
How to Drum Up Planning & Hype For Your Pop-Up Event
If you’ve spent so much time and money, and you even have racks full of products, everything is carefully decorated, and then it’s just all crickets. Just hardly anyone shows up.
Maybe a few friends and family members show support, but no one, no customer, who is curious.
Honestly, for a new business, that’s a nightmare scenario, setting the wrong tone from the start.
Here’s a pretty scary scenario: throwing out creative ideas for weeks for your stand for your pop-up event and no one shows up.
Generally speaking, a pop-up isn’t just about showing up—it’s about getting people excited and buzzing about it beforehand.
So, here’s what to do to make sure that your event is more ‘packed house’ than ‘ghost town.’
1. Get Social Media Buzzing Early
In all honestly, social media is the go-to tool for drumming up hype, and it’s never too soon to start.
So it’s best to just kick off with teasers weeks in advance—show snippets of what’s in store, drop some behind-the-scenes shots of the preparations, and count down to the big day.
It’s all about building anticipation and getting people thinking, “I need to be there!” This is what a lot of events do in terms of marketing.
So, platforms like Instagram and TikTok are ideal for this because people love visuals and short videos. Now, you’ll want to just share sneak peeks of what’s on offer, whether it’s products, special deals, or even a glimpse of the event setup.
If you wanted to, you could even turn it into an interactive experience by using polls, quizzes, or giveaways to get your followers talking about it.
Some people will even hold a contest where people can win an exclusive gift for attending, so even that will give people a solid reason to just show up.
See 9 Future Marketing Trends You Can’t Ignore
2. Tap into Local Influencer Power
For new small businesses, local influencers can be the perfect hype partners.
Their followers are not just numbers; they’re real people who are likely to live nearby and be up for checking out a local event.
But of course this needs to be a big enough town, but don’t worry, even if there aren’t any local influencers, you’re not going to miss out on too much. You can still host an event that people will talk about positively.
This is usually geared towards large cities (and more tourist-focused towns too).
But if you live in the right area for it, then you’ll definitely want to reach out to influencers whose content aligns with your brand and invite them to get involved.
Maybe they can do a sneak peek of your products on their Stories or create a quick promo video announcing the pop-up.
In a way, this can add a bit of credibility for you, so it will give some locals the impression that you’re the real deal.
3. Mix in Some Digital PR
While sure, regular PR is great, some really good digital PR ideas can really give your event some extra oomph.
Now, it’s not just about sending out press releases—it’s about creating content that’s so interesting or entertaining that people can’t help but share it. That’s especially where things get different between both of these.
For example, this could be a quirky promo video, an eye-catching GIF, or even an article about why your pop-up is something different.
But think of it as creating a buzz that goes beyond social media and lands you some extra press coverage or blog mentions.
4. It’s Okay to Run Paid Ads
While sure, organic reach is important, if you want to pack that venue, paid ads can be the extra boost needed.
Platforms like Instagram and Facebook allow for some pretty specific targeting, meaning you can promote your pop-up to people who actually live nearby and fit the profile of your ideal customer.
Check out these 20 Benefits Of Social Media For Business.
Ideally, you’re going to want to make the ads pop with eye-catching visuals and engaging captions—think bold images, vibrant colours, or even a short video showcasing what attendees can expect.
But it’s also going to massively help to play up the urgency with messaging like “Limited spots available!” or “One-day-only deals.” It makes people feel like they need to be there or risk missing out.
Plus, these paid aids will only target your location and your target demographic in that location, too.
4. Tease Special Surprises
People don’t just go to a pop-up event for the products—they go for the experience.
Now, this means that you’re going to want to drum up hype by teasing special surprises that will be at the event, such as a live demonstration, a DIY workshop, or an appearance by a local musician.
But you’re seriously going to want to just drop hints on social media, revealing details little by little.
Besides, building up anticipation for these surprises keeps the buzz alive and gives people more reasons to attend.
After all, no one wants to miss out on a fun experience or an exciting reveal.
See 9 Smart Ideas For Planning Eco Friendly Events
5. Join Forces with Other Local Businesses
Why go solo when you can make it a team effort? Yes, by all means try and do this if you can!
So, teaming up with other small businesses for your pop-up can attract a larger crowd. Partner with businesses that complement, not compete with, your brand.
Plus, you can cross-promote the event with your partners and share marketing duties to maximise reach.
When different businesses come together, it feels like more of a community event, making it even more appealing to potential attendees.
See 15 Steps to Building Successful Partnerships.
6. Build an Email List and Keep It Warm
This is definitely something you’re not going to want to neglect! So, an email list can be an invaluable tool for building hype.
So, you’ll want to look into collecting email addresses well before the pop-up event and use them to share exciting updates, exclusive offers, and sneak peeks of what’s to come.
People on your list have already shown interest in your brand, so reminding them about the pop-up can be that extra nudge to get them there.
Also, just don’t buy email addresses; that’s going to immediately harm your brand and get people mad at you, too.
7. Document the Journey
Believe it or not, but hype doesn’t just come from the pop-up event itself—it comes from everything leading up to it.
So instead, you’ll want to share behind-the-scenes moments of the preparations on social media, whether it’s setting up displays, decorating the space, or unpacking products.
It gives people a sense of the excitement building behind the scenes and makes them feel like they’re a part of the journey.