Step-by-Step Guide to Run a Preorder Campaign on Social Media

Customers are more connected to brands than ever through social media channels. That’s why engaging sales tactics like preorders are proving highly effective. They give your audience a real reason to stay tuned in, boosting brand loyalty and repeat sales. 

Running a social media campaign with preorder items helps build anticipation and demand before the official release. It also allows brands to research the interest, secure early sales, creating a sense of exclusivity around offerings. This keeps customers engaging with your brand even when products aren’t immediately available, which maintains a strong connection and builds excitement for future releases.

In this article, we will cover all the steps to running a successful preorder campaign across your busines’s socials.

Before officially launching a preorder campaign on social media, it’s smart to post teasers that capture your audience’s curiosity – share graphics, behind-the-scenes clips, or captions hinting at something exciting coming soon.

As you get closer to launch day, kick it off a countdown timer. It could be as simple as posting “5 days to go!” or “48 hours left!” This creates a sense of urgency, motivating followers to mark their calendars and act fast once preorders open.

A pre-order sales strategy helped the U.K. based nail-tech startup Glaize to get off to a flying start. The team started by creating a waitlist almost a year before launch, through a combination of organic content that helped to build a community on social media, and experimenting with lead generation ads. 

Founder Gina Farran says: “By the time we opened for pre-orders, we had over 4,000 people on our waitlist. They had waited a long time, so we initially opened pre-orders exclusively to them to thank them for their patience. Our strategy helped us launch the business with a bang.” (Source Forbes)

54% of social media users agree that social media ads influence their buying behaviors. (Hubspot Statistics). And study shows that approx one-third of pre-order sales happen on the first day of the launch.

This is your sign! When your preorder finally goes live, make it a big deal on social media! Create eye-catching graphics that announce the preorder launch and showcase the product. 

Consider making a short video that teases the features or benefits of your new offering – this could be an animated explainer,short video teasing the coolest features,or even a personal message from the founder.

In your posts, let your excitement shine through. What does this launch mean for your customers? Don’t forget to include all the important details – how long preorders are open, when is the shipping date, any early bird perks. And of course, drop that link to your preorder page. Make it easy for followers to buy!

Ever notice how some brands seem to be everywhere on social media? That’s no accident. Instagram and TikTok are powerhouses for preorder campaigns, each with over a billion monthly users. How can you make the most of them?

On Instagram, mix it up with posts, Stories, Reels, and IGTV. Show your product from every angle – stunning photos, demo videos, customer reviews, behind-the-scenes content. The works!

TikTok’s all about short, catchy videos. Think unboxing clips, product demos set to trending sounds, or even funny skits related to your product. Get creative!

Both platforms offer solid advertising options too. You can target look-alike audiences, retarget interested users, and really scale up your campaign.

Don’t forget the golden rule: Always include a clear call-to-action and a direct link to your preorder page in every post.

Your mission is to funnel as much traffic as possible to your pre order landing page. This is where the magic happens – where casual followers convert into committed customers. Make sure every social media post includes a clear call-to-action and a direct link to your Shopify store.

You could even create a special short URL or branded link to make it more memorable and trackable. If you’re not quite ready to collect money or the final product details are still being ironed out, consider linking to a pre-launch page where you can collect email addresses from interested shoppers.

While organic posts are great for engaging your existing follower base, paid social media ads can help you reach customers who might be interested in your pre-order. The big players for e-commerce are usually Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.

Know your audience, and it should not be hard to choose on which platform to focus the most resources. Facebook is great for detailed targeting and retargeting. Instagram for visually appealing products. And TikTok is ideal for short form videos with trending sounds, dances, cultural moments, and going viral. 

When deciding on targeting, here’s a pro tip: Don