If you want to offer a new product or service and you want people lined up waiting for you to open, then this will be the most important article you read all year.
Over the past few months, one of my clients; Metropolis Resort in Eau Claire, WI, has opened several new attractions. The lessons that we’ve learned have helped us to open each new attraction with lines of people ready to try them out.
The lessons learned are applicable even to those businesses that aren’t in an industry that is obviously interesting to large groups of people. Read to the end for ideas on how your business can use these lessons.
Back in December of 2016, Action City, a family fun center and part of the resort, opened a new trampoline park.
This was a 30,000 SQ. foot expansion filled with trampolines and a large play area for younger kids. If you haven’t been to a trampoline park you need to check one out.
Then over the winter, they built a 135-ft. tall zipline and an outdoor go-cart track. They already had indoor go carts as the weather doesn’t allow for outdoor go-carts year-round.
The strategy that we used was similar for each of these openings.
We used their social media following to start a buzz about the opening as it was announced (Click here for an example). We used every resource we could. We sent out a press release and when the press did a story about it, we used that on Facebook.
This strategy works well. Anytime you are on TV and can get the clips to use on Facebook you’re going to get great exposure.
We also created a sign-up page to capture emails in order to keep the people that were most interested informed of the progress. We had several hundred people signed up before we opened.
Over the construction time, we kept the public up to date with a steady stream of pictures and posts enabling them to watch the construction as it happened.
As the opening got closer we created videos to show what was coming, and to keep people in the know about what was happening. Check out one of the videos here.
This video also raised the excitement in the area as you can see by the large number of likes, comments, and shares.
All of this was designed to raise awareness and excitement in the community.
Once the trampoline park opened we followed up with more videos announcing this. Click here for one of them.
We also emailed everyone who signed up over the course of the construction, and sent targeted ads to everyone who had interacted with our Facebook posts.
All of this enabled Action City’s trampoline park to open with crowds of people.
We followed a similar strategy when their outdoor go-cart track and zipline opened.
You can see some sample videos by clicking below.
Opening day with Billy and Benny
As you can see, they used a similar strategy for both openings.
Now you ask, how can I use this. I’m not launching or starting anything as exciting as a 30,000 Sq. foot trampoline park or as exciting as a 135-ft. tall zipline.
No, most of us don’t have attractions like that to offer, but we can use a similar strategy.
We can announce what we’re doing and offering.
We can create a buzz. If we don’t feel a press release is valid, we can use our social media pages to amplify what we’re doing, with or without a press release.
We can create videos or informational posts. We’ve found videos to be effective in many different markets, but I understand that video can be intimidating.
We can create excitement around the opening or official release of your product or service.
There is nothing stopping any of us from reaching out to the entire world with the tools readily available to us via social media, our computers, and smartphones.
As you’re planning any new products or services make sure to take the time to plan how you’re going to market your new products/services, including marketing the items that are still in progress.
If you want to learn what it takes to develop the type of system the Metropolis Resort uses, let’s chat. In our free 30-minute call together I will evaluate where you are now with Facebook marketing and outline what you need to put into place to get the results you want. No pressure. No obligation. Just great info. Click Here to schedule YOUR call.
Brian Hahn