It’s approaching your new product’s launch date. You’ve been working your butt off and want people to get as excited about it as you are.

How can you make sure your pre-launch hype makes more than a ripple on social media?

We’ve got seven creative tips on how to use social to ensure your product makes a splash.

Bonus: Get the step-by-step social media strategy guide with pro tips on how to grow your social media presence.

7 ways to build excitement about a new product on social media

1. Create a hashtag

Coinciding with the announcement of her new album, Cuz I Love You, pop (bop) star Lizzo created the hashtag #CuzILoveYou.

Not only is the hashtag a great way for Lizzo’s fans to follow everything going on with the album drop and how her followers are reacting to it, but she was able to get creative with its promotion. On Valentine’s Day Lizzo herself encouraged fans to tweet using the #CuzILoveYou hashtag, retweeting those that did.

This clever approach gets the audience excited about their involvement and more engaged in the release.

2. Get creative with your promotional deals

It’s one thing to have a limited-time deal to promote your new product, but what about also promoting the people who make that product what it is?

Proper Footwear, a brand new player in the skateboarding shoe world, focuses heavily on supporting independent skateboard shops and skaters directly. To that end, they post regular deals on Instagram coinciding with the launch of new product or videos where the offer codes are named after their team riders, encouraging you to save some dough and follow their team. Those skaters whose codes are used even getting commission on each sale!

This ingenious technique doesn’t just ingratiates the brand as one who fully supports its riders, but also gets its audience to follow them, which is extra promotion all year long.

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••• @willgabourel @mrxnigeria @onionthegreat @red_bryan @caswellberry @adrian_gephart1989 @richardallenmoore @donovan.rice @bunchaskateboarding @_cosmokramer @matt_ray23 @whatwouldi_n_ido @takingtigermountainbyslappy @_anthonymosley #adamsimoni •••

A post shared by properskateboarding (@properskateboarding) on Nov 28, 2018 at 5:11pm PST

3. Tell a story

Compelling narrative is a powerful way to get people engaged with your product before it hits the shelves.

No6 Coffee Co. uses social to tell stories about the ways everyday folks and businesses use their product. This is not only an interesting, innovative way to showcase their new blends, but it also highlights the positive relationship existing clients have with their coffee. That’s something that can pay dividends when promoting to new ones.

Plus, you then get the attention of the followers of the people and businesses you’re showcasing, essentially appealing to two audiences at once. Not bad.

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J O H N W A R D F I N E  C O F F E E • Amy’s roots run deep in ground coffee. @johnwardfinecoffee is the third cafe project in her family. Her mom started the Dominion cafe, and later opened Grounded where Empire is now. The experience gained in the family business was supplemented by an uncompromising thirst for quality, which kept her looking for better coffee while she spent time in the city at university. Amy opened John Ward in 2011 with coffee from a Vancouver-based roastery, @originscoffeeroasters, who focuses on light-medium roasted organic coffees, always seeking to enhance the inherent flavour in each bean. This lighter flavour profile was new to Nelson, and undoubtedly sparked the so-called “third wave” of coffee in our town. You can often find Amy behind the bar, maintaining the high level of quality central to the café’s purpose. This attention to coffee is one of the main reasons that No6 Coffee Co. now exists. Denis worked in a design agency a few doors down, and got used to the carefully brewed coffees. His palette was transformed and he soon started to roast his own. John Ward has continued to delight its patrons with well prepared espresso drinks, friendly staff, and cultural events. Often the site of pop-up shops and poetry slams, Amy has been excited to participate in Nelson’s quirky culture. The decor speaks to that as well: a mirror of her own personal style, an eclectic assortment of found and made furniture, and a selection of weird and wonderful decorations on the walls. "John Ward was an innovation. Amy changed the coffee scene in Nelson by bringing an alternative, modern and sophisticated coffee service. I’m grateful for all the years there. It’s how I met the community, doing what I loved, with a great boss and now good friend. It made Nelson become my home and it’s how I met Denis too." says Kurt. "Amazing coffee, and it paints a perfect picture of the diversity in Nelson with an eclectic mix of people and friendly service. It's a great place to take it all in." says Denis It’s the closest cafe to the roastery and an obvious recommendation. Go check out John Ward. . Photos : @thomasnowa

A post shared by No6 Coffee Co. (@no6coffee) on Jul 23, 2018 at 7:20am PDT

4. Give a sneak-peak

Everlane is a digital-first apparel brand that excelled on Snapchat long before the advent of Instagram Stories, getting a powerful head start in the “ephemeral content” format.

