How to Promote Your Business Pre-Launch: A Step-by-Step Guide
Updated 1/26
What do you do after you’ve decided what business you want to open, you’ve set up your first business social media profiles, and maybe your website is up (or almost ready to launch) AND you still have your opening day ahead of you?
Whether you’re opening a brick and mortar business with a physical location or your business will be entirely online, there is almost always some time between getting everything ready and actually launching your business.
It can feel as if you are in limbo because your doors aren’t open, and you’re probably not taking orders yet, but you’re looking forward to the big day and want to make sure everything goes well.
Promoting your business before it officially opens is a crucial part of building excitement, awareness, and a loyal customer base. While it may feel tricky to market something that isn’t fully operational yet, this pre-launch period is a great opportunity to test ideas and gain momentum that can support your business through the first crucial months of being open.
You can also use this time to plan the big picture marketing strategy for your small business by paying attention to what gets people excited about learning more - even before you open your doors for the first time!
And if you’re still in the research and planning phase of opening your business, this funding resources for small businesses blog post will be helpful! It has everything from grants to microloans to crowdfunding to get you started.
Why Does Pre-Launch Promotion Matter?
Promoting your business pre-launch is all about building anticipation and connection with your audience and building community. By sharing your journey and giving people a sneak peek of what’s to come, you:
Build a sense of community around your brand.
Establish long-term customer loyalty.
Generate buzz and ensure a successful opening day for your business.
Start building your email list and social media following for the future - remember that pre-launch marketing and opening day are just the beginning!
The question is: How do you promote a business that isn’t open yet? And how do you do it in a meaningful way that builds your new customer base and helps them connect with what you offer?
As a marketing strategist who has worked with small businesses for over 15 years (yes, including many who were in the pre-launch phase), I know this is an exciting, and occasionally overwhelming, time!
If you don’t have a website yet, you’re probably weighing your options trying to find the best website for your small business needs - follow the link to my quick breakdown between Wix, Weebly, Wordpress, or Squarespace. Each have their positives and negatives!
Step 1: How Do You Define Your Audience and Choose Your Platforms?
The key to effective promotion, and an effective small business marketing strategy, is understanding where your audience spends time. More importantly, where do they spend time that would make sense for them to learn about your business?
What platforms are most relevant to your business?
LinkedIn: Great for B2B or professional services.
TikTok: Perfect for creative, visual, or trend-driven businesses.
Instagram and Facebook: Ideal for storytelling and community engagement.
Email marketing: One of the best things you can do as a business that is just starting out is to focus on growing your email list. Social media can be a fantastic tool, but email will have a much higher success rate when it comes to getting in front of your target audience. Taking time to focus on email marketing, even before you officially launch your business, will give you a head start in building a solid marketing foundation because you won’t be relying only on social media to connect with your new audience.
What types of content resonates with them?
Are they more likely to be interested in video or written content?
What can you share that stands out and makes you memorable?
How can you start (and maintain) conversations?
Feeling overwhelmed with content creation? Read this blog post to learn how to streamline your content creation to save time.
Stuck between needing to promote and not having great photos or videos yet? You can use free stock video resources and free stock photos until you have your own.
How Can You Tailor Your Marketing to Reach Your Audience?
Brick-and-Mortar Businesses: Focus on connecting with the local community and nearby businesses. Local community will be an important part of your ongoing marketing strategy, so don’t be shy about making new business friends.
Online or Service-Based Businesses: Emphasize storytelling and leading with education to reach a wider audience.
Step 2: How You Can Build Local Connections (For Local and Brick-and-Mortar Businesses)
Get to Know Your Neighbors
If your business has a physical location, building relationships in your local area is invaluable. You’ll not only get to know your neighbors, you’ll also learn more about the neighborhood, and get connected with local events and opportunities you might otherwise miss.
Here are some ways to build local community for your business:
Introduce yourself to neighboring businesses.
Understand how you can support your local neighborhood businesses.
Join local business organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, BNI, and other networking groups.
