First, set your goals and invite the right people
Your PR team should take care of the journalists, media and influencers, but some of the work falls into your company’s hands as well. Don’t just invite the most high-powered or famous people you possibly can; instead, try to invite the right people for your business. That’s not necessarily the biggest name you can think of. For instance, is your goal to attract sales prospects? If so, get your sales team on board and invite their contacts.
Select carefully
You may think you know who your desired influencer is, but it might change when you do a deeper research on them. Be well aware of the gender and age group they’re popular with, which is not the same as the sector they’re popular with.
- Do research on your potential influencer(s)
- Approach those who cater to a niche audience of your interest
It is a symbiotic Relationship
Whenever you approach an influencer don’t forget about what you can offer in exchange for their promotion. Although some may charge for their services, this doesn’t necessarily mean money. Some may talk about about your product in exchange for a free sample, for example.
- Develop a relationship with the influencer(s)
- Compensate them (with money, free product sample, etc)
- Encourage them to create content with your brand or product (review, haul, etc…)
- Share their content
Give your guests a reason to show up
OK, so your product is really cool and people are talking about it – that’s a good start. But that may not be enough to draw the people to your event, so make sure that your guests have a reason to come. The key to get people interested is either:
- Being so famous for organising amazing parties or
- Planning something so out ordinary that people have to check it out
Choose a cool location
There’s nothing necessarily wrong with holding your business launch at the same hotel as everyone else — it’s just wouldn’t be the most memorable location. That’s why many brands make an effort to think outside the box when they choose a venue for their launch party. By picking something that isn’t what people might be expecting, you’re on the way to creating a memorable experience.
Keep the event on-brand
Instead of doing what everyone else does, just do what makes sense for your company. Inject your personality into the event and show off what makes you and your company special. It shouldn’t be about what other people do. This night is all about you, so it should be about selling who you are and what your company’s mission is.
Give a live demo
Your launch party is a celebration (we know, we like to dance and drink as well), but it is first and foremost a promotional event with some clear goals relating to your brand. Don’t forget to do something special at your launch event to illustrate to attendees what makes your product special and unique. Show people what your company offers that others don’t.
Encourage social media engagement
If you can go one step further, try to engage people on social media at the same time as you’re demonstrating their product. Let them try your product or service themselves to see what it can do. At the same time, encourage people to tweet and share photos of your product (custom hashtags are fun if you can come up with a good one), and you’ll be well on your way to a successful launch. That’s a great way to drive buzz and give journalists something to write about.
