encourage them to share their unboxing online and boom, now you’ve got social proof and free promotion.
Make it personal by going behind the scenes
People love to see how things are made, built, or brought to life, so share the process that got you there. It doesn’t matter whether it was a midnight brainstorming session or a product sample gone wrong. If the first time you printed your business name on a mug, you printed the wrong name, you’re going to have a laugh about it. So you want to humanise your new business and let people know the mistakes you made along the way. Post those snippets on Instagram Stories, Tiktok or LinkedIn, depending on your vibe. Letting people in behind the curtain makes you feel real, and real is what builds loyalty with your brand.
Quality business cards
Digital is the go to these days, but handing something out is a tangible reminder of what you’ve done. Choosing something beautiful and cleverly designed will hit different, and it’s a great way to showcase what you can do that reflects your brand’s personality.
Run a giveaway
If you want to get the word out fast about your business, give something away. A product, a session, a service, or even a launch date-only discount can really entice people to come forward. Make entering this giveaway easy with a follow, A tag, a friend or a sharer post. This isn’t about just gaining attention, but it’s about creating excitement and conversation. Every business needs a little bit of buzz, and you have to be the one to generate that buzz yourself at the beginning. As time goes on, people will be generating it for you.
Partner with a local business
Teamwork makes the launch work, so find a local business that compliments yours rather than competes and collaborate. If you’re a photographer, team up with a florist. If you bake cupcakes, partner with a coffee shop. You could co-host your launch event, cross promote on social media and offer bundle deals. Ideally, seek out a partnering business that is already established and has a good social media rankings so that you can kind of piggyback on what they’ve done.
Get creative with your merchandise
Everybody loves a freebie and everybody loves a swag bag. Think reusable tote bags with your logo, branded stickers or fun pens with sassy slogans. Don’t just give away stuff with your name on it though. Make it Instagram worthy, the kind of thing someone would want to show off in a story. It’s a low cost way to spread your brand in the wild and make your launch feel like a movement, not just a moment.
Create a launch video
You don’t have to have a filming crew or a drone, you just need to grab your phone and record a simple video explaining who you are, what you’re doing, and why you’re excited about it. Keep it under a minute and make it you – humorous, honest, and maybe with a blooper or two to showcase the fact that you’re fun. Video builds trust quickly and people want to see your face and hear your voice. Even a casual “Hey friends, Big news” video can go a long way to turning casual viewers into enthusiastic supporters.
Claim your Google Business profile
Setting up your Google Business profile makes you searchable, shows you up on maps, and gives you credibility. You could add photos, respond to reviews, and even share your updates. It’s like planting a digital flag in the ground and saying to people that you exist.
Just tell your story
At the heart of a great launch is a story. Why did you start this business and what problems are you solving? What lights you up about the work that you do and how you do it? You don’t have to oversell, you don’t have to over polish, you just have to be genuine.
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