4 Easy Ways to Promote a Business That Ain’t Even Open Yet
In a time when your social media clients want rapid-fire posts, live videos, and Instagram Stories of their bustling business, we have many ways of collecting content.
Unless the business isn’t even open yet. Then it gets tricky.
But good news: it’s not impossible. Just like fans love to see behind-the-scenes action on social media, they also love seeing a store or service as the team puts it together and the offerings begin to take shape.
Your client is the caterpillar, and you get to show your new fans what it’s like inside the cocoon.
That’s what we found when taking a construction tour of Hyatt Regency Seattle, the beautifully designed tower in downtown Seattle which, when finished, will be the largest hotel in the Pacific Northwest. Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!
Here are a few tips & tricks to help your next client during pre-opening:
1) TIME LAPSE:
One method is to bring your audience into the pure action that’s involved in building or opening a business, using time lapse photography. This GIF/video tool gives your fans and potential new fans the sense that exciting things are happening round the clock, just behind the veil of public view.
2) BEFORE AND AFTER:
Does your client have design drafts, mock-ups, or renderings, showing their internal team how it will all look when finished? If so, utilize them by taking in-progress photos that line up with the angle of the rendering.
Main lobby, seen in current construction phase and final rendering
This easy before-and-after look is likely to pique the interest of consumers who are anticipating the opening day.
Ballroom lobby, seen in current construction phase and final rendering
3) PANORAMA:
So many moving pieces need to come together perfectly for a business to launch successfully. Similar to time lapse, these extra-wide photos offer your current and potential followers a playfully exaggerated feeling that the construction process is a BIG deal.
300-degree panorama of main ballroom
4) GIVE PROPS TO THE TEAM:
Many hands are laboring to make your client’s dream come true! You can cross-pollinate your audience with that of the design firm, construction team, vendor companies, and other partners who make light work out of the development process.
For Hyatt Regency Seattle, the stellar team at Sellen Construction deserves a huge round of applause! Sellen has a particularly fun and fascinating social presence - follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Have you followed along with a business on social media before it was even open? What did you enjoy about following along the pre-opening journey? Tweet us and let us know!