How to Launch a New Hospitality Venue with Zero Followers
Launching a hospitality brand is one of the most exciting, and challenging, steps a business owner can take. Whether you're opening a restaurant, bar, café, or boutique hotel, creating buzz before you even open your doors is crucial. But what if you're starting from scratch, with no audience and no following?
The good news: you don’t need thousands of followers to make an impact. With the right approach, you can build real momentum before your first guest walks in.
Starting with Strategy
Before you dive into social media or paid ads, you need a solid brand strategy. Your branding is what helps people remember you, and more importantly, feel something about you. This isn’t just about logos or colours (although those matter). It’s about defining your story, your tone, and the experience you’re offering.
Why are you launching this venue? What makes it different? What kind of atmosphere are you creating? These questions form the foundation of your brand identity. When your message is clear and consistent, it becomes easier for people to connect with you—even if they’ve never heard of you before.
Creating Buzz Before Opening Day
One of the most common mistakes we see is waiting until after opening to start marketing. The lead-up to launch is a huge opportunity to build awareness and excitement.
Start by setting up your digital presence early. Your social media accounts should be live before your space is. Post behind-the-scenes photos, renovation progress, staff training moments, and sneak peeks of your menu or interiors. People love to feel part of the journey, it helps them form a connection with your brand before they even visit.
This is also the perfect time to share your story. Introduce your team. Talk about the concept. Show your passion. Even without followers, this kind of content builds credibility and creates shareable moments.
Turning Attention into Action
Once you've started building interest, the next step is to give people a reason to take action. A simple, well-designed website with clear information on location, opening hours, and how to book is essential. If you're offering soft opening events or first-night bookings, make it easy to register interest or sign up.
Email marketing is a powerful tool at this stage. Even a small list can go a long way if it’s made up of people who are excited about what you’re doing. Offer something in return for their email—a free drink at launch, early access to bookings, or an invite to a launch event.
Don’t underestimate the power of your immediate community either. Engaging with local businesses, inviting nearby residents, and collaborating with local creatives can help extend your reach quickly and organically.
Building an Audience from Day One
Social media will naturally become a bigger part of your strategy over time, but in the early days, it’s about building real engagement, not chasing numbers. Focus on quality over quantity. Post content that reflects your brand honestly, nothing forced, nothing overly polished. You want people to recognise the atmosphere you’re creating and feel drawn to it.
Encourage your first customers to share their experience. Feature them on your feed or stories. Thank them. Show that you’re listening and engaging. This is what turns early visitors into loyal advocates.
If your budget allows, a small, targeted social media ad campaign can be hugely effective—especially in the few weeks leading up to your launch. Focus your targeting locally, and keep your message simple: who you are, where you are, and why people should visit.
You Don’t Need a Following to Make an Impression
The most successful hospitality brands don’t start with big numbers, they start with a clear vision, a strong message, and a real connection with their audience. You can absolutely launch a hospitality venue with zero followers and still make a lasting impression.
Be consistent. Be confident. And most importantly, be visible.
Let’s Launch Something Brilliant
At Ninety8 Media, we work with new and emerging hospitality brands to launch with impact. From brand identity and digital strategy to social content and pre-launch campaigns, we’re here to help you hit the ground running.
