Publicity Tips for a Grand Opening
For any new business the grand opening is very important. You can't start a business without letting people know.
To try would be like entering a party from the back door and only speaking to a few people the entire night. You would never really be noticed.
The grand opening puts your business name out in the open. It lets other businesses know that you're here and you plan on staying.
It also lets customers know that you are an available option for them to buy products from. If you are starting a lumber company, it will make people who are looking for lumber aware that you are there, and if you have good products, they can become your permanent customers.
Besides entering the front door of the party though, there are a few other things you need to do to get noticed.
Even if you are having a grand opening, it won't be very grand and nobody will know you're there if you don't first: advertise the grand opening.
There are many ways to do this. You could have a press conference for one.
Another idea would be to advertise it in the local or non-local newspapers. Almost every home receives the newspaper so it would get around to many people.
You could also share it with your friends and they could share it with their friends . . . etc.
After you advertise, there is still more you can do to make it a big event. Something else you can do is: invite people.
If you look around the city you are opening in and invite the major people, that is another way to get your name out. Major people do major things and so will most likely be talking to many people.
You could also hire a publicist. A good publicist would be able to help you get your name out in major newspapers and media. They may cost, but the cost may also be worth it.
You will also want to put attention into the place where you will be holding your grand opening. Depending on its location, you can do many things.
If it is a building on the street, you can decorate it. You could put up signs introducing it and saying when it opens. You could put up things that will grab the attention of people passing by.
Besides the outside, you also should make sure the inside is nice. You will want to make sure it is big enough to hold the people you will invite. You could consider having someone there to perform for your guests.
You will need to decide if you are going to have refreshments for your guests. What will you give them and what will you present to them that will make them want to come back and make them interested in your product.
With all this, you can't forget about a budget. You don't want to start out a business without any money. Though you may plan a wonderful evening, you will need to be able to keep your business running when the night is over.
Something else that might draw people to your opening would be if you had an interesting contest going on.
There was one company that had an oldest furnace contest. Whoever brought in the oldest furnace won a prize. One man brought a furnace that was one-hundred and thirty-five years old. That's crazy.
Something weird like that would get a business good publicity since it is so out of the ordinary. People would want to publish it.
You could offer products from your new company as a prize for the winner.
If you plan well so that you get your name out there and get people interested, and also have a fun night planned, your grand opening should be a success.
