Why is pre-opening important?
A grand opening is a focused marketing campaign to build brand awareness and launch your service or product in your market.
Your grand opening is not just a day. It is a series of multiple touchpoints serving up the opportunity to connect with future customers.
Recommended pre-grand opening practices
Paid Advertising and Direct Mail
Plan for both print and digital paid media to run up to a month prior to your grand opening.
To better determine what content and media outlets to consider, please refer to the these pages:
Cross-Promote With Established Merchants
Leverage the merchant mix and foot traffic at your Regency location by partnering with another merchant that offers a product or service that complements your business.
PR Outreach and Social Media
Use your store’s social media and digital event listing service, such as Eventbrite, to build awareness and convert foot traffic.
Create a Facebook event page from your Facebook business page to increase search visibility.
Invite local bloggers or social media influencers to your opening day and encourage them to promote their attendance on their social channels.
Customize a story angle for a reporter who covers your industry or retail in your market in an effort to secure a story prior to grand opening.
Before tackling this, read the PR & Media Relations and Sample Pitch Email sections to best understand what makes news and to review a sample pitch.
Build Excitement and Anticipation Through Social Media
- share behind-the-scenes photos of your grand opening preparations
- post catchy “Save the Date” messages
- create a specially branded #hashtag for your opening that can better engage attendees and encourage posting about your event
Host a Sneak Peek With Social Media Influencers
As arbiters of taste and style with impressive social reach and impact, the right social media influencer(s) can help grow your business and achieve a successful grand opening.
For more on building influencer partnerships, please refer to the Influencers page.
Before opening to the public, consider inviting relevant social media influencers to an experiential event to build awareness among key audiences and gain social media coverage that could encourage potential customers to join the digital conversation.
Provide incentives such as gift bags, photo booths, food and drink, discounts, and/or giveaways to better encourage attendance.
For more on providing event perks, please refer to the Swag and Other Giveaways section.