Partner with other businesses for cross-promotions or collaborations - depending on your business, and the surrounding businesses, it might make sense to cross promote each other both in person and online.
Use Your Physical Space
Even if your doors aren’t open yet, your location can be a promotional tool:
Post signage announcing what’s coming soon.
Add a QR code to your window that links to your email signup or social media.
Have promotional signage made that shares more information about your business, so locals know what will be opening soon.
Share progress updates on social media to create curiosity and anticipation - remember that the “boring” parts of opening your business for the first time will be interesting to others.
If you’re an introvert or more on the shy side, networking and getting in front of people can feel intimidating! Go here to read my take on different ways you can be visible in your business - based on whether you can wear your pajamas while doing it!
Step 3: How to Use Social Media for Your Business (Even if You Aren’t Open Yet)
Document the Journey
Social media is a great way to connect with your audience during the pre-launch phase. It might feel odd to promote on social media when your business isn’t open yet, but you’ll want to share updates and grow your fans before you open. You can’t do that without an outlet like social media!
And, as a consumer, there it can be disappointing to be excited to learn more about a business, but not be able to find out anything more because there’s no social media, no links, and no hint of what the business is about beyond the name. Remember that not everyone who checks out your social media before you open will become a follower, but people will be looking!
Some ideas to share:
Behind-the-scenes content (e.g., renovations, product prep, team introductions).
Milestones like signing a lease or receiving your first shipment of inventory - document everything (you’ll be glad you have it later).
Interactive posts that involve your audience, like polls or Q&A sessions (Instagram Stories are great for this).
Showcase Your Personality
Authenticity goes a long way in marketing. Use Reels, Stories, or live videos to:
Share updates about your progress.
Highlight the ups and downs of starting a business.
Let your audience get to know the face behind the brand.
Step 4: How Can You Promote an Online or Service-Based Business?
If you don’t have a physical space to showcase, focus on storytelling (which is just a “marketing” way of saying - share what’s going on in an interesting way).
Share Brand Decisions: Talk about designing your logo, choosing colors, or updating your website. Feeling stuck on branding? Here’s my Small Business Branding 101 blog post to help.
Educational Content: Create Canva graphics or short videos explaining your services or products.
Take People Along: Record snippets of your workday, errands, or preparation and narrate the story.
Remember, even if your business isn’t “Instagram-worthy,” you can still create meaningful and engaging content.
Step 5: How to Plan Your Grand Opening
Make It a Big Deal
The time between getting ready to open your business and actually opening your doors will likely be a whirlwind of activity. Even if there are delays with permits, build outs, inventory, and other things that can slow progress, you’ll have so much to do that the time will go quickly!
Your grand opening is the culmination of all of your pre-launch efforts. To ensure a successful event:
Set the Date: Give yourself plenty of time to prepare and also know the date will arrive before you know it.
Invite the Press: Notify local media, influencers, and community leaders and invite them to your opening.
Spread the Word: Use social media, email marketing, and networking to promote the event.
Over-promote: It’s easy to feel like you’re sharing too much, but people need to hear your message multiple times before it sticks. Post reminders frequently to ensure your audience doesn’t miss out. I promise that you’re going to get tired of talking about your business long before everyone sees you talking about it (so keep going!)
Step 6: How to Get More Traffic to Your Business
Claim Online Listings
Set up and optimize your business profiles on key platforms:
Google Business Profile: Essential for local search visibility.
Yelp and Other Online Directories: Claim free listings relevant to your industry - but don’t pay for these listings.
Optimize your website for SEO: Pre-launch is a good time to optimize your website with basic SEO to improve discoverability. Include keywords, meta descriptions, and alt text for images. Learn more about how to get more traffic to your website here.
One of the biggest benefits to planning your website and setting up directory listings before you open is that this kind of work takes time to show up in search results. By starting early, you’re giving yourself a boost right from the beginning.
