Took a little time this morning to experiment with crepe paper flowers. This is just a little crocus, but I think I may make some larger flowers for a window display and a photo backdrop in my studio. Would love to do that before launch (10 days!) — we’ll see if I have time.
But now, time to review and record my students’ journal entries, re-read the chapter of _Butter_ and the Dunsany and Baum stories that we’re that we’re discussing today, and then get ready and go into campus.
(Update: after reading journal entries, looks like they LOVED Lord Dunsany’s “The Hoard of the Gibbelins.” Nice to see Dunsany still going strong, more than a hundred years later!)
Oh, but I want to take a moment to post the summary of all the launch publicity suggestions I got a few weeks ago when I asked here, in case they’re helpful to others.
Many of these we’re already doing, some of them aren’t likely to to be useful for this particular situation, I think, but there were definitely some helpful suggestions of things I hadn’t thought of, like the Google Business listing. Thanks! Angeli Primlani organized them for me, which was very helpful.
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Organizations to reach out to for collaboration:
• Oak Park-River Forest (OPRF) Chamber of Commerce – calendar listings, might help with ribbon cuttings, New Member Breakfast for networking
• Arts District Business Association – newsletter and monthly calendar for Friday events
• CityCast Chicago and other what to do this weekend orgs (like Secret Chicago?) – press releases
(edited)
Website updates:
• Add parking suggestions
• audio and video content
• Encourage reviews
• Create new posts/new content 3-5 times a week.
Media
• Google Business listing
• Wednesday Journal – has email list, also ask them to interview you before you open
• Oak Park Newspaper
People to reach out to
• Hilary Kanuch at local tourism bureau – she will take photos and add to the business listing
• Jake Worley-Hood – Arts District Business Association – could host a collaboration event.
• Possibly Carollina Song if she is working for an arts incubator
• various people offered to help with online marketing
Physical advertising
• Posters for local neighborhood businesses
• Postcard mailers for your estimated demographics (rent a mailing list?)
• Door-hangs around the neighborhood
Social media
• Social media posts on relevant local Facebook and Instagram groups
• Ask local people with social media followings to post about the shop/grand opening
• Upload current client list to Facebook and Instagram
• Reach out to local Facebook Mom’s or other local groups for partnering and word of mouth (MomMail?) (That might be a different list?)
• Create look-alike audiences that you can target with ads within a certain mile radius of the shop
• Create regular Facebook events to drive traffic
Grand Opening suggestions
• Fireworks?
• Hot cocoa and cider
• Invite other tenants in the building
• Have a drawing for a special item
• Have an email list
• Little interactive station, like make a bookmark, mini collage
• Insta/selfie backdrop/corner
301 Harrison, Oak Park