They use Stories to give authentic, behind-the-scenes looks into the inner workings of the company. Not only on a day-to-day basis but with detailed sneak-peeks of future products. From concept to production, these glimpses into their process build hype while speaking to their core value: transparency.

Everlane goes deep into the origins of each new product, those insights creating a trust with their customers that reinforces their brand.

Everlane Instagram Story

5. Team up with local artists or businesses

A brand’s willingness to collaborate with its community is an endearing quality, helping it establish authenticity on a brand level and a product level.

Emerging literary publisher Metatron Press hosts regular Instagram Takeovers by writers who have books coming out or who are involved in their events. These people control the content of Metatron’s page for a few days at a time.

This gives the artists a substantial platform to promote their upcoming work, gets their followers interested in Metatron, and shows that the publisher is supportive of the community it serves. Bonus: this genuine approach goes a long ways to building brand trust.

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hi everyone!!! hope yr having a swell day!!! my name is faith, and sometimes i write poems and i'm currently taking over Metatron's Instagram to promote Gemini Season, a reading that I'll be at June 15!!! check out today's story to watch me give this perfect pup a bath and follow me on my personal (@faithfromspace) for even more dog-related shenanigans!!!

A post shared by ???????????????????????????????? ???????????????????? (@metatronpress) on May 28, 2018 at 5:43am PDT

6. Have a giveaway

Speaking of books (we like books), Strange Light, a fresh new imprint from Penguin House Canada, hosted a product giveaway—before they’d even released any titles.

It might sound like they put the cart before the horse, but really this is an ingenious way to build hype.

To enter, all fans had to do was follow Strange Light and Penguin Random House Canada’s Instagram accounts and like the contest post. Once a winner was chosen (at random) they received Strange Light buttons and tote bags. They also received two advance copies of the upstart press’ first books.

For diehard fans in any realm, whether it’s NASCAR, video games or books—people love an exclusive. And there’s nothing more exclusive than someone getting your product before it’s even on the shelves. That’s why online giveaways are so effective at building hype and growing your following on social media.

Need more tips on running a successful Instagram contest? Check out our step-by-step guide How to Run a Successful Instagram Contest.

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Strange Light takes flight. Meet the StrangeMoth. We have a logo, we have books, and we want to give you some! We’ll choose a winner from our followers this week and send you some Strange Light presents, including buttons, a tote, and copies of our forthcoming Spring 2019 titles✨ Head over to @penguinrandomca for details.

A post shared by Strange Light (@strangelightbooks) on Nov 19, 2018 at 9:11am PST

7. Video teasers

There’s still nothing like a sharp, shareable video to get your audience buzzing on social media.

Strathcona Brewery does just that. Each new brew they release gets the “Dancing Canman” treatment—fun Instagram length clips that show the different “personalities” of the beer through music and dance moves.

This is a great way to establish the vision for a new product while still staying within the overall theme of your brand.

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Dancing can man…feeling it. #strathconabeer

A post shared by Strathcona Beer Company (@strathconabeer) on Jul 14, 2018 at 7:39am PDT

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Head Banger. Triple IPA drops on Friday to coincide with our two year anniversary. Thanks for your ongoing support. Rock on ???? #strathconabeer #headbanger

A post shared by Strathcona Beer Company (@strathconabeer) on Nov 13, 2018 at 5:01pm PST

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Step to the future. #strathconabeer #lovebuzz #wintersour #craftbeer

A post shared by Strathcona Beer Company (@strathconabeer) on Dec 1, 2018 at 8:25am PST

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The post 7 Creative Ways to Hype a New Product on Social Media appeared first on Hootsuite Social Media Management.