5 Ways to Market Your Business Before Ever Planting Your First Seed
So you’ve decided to finally start your flower business, but you’re still months away from actually having your first bouquet ready to sell. You’re not nearly ready to start marketing yet, right?
Wrong!
It’s never too early to start creating excitement, and more importantly, building a community of future customers. Let me explain:
A while back, I shared a post on my Instagram page about a made-up scenario of a new restaurant that was opening near me. It hadn’t even opened yet and they:
Had a sign outside announcing an opening date that was three months away
Already had social media profiles set up where they were building hype and showing behind-the-scenes progress
Asked questions and created polls on their social media to ask the community questions about what they wanted to see when the restaurant opened
Started email marketing by asking people to sign up for their emails for a chance to win a table for four at their soft opening
Never once did the owners make a social media post asking people to come and visit in three months to try their buffalo burger. Instead, they focused on building excitement in the community months prior to even being open.
When the doors to the restaurant opened, they already had a huge client base, excited and ready to come try their food. They didn’t struggle to get people in the door. And this is the power of having a pre-launch marketing strategy for your business.
You don’t need to wait until you’re ready to make a sale to start promoting your new business. Start now! Create buzz!
Not sure where to start? Here are five pre-launch marketing strategies to help set your business up for success.
1. Get a Sign
A sign outside your business not only tells people where your business is located but also gives them an idea of what your business is about. Share when you plan to open your business to help people driving by know when they can expect to visit.
Don’t stress out and feel you need to hold yourself accountable to a specific date. Simply share a general timeline by saying something like “Opening this summer!” This is enough to let your potential customers know when you’ll be ready for business.
When creating your sign, focus on making it eye-catching, memorable, and reflective of your brand. Consider incorporating your business's name, logo, and colors into the sign design. Additionally, think about the placement of your sign. You want it to be visible from the road, so consider putting it near your building or where your flower stand will be (if you plan to have one).
Even if you don’t have a single location, you can still take advantage of signage. For example, if you plan to have a flower stand at the farmers’ market, you can hang posters at the market location.
Think about how you can catch the attention of people who will be walking or driving by where you plan to sell.
2. Create a Social Media Account
Today, social media is an essential tool for any business marketing strategy. Plus, it’s free!
Before your farm launches, create social media accounts on platforms that your target audience uses. Facebook and Instagram are my go-tos because that’s where my ideal customer spends most of their time online. But of course, other popular platforms like TikTok, Twitter, and even Pinterest, are options that could work for you.
After you’ve set up your accounts, the best thing you can do is post consistently. It doesn’t have to be every day— even every few days is fine. But by sharing regularly, you stay top of mind for anyone who follows you.
To build excitement, you can share:
Teaser photos of your seeds, tools, flower stand, and more
Behind-the-scenes looks at your planting process
Pre-launch giveaways or contests
Sneak peeks of the flower varieties to plan to sell or other unique offerings you’ll have available
Countdown posts with updates on your progress
An announcement of your opening date
Videos introducing yourself or showcasing your values
Stories or posts featuring testimonials from early customers
Exclusive previews or discounts for followers who share or tag friends in your posts
3. Involve Your Community
One of the most effective ways to promote your flower farm before opening is to involve your potential customers. By bringing your community into the creation of the business, they are more vested and more likely to become a customer when you open.
Now, this doesn’t mean you have to recruit people to come help set up your flower stand or order your supplies. This simply means offering opportunities for people to share their opinions and interact with you and the business.
Some ideas for community involvement include:
Promoting and hosting a launch party where you offer discounts or freebies to your first customers
Partnering with other local business to offer sales and discounts to each others’ communities
Offering sneak peeks to early social media followers or email subscribers (see next section for more info about email)
Offering a discount to early customers, like buy a bouquet on opening day and get 50% off your next bouquet
By involving your community, you'll also build early relationships with potential customers, which can lead to repeat business in the future.
4. Build an Email List
Building an email list is an invaluable strategy, and one I wish I would’ve started sooner than I did! I personally feel like it’s one of the most undervalued and overlooked marketing strategies for new business owners.
The great thing about email marketing is that it’s free to start and it gives you direct access to your target customer. When you post on social media, you can’t guarantee that even your very best customer will see it. But when you send an email, you’re guaranteed to land in your audience’s mailbox.
Collecting email addresses from potential customers will allow you to:
Keep them updated on your business's progress
Offer exclusive promotions
Communicate news and updates
Promote events
To build your email list, consider offering an incentive for signing up, such as a discount on their first purchase or exclusive access to certain events, products, or content. If you offer online purchasing—even simply offering Venmo or PayPal at your flower stand—you can collect emails from everyone who purchases from you.
(I’m a loyal ConvertKit user and affiliate. And with ConvertKit, your first 1,000 subscribers are FREE!)
5. Gather Feedback
Finally, gathering feedback from potential customers is essential before launching your business. Feedback can help you identify areas of improvement, adjust your marketing strategy, and better understand your target audience. Consider using surveys or social media polls to collect feedback.
I use Instagram polls all the time to ask my followers about their preferences. Would you rather stop by the flower stand during the week or on the weekend? Do you like pink flowers or red flowers more? How much would you be willing to pay for a pint jar full of flowers?
Why try to guess what your customers want when you can go right to them and ask? Your future customers won’t hesitate to tell you what they like and want!
Use the feedback you gather to make any necessary adjustments to your launch plan, products or services you’re selling, or any marketing strategies.
Starting a business is a lot of work and marketing might feel like a future to-do item. But trust me when I say marketing and building your customer base early is invaluable and can be the difference between a sell-out first day and a stressful scramble to find customers after you open. Even if you don’t try all the tactics I shared here, at least consider giving one or two of them a shot. Your future self will thank you!
Avoid These Costly Mistakes When Starting a Flower Farm!
Learn the top five mistakes new cut flower farmers often make. By being aware of these pitfalls, you'll grow your business faster, save valuable time, and reduce unnecessary expenses. Get your copy now and take the first step towards a successful and profitable flower farm!