5 Steps to Promote a Product Launch Event on Social Media

Knowing how to promote an event isn’t the kind of knowledge which comes naturally. Nor is it something you can do once, and then be perfectly set up for any future launches. Why? Because the world of events and product launches is one which is always changing, and just as your target audience grows and seeks out new solutions (including, hopefully, your brand new product!), the methods for really hitting the right notes with your launch are constantly evolving, too. As such, when thinking about how to promote an event like a product launch, it’s always best to keep your ear close to the ground, and paying close attention to how your competitors and industry leaders get the job done. 

The thing about product launch events is that every step of the process is highly significant, not merely just the big day itself. The venue, the staging, the unveiling, the food, the swag-bags and all the added extras are doubtlessly hugely important, and that’s why Ultimate Experience goes to such lengths for our clients from the very beginning stages to the very last. As with any major event, a whole load of planning and preparation had to go into making that big day go ahead as planned. Promoting events is all about the lead up, the buzz, the sense of anticipation you send out into the world as the event looms closer on the horizon. Ideally, you want that buzz to be at fever pitch right before the event kicks off, and you want your target audience clamouring for tickets or invitations, eager to know just what awaits behind the doors of your chosen venue.

We make no secrets about the fact that we really love product launch events. In many ways, they’re often our favourite type of events to check out - they tend to be full of hope, optimism, and enthusiasm. There’s something really wonderful about being present when a new idea is being released onto the market, and into the wider world. At Ultimate Experience, we’ve watched (often in complete amazement) at how social media event marketing has become such a tour de force in our industry. What’s more, we’re never less than impressed at how social media strategies for events have become ever-more complicated, yet also somehow simpler, sharper, and more streamlined at the same time. If you want your product launch to make the kind of ripples your hard work deserves, then this kind of strategy and marketing is going to have to sit right at the top of your to-do list.

In this week’s blog, we’re going to be taking a closer look at five essential steps you’ll have to take in order to promote a product launch event successfully. These tips are up to date with methods for 2019’s eager audiences… so pay close attention, and be sure to implement them at your upcoming product launches. Oh, and don’t forget to invite us along.

It’s tempting to jump straight in with your social media event marketing, and get busy planning your event without a moment’s hesitation. Believe us, we know! However, before you get too excited, take a moment to sit back, and get a feel for the lay of the land. Take some serious time to see what’s going on in your industry, find inspiration from other innovators, influencers, and brands. You’ll need to start looking out for information in these following categories:

There are many ways you can obtain this kind of information. It can be as simple as taking out a few hours per week to really comb through social media interactions, although we’d advise checking out a quality listening solution that can do the hard work for you.

Planning your social media strategy for events is something which is naturally going to be made up of different stages. However, it’s the last one which requires the most attention, and it’s the one which is going to inform the majority of your other choices. What exactly are you trying to achieve on social media in the run up to your product launch event? Are you trying to raise awareness of your product or brand among those who are, thus far, totally ignorant of what you do? Are you attempting to connect further with existing customers, or those who already know about your brand?

The best plans come about when you’re as specific as possible in these regards. Decide early on what your actual goal is (for example, to increase product awareness by 50% etc) and who your target audience for your launch are. You can utilise this specific approach and your chosen demographics to make better use of social media analytics (if you want advice on the best social media analytics for your campaign, here is a great list of current examples) and take your marketing efforts to new heights.

After you’ve figured out exactly who your social media event marketing is aimed at and know the results you want to gain, it’s time to select the social media networks that will help you attain your objective. Keep the following in mind.

Your product launch event is split into three distinct parts: the pre-launch build-up, the launch event itself, and the post-launch follow-up process. In order to maximise the effectiveness of all three sections of your product launch journey, you’re going to have to stay on top of all the content you create, all the visuals, all the messaging, hashtags, blogs, ticketing drives… literally everything you can think of. There was a time when this was a gargantuan task, made up of endless folders and sub-folders on your desktop. Nowadays, it can all be streamlined fairly neatly with apps like Sprout Social. Check it out - you’ll be very glad that you did!

Nowadays, there’s no single way to know how to promote an event. In fact, there are thousands of different methods, each of which has its own plus points and downsides. Despite this, one thing remains true: audiences love to feel as though they’re involved and invested in a brand, and that the brand really cares about their opinions, thoughts and feelings on the product, strategy, or way of doing things. You can tap into this powerful resource of emotional investment in no small number of ways, but the following always seem to work brilliantly:

You can choose to engage an industry influencer to help you out (many influencers will happily promote your product launch event in exchange for a free sample or invite to the launch), which will help you organically reach a wide new network. Alternatively, you could run contests and offer prizes to those using your event hashtag, or employ similar methods which have an incentive behind them. Hopefully your content will be valuable and engaging enough to be shared without too much extra effort on your part… yet another reason to put more emphasis on eye-catching content creation that really makes all the difference!

By following the steps and advice laid out in this blog, you should be able to put together a social media marketing strategy that builds a real and tangible buzz around your product launch event. Knowing how to promote events is key in today’s busy market across all industries, and it’s a surefire way to give your brand or product the head start it needs in such a competitive world!

Here at Ultimate Experience, we’ve spent years honing our skills when it comes to developing a sense of heightened anticipation around events, even we are still learning and picking up top tips and tricks of the trade every day. If you’d like to find out how we can help your next event go off with a bang, we’d love to hear from you soon. Get in touch and find out why Ultimate Experience are considered among the best in the business.