Promotional Event For My New Business

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Zelda Wafer-Alonge on September 23, 2010 at 8:46pm

Food, literature and free massage. Preferably massage by someone else so that you can have time to promote your business. Literature about massage in general and what you have to offer - may include rates, your availability etc. and something to snack on - food gets everyone in. Balloons if you're feeling festive and it makes people look. Good luck!

Permalink Reply by Kimberly Rogers on September 24, 2010 at 1:31am

Don't forget to promote your event on the web: facebook personal page and business page--you can even put your open house on the event calendar and email it to all your fb friends; myspace, twitter, this site, client emails, your business website.

Local TV stations often allow for free listings on their community calendars, you just need to log on to their website. Ask friends/family to spread the word, giving them your business cards and event flyers to hand out.

Newspapers, etc.: Once you've set a date, you can send in a media packet and a press release. Mass media is always looking for interesting stories. Make sure to send a press release before the event and follow-up with another after the event, supplying pictures if you have them. Cherie Sohnen-Moe in her Business Mastery books helps you through the process. You may be surprised to find a reporter or two come to the event to interview you and take your picture.

Foot work: Get your event flyers out there--most businesses have bulletin boards that the community can put up flyers. Network with other therapists in your area. Invite them and ask them if they will display your flyer. Nothing like cross-promoting each other. We have a local organic grocer that displays events for all the practitioners in the area.

Are you a member of your local Chamber of Commerce? They can be of help in promoting your event. You could take out an ad in the newspaper or magazine or newsletter or have an ad on the radio/tv...it depends upon your budget and the size of your event.

As you can see, I like doing as much "free" publicity and promotion as possible. It depends upon how big of an event you want to make it. Having it at the school will also be a big promo for the school as well and you may want them to lend you a hand.

I hope I've given you a few ideas that will help out. Please post how it turns out, okay? Have fun! :-D

Permalink Reply by Anita Griffin on September 24, 2010 at 5:54am

Connect to professional business networking organizations. I belong to a BNI chapter (check out www.bni.com for a chapter near you). BNI has done phenomenal things to help grow my business in these hard economic times. Once you're a member, you can announce to the other members your upcoming event and ask they let their contacts know. Since everyone knows 200 - 500 people, letting 30 other business owners open their Rolodex and invite their clients is very powerful. This is a great long-term growth tool as well. Open houses are often attended by networking "hunters" who are only looking to sell to you and your invitees. A long-term growth plan for following up on your open house will be critical to your success. Congratulations and good luck.

Permalink Reply by Ginger Stamper on September 26, 2010 at 5:03pm

Thank you for all of your suggestions and advice. I was thinking of having some food and literature, and then giving free ten minute Zen Touch sessions in my office, where there is plenty of room for everyone to sit around on cushions and ask questions about it and learn about the benefits. They will each get a chance to see how it feels, and to get lots of info. (Zen Touch is done on a matt, fully clothed, so people can just take turns getting on the matt). I am also going to be offering some gift certificates and specials, as it will most likely be around the end of October, with the Holidays looming over us.

Permalink Reply by Shelene Taylor on October 12, 2010 at 12:57pm

Hi Ginger,
What an exciting time for you! All of the marketing ideas Kimberly laid out are excellent, you would be surprised at how often a reporter is looking for something different to talk about. Another important element in a Grand Opening celebration is to gather contact information from your visitors, not all of them will be people you know if you get the word out correctly. So have a free drawing where they give you their contact information and do a drawing after the event, you could even have a bonus winner - for instance give two people the winning bonus of treatments that are half off. If it were me I would not give away free treatments during the event. Your services are very valuable and in my years of experience I have observed that many people who receive free or under valued services are not my clientele. Being free to truly engage with someone talking about what you offer and how it can make a difference to them is priceless. If you want to give away free tastes during the event - make it a drawing type also, so every half hour you could draw a name and do the free session as you continue to engage with your guests. By collecting contact information you will build a great database of people to market directly to! Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions - I have been in the massage business for 24 years - shelene@iambiz.com.

