“Without publicity, a terrible thing happens – nothing.” – Phineas T. Barnum
A great idea, product, or service doesn’t mean anything if people don’t know it exists. Luckily, today we have the tools available to reach audiences everywhere and present them with what we have. Read on and see what Tessa Ashford, the Director of Marketing at IdeaPros, and Alejandra Torrente, Instagram Consultant, have to share about pre-launch social media secrets and super juicy must-know tips.
Stake Your Territory
While you are getting ready and still don’t want to talk about your product or app, you can start staking territory. Reserve your social media channels as soon as you have your name trademarked. Get the same name for all the channels, so you don’t have to send people to different accounts on each network.
The best way to check if the name is available is through the namecheck.com website. It is better than the standard check because it will tell you if your name is available on all the channels and not only as a domain name. Once you’ve decided about the name, you go to all the platforms and register your accounts. Don’t worry if you don’t have the logo and images of the product or app, just hold the name for now so no one else takes them.
Know Your Audience
Who is your target audience, where do they hang out, and what pain points are you solving for them? Depending on the industry, you will have a specific audience and an age group. Then you will decide if you want to use all the channels or only a few of them. If you are business to business that is more LinkedIn or Twitter. If you are business to consumers that would be Facebook and Instagram. But remember to hold your spot on all of them, just in case. You don’t want your competitor to take it from you.
“You don’t have to be active on a platform to hold it.” – Tessa Ashford
Know The Problem You Are Solving
Once you know your audience’s age range and the platform of preference, think about the problem they are experiencing. When we first create something, we think we know everything. We think we are the target audience and that is not true.
“Get in the head of the audience and understand what exactly they are experiencing and what it is they are searching for to solve their problem. ” – Tessa Ashford
One way to do that is by using answerthepublic.com. It tells you what questions people are asking. Type in the keyword(s) and see all the questions people ask about that topic. It is a great tool to help you create pre-launch content for social media. Search and start answering questions people ask.
Dial-In Your Brand
Once you have an idea of what people need and what they are looking for then you can dial in your brand and tell your story.
“It’s not only about what you are trying to sell but also who you are and what is behind the brand.” – Alejandra Torrente
Let people know who you are and what is important to you. Do behind-the-scenes content with pictures of the team. Get creative. Even if you are not going to post the content immediately, you can use it later on. Capture the entrepreneurial journey, as it is an exciting one, and don’t forget to share your vision.
Grow Organically
It might be easier to buy followers and likes, but it is not beneficial to your business.
“When you grow organically then you have true followers.” – Alejandra Torrente
Those people follow you because they love what you do. Organic growth is slow, but it brings real engagement and real people. It pays off in the long-term. When you post to social media, post content that bonds you with your audience.
Use Instagram Reels
A new Instagram feature called “Reels”. It lets you create 30-second videos to show who you are. If you get creative, you will get more engagement, even from the people who are not following you. The reel is different from a story because it stays there for more than 24 hours.
Now you are ready to start taking center stage with your brand.
The “Idea Pros” at IdeaPros have the resources, experience, and tools to help you at this step or any step in the entrepreneurial journey.
We partner with entrepreneurs at any stage and who are ready to invest their ideas. Apply for an interview and let’s explore partnering together.