Opening a New Location? 7 Ways to Promote It

If your business is preparing to open a new location, you’ve got a fantastic opportunity to build a pre-opening buzz that will not only help your new location get off to a strong start but also boost your business as a whole. Opening a new location is busy: You’re ironing out all the logistics, staffing a new store, and getting ready for the opening festivities. But, don’t miss an opportunity to give your entire company a serious bump in exposure while marketing your new business location. Here are seven tips to market your new location.

(PS: Before you open a new location, make sure to build a go-to-market strategy!)

1. Update Your Website

As soon as you’ve signed a contract on your new space, make sure your company website is updated to include a “Coming Soon” listing for that new business location. Not only will this let website visitors know that you’re expanding, but it will count as fresh content on that page, which can help your page’s search engine result page (SERP) ranking so more people can find your website when they make a related search.

And don’t set it and forget it! You’re going to need to make some continual updates as it gets closer to the launch of your new location and after launch. Add the store hours and phone number for the new location as well as information about your grand opening. You’ll also want to make sure your website can effectively handle inquiries about the new location through chat or that your team can triage through a regularly-monitored email to answer questions about the opening and any promotions you plan to offer in conjunction with the opening.

Related: Get tips to optimize local SEO for multiple locations.

2. Expand Your Search Marketing Geo-Targeting

If you’re not already using search marketing for your business, you should be, and now is the perfect time to start. If you’re currently running search ads, be sure to adjust your business’s geo-targeting to include your new location. This allows both your existing locations and the new one to attract more traffic through local searches and draws more local customers into your reach, so you can stay in touch with them and keep your name and offerings fresh in their minds.

3. Take Advantage of Local Directory Listings

Local directory listings like Google Local, Bing Business, and Yelp have listings for most businesses already in place, and business owners can “claim” those listings for free. If your marketing team hasn’t already claimed the listings for your business locations on those sites, you should do it now, because customers are looking at them, whether you’re participating or not. Make sure your contact information like your phone number, address, and email are correct, and double-check your business hours. You want people to be able to contact and visit your new location, so make it as easy for them as possible! And, all of this information on directories can improve your search results, because search engines are looking for consistent and accurate information. Ensuring your listing is on Yelp adds another advantage: your business will show up in Apple Maps searches made on iOS devices.

4. Add Your New Business Location on Social Media Pages

When it comes to social media, you want to make sure your pages are reflecting your new location one way or another. If you have a social media presence for each of your locations, make sure you’re creating a social media presence for this new location and start posting updates! You can post progress photos, highlight new employees, and share information about an opening event or specials you’ll have once you open. You can also let fans and followers of your other locations know you’re opening a new location and encourage them to come visit once it’s opened. If you have one social media presence for all your locations, you should definitely be sharing progress updates and information about your new location ahead of the opening.

5. Use Social Media Ads to Build Buzz

Now that your new business location has some kind of presence on social media, it’s time to get the word out beyond your fans and followers! Are you having a grand opening event? Make sure people on Facebook know to visit! Are you offering special discounts or promotions after you open? Use ads to let your target demographic know. Facebook ads are a powerful way to reach an even broader audience on the most popular social media site in the country.

6. Invite Local Businesses to Take Part

Whether you’re new to the community or just the block, opening a new location is a great way to get to know your fellow business owners. Are there any local businesses that complement yours well? Maybe you own a line auto body shops and you want to invite your local car spa to have a presence at your opening — either with coupons, a special two-for-one promotion, or just having some people in company polos attending the opening event. You can form partnerships with business owners in your area or just extend a hand and invite them directly to your new location.

7. Create An Email Campaign

Hopefully, the tips above will help your email list grow with people who have a genuine interest in your new location opening. Your website should also include an opt-in with a simple statement like “Keep me up to date.”

Have your marketing team combine these contacts with your existing mailing list and send them an initial announcement of your upcoming opening and periodic updates on the progress of the location, new inventory or services, and any promotions and events you’ll be offering in conjunction with the opening. You can also run a targeted email campaign to communicate your opening to those outside of your existing mailing list!

Your New Business Location is a Sign of a Healthy Company

Opening a new business location is a strong indicator that your company is healthy and moving in the right direction. Include professional marketing and advertising in your launch budget to boost the awareness of potential local customers, to re-contact leads who may have strayed in the past because you didn’t have a location near them, and to ensure your existing customers know about your new location, all without soaking up the time you need to spend on your grand opening.