Step 7: How to Stay Organized During a Business Launch
Pre-launch periods can be overwhelming with so many moving parts. It isn’t uncommon for small business owners to feel as if they are drowning in tasks. Check out this blog post about how to tackle your to-do list in a way that feels sustainable.
Keep yourself on track by:
Creating a master to-do list with deadlines.
Using scheduling tools for social media and email campaigns.
Ask for help when you need it - you don’t need to do everything yourself.
Prioritizing tasks to avoid burnout.
Bonus Tips for Pre-Launch Success
Set Boundaries
When sharing your journey, you’re in control of how much you reveal. Authenticity doesn’t mean oversharing. You get to decide what feels comfortable for you. It is also possible that some of the feedback you get as you share your new business will be…less than helpful. Understanding that (and staying firm in your boundaries) is one of the rites of passage new business owners experience.
Enjoy the Moment
Launching a business is a huge milestone. While it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos, take time to celebrate your progress and enjoy the process.
Promoting your business pre-launch is an exciting opportunity to connect with your audience, build buzz, and create lasting impressions. By using these strategies, whether through social media, local connections, or storytelling, you’ll set the foundation for a successful launch and long-term growth.
So, roll up your sleeves, start sharing your journey, and get ready to welcome your audience into the next chapter of your business!
And to help your business keep growing, snag this free workbook about the 7 questions in mind to keep you on track and moving towards your goals!
Frequently Asked Questions About Pre-Launch Business Promotion
Do I really need to promote my business before it opens?
Yes, but get caught up in thinking that “promote” means selling aggressively. Pre-launch marketing is about visibility, trust, and connection. When you start sharing early, you’re not starting from zero on opening day. You’re opening your doors to people who already know who you are and what you offer.
What if my business opening date isn’t finalized yet?
That’s completely normal. You can still promote your business without a firm launch date by focusing on the journey, progress updates, and what’s coming. Use language like “opening soon,” “coming this spring,” or “getting close,” and keep your audience updated as things evolve.
And, if dates shift, share the reasons - things like permits not being ready, delays in shipping, and other opening day hiccups are normal (it is part of running a business!)
How early should I start pre-launch marketing?
Ideally, 1–3 months before opening. I know that sounds early, especially if dates aren’t firm, but marketing takes time. By starting early, it gives you enough time to build awareness, grow an email list, and test what messaging resonates - without feeling rushed or overwhelming yourself.
What if I don’t feel comfortable being on camera or sharing everything?
Also very normal! You don’t need to share your entire life or show your face constantly. Pre-launch content can be photos, text posts, graphics, voiceovers, or written updates. Authentic marketing is about being honest and intentional, not exposing everything.
Is social media required to promote a business before launch?
No, but it is helpful. Social media gives people a way to learn more about you when they’re curious. Even a simple, lightly active presence is better than nothing. When it comes to small businesses, social media really is one of the best ways to reach new audiences, build trust, and expand beyond family and friends.
How do I market my business if I’m not taking orders yet?
Focus on storytelling, education, and connection instead of selling. You can invite people to join your email list, follow along for updates, attend your opening, or learn more about what problem your business solves - all without asking for a purchase.
What’s the biggest pre-launch marketing mistake new business owners make?
Waiting until opening day to start sharing. Another common mistake is trying to do everything at once. You don’t need every platform, every tool, or a perfect plan. Focus on consistency and connecting with your audience.
How do I know if my pre-launch marketing is working?
At first, it may feel like you are shouting into the void. But look for early signals like comments, likes, and shares. Email slgnups would also be a good sign that people are interested! People may also follow along and pay attention without actually following or commenting, so keep going!
If you have a website, make sure you set up Google Analytics and Google Search Console - both of these will give you insight about your website, visitors, and what visitors are going on your site.
Should I hire a marketing professional before I open?
It depends on your capacity and goals. Many business owners benefit from getting strategic guidance early — especially to avoid wasted effort and set up systems correctly from the start. Others prefer to DIY with a clear plan. There’s no one right answer, just what feels supportive for you. If you’d like support, you can complete my intake form here.