Permalink Reply by Ginger Stamper on October 25, 2010 at 10:54pm

Shelene, thank you so much for your suggestions! I am putting off my grand opening for a little while, because I need more time to get organized. I am still seeing a few clients, but I want to make sure I am prepared. You have some excellent ideas! Thank you for reminding me of how valuable my services are.

Permalink Reply by Carla R Stingle on November 1, 2010 at 11:56am

Hi Shelene,
My name is Carla and I am also doing a grand opening for my new location. You have some great ideas and I was wanting to know if you could elaborate on one. If you do a drawing every half hour to give away free massages how long should they be and should they be for that day or should they be a gift certificate to use in the future? Also, is there any websites or organizations that offer free literature to hand out at my open house? I am opening in an area where massage is fairly new and people do not know a lot about it. Any other ideas that have worked for you in the past would be great. Thanks


Shelene Taylor said:

Hi Ginger,
What an exciting time for you! All of the marketing ideas Kimberly laid out are excellent, you would be surprised at how often a reporter is looking for something different to talk about. Another important element in a Grand Opening celebration is to gather contact information from your visitors, not all of them will be people you know if you get the word out correctly. So have a free drawing where they give you their contact information and do a drawing after the event, you could even have a bonus winner - for instance give two people the winning bonus of treatments that are half off. If it were me I would not give away free treatments during the event. Your services are very valuable and in my years of experience I have observed that many people who receive free or under valued services are not my clientele. Being free to truly engage with someone talking about what you offer and how it can make a difference to them is priceless. If you want to give away free tastes during the event - make it a drawing type also, so every half hour you could draw a name and do the free session as you continue to engage with your guests. By collecting contact information you will build a great database of people to market directly to! Feel free to contact me directly if you have any questions - I have been in the massage business for 24 years - shelene@iambiz.com.

Permalink Reply by Shelene Taylor on November 1, 2010 at 5:40pm

Hello Carla,

In regards to the drawings you could handle it several ways, but I would not fulfill them on the grand opening day. You could create a gift certificate specially for the event which could state that it is good for particular days (and particular therapists if you have staff) so that you save your busy times for paying clients. Or you could allow them to be good for anytime. A half hour is probably enough to give them a sense of your style and technique and you could softly upsell if you wanted to an hour in which case you would then bring in some cash.

Can you please be more specific in regards to the free literature for handing out?

I would introduce yourself to any businesses that you think you might be able to benefit their clients and visa versa, such as chiropractors, yoga studios....perhas offer to let them put their cards out for the open house, or do a joint offer for a drawing such as a free yoga class and free half hour massage if they send out an announcement of your open house to their clients. Put up flyers anywhere they will let you! Like health food stores.....

Permalink Reply by Carla R Stingle on November 1, 2010 at 7:01pm

I would like to hand out informational flyers about massage to educate people. The area that I am focusing on dosent know a lot about massage therapy. I am having a hard time finding literature without making my own brochure.

Permalink Reply by Shelene Taylor on November 1, 2010 at 7:14pm

I believe that some of the associations have free material for their members, but that is the only option I am aware of. People really "buy" benefits/results to them. It is you, your energy and your intention that will sell people on giving massage a try. But you could make up a simple flyer outlining 5 benefits to them and why they should visit you. You will really need a brochure or cards that can double as a brochure. There is a company called Vista Prints that is inexpensive - you could check them out online.

Permalink Reply by Carla R Stingle on November 1, 2010 at 7:26pm

Thanks for all your advise. It has been very helpful.

Permalink Reply by Shelene Taylor on November 1, 2010 at 7:35pm

Welcome, have fun and good luck! If you would like some free biz tips visit www.iambiz.com. Newsletters will go out twice a month that you will find helpful. If you sign up for them I will send you my ebook "Quick Tips to Boost Profits".