Grand opening social media posts: a four-week plan

Grand opening social media posts work best as a short series, not one announcement the night before. Give it four weeks: show the place coming together, introduce the people, give a clear reason to come on the day, then say thank you afterwards. Below is a week-by-week plan with post ideas, the Google steps that belong before week one, a shot list for opening day, and what to do in the quiet week after.

Say you are opening a bakery on Saturday, April 25. Today is four and a half weeks before that. We will use the bakery as the example all the way through. Swap in your own trade and date.

Before week one: put your opening date on Google

The first job is not a post at all. It is making sure that anyone who hears about you and searches on Google finds the right date.

• Create the profile now. Google lets a business that has not opened yet create a Business Profile and set a future opening date, up to one year ahead. Only the month and year are required.
• Know when it shows. After you set the date and verify the business, the profile appears on Google 90 days before the opening date.
• Start verification early. If Google sends a postcard, most codes arrive within 14 days, and the review after you enter the code can take up to 5 business days. A month out is not too early.
• Use the waiting time. Google suggests posting updates and adding photos before you open, from construction to opening day.
• Enjoy the tag afterwards. Once you open, the profile shows a "Recently opened" tag for 90 days.

If the profile is new to you, start with what a Google Business Profile is and what it costs.

The four weeks at a glance

About three posts a week plus a few stories is enough. Fewer, better posts beat a daily stream nobody has time to make in the last weeks before opening.

Week 4: something is coming

The aim this week is curiosity, not detail. You do not need the date yet.

• The sign going up, or the paper still on the windows. A ten-second clip of the ladder is plenty.
• The empty room, photographed from the door. Keep that photo: it becomes the "before" in week one.
• Why here. Two sentences on why you picked this street. Neighbors like to hear that someone chose them.
• One product, no context. For the bakery, a single loaf on a bare counter, with "Soon. 4th Street."

A caption that works: "We have been sanding floors on 4th Street since February. Bread is coming. Follow along, we will share the date soon." A caption that does not: "Exciting things coming soon, stay tuned." It says nothing a passer-by can repeat.

Week 3: the people behind it

A new place is a stranger. A face makes it a neighbor. This is the week to show the people.

• The owner's story in a short video, filmed on a phone at arm's length: why you are doing this, in under 30 seconds.
• The team, one person per post or story, with one detail each: "Maria shapes every croissant. She has done it for eleven years."
• The suppliers. The farm that mills your flour, the roaster next door. Tag them. Some will share the post with their own followers.
• A question. "Which pastry should be on the counter on day one?" Questions give people a reason to comment before they have ever walked in.

Week 2: a reason to come on the day

Now give the date, the time and one reason to show up that morning rather than "some time".

• The opening offer. Keep it simple and honest: free coffee with any pastry until noon, or a small gift for the first 50 customers. On Google you can publish it as an offer post, which needs a title, dates and a time.
• The event. If there is a ribbon, music or a tasting, Google has an event post with start and end dates and times. Both kinds of post can be scheduled ahead.
• A first look at the menu, the price list or the service menu, so people know what they are walking into.

If you plan a giveaway, check the rules first: there are platform rules and, in some states, laws. Our article on Instagram giveaway rules covers both.

If you invite local creators and give them free food or a discount, the FTC says they should disclose that relationship in the post itself, not only in their profile. Tell them so when you invite them, so nobody is surprised.

Week 1: the countdown

Every post this week repeats the same four facts: date, time, address, and where to park. People forget, and the ones who saw only one post need all four.

• A before and after: the empty room from week 4 next to the finished room today.
• Behind the scenes: the first test bake, the delivery of chairs, the staff training.
• What to expect: a line, card or cash, kids welcome, dogs on the patio.
• Daily stories with the number of days left.

If your opening day hours differ from your regular hours, set them as special hours on Google so the profile does not send people to a locked door. Google's special hours are made for one-off changes like a special event.

Opening day: a shot list

You will be busy. Hand this list to a friend or a staff member with a charged phone:

1. The team together, before the doors open
2. The line outside, filmed from across the street
3. The doors opening, in one continuous clip
4. The first customer, only if they say yes to being posted
5. Close-ups of the counter or the work, both full and half empty
6. A wide shot of the full room at the busiest moment
7. Ten seconds of you saying thank you, filmed at the end of the day
8. The empty room after closing, lights still on

Post stories through the day. Save the best photos and clips for one proper post that evening and for the week after.

The week after: thank you, then the routine

The first week after opening decides whether the feed keeps going. Three things matter:

• A thank-you post with photos from the day. Name the suppliers and neighbors who helped.
• Reply to every comment and message. New customers ask the same questions: hours, parking, gluten-free options. Your answers are useful to the next person who reads them.
• Ask for reviews the right way. You can ask happy customers to leave a Google review. You cannot offer anything for it: Google's policy forbids discounts, free goods or payment in exchange for a review, and it removes reviews posted for an incentive. So "Leave us a review" is fine, "Review us for a free cookie" is not.

Then switch to your normal rhythm, two to four posts a week. The opening was the start of the feed, not the end of it. If you need ideas for that routine, our article on the best social networks for a small business helps you choose where to spend the time.

One video for the whole countdown

A single short video can carry weeks two and one: the date, the offer, the address and a few shots of the place. Our Promo Video is a one-time service you can add to a plan: one video of 20 to 30 seconds, made from the photos and clips you upload, in three sizes, with on-screen text, music and your logo, for $129. We do not film on location, so the shot list above is also what we would ask you for. We need 5 business days once we have your answers. See one-time services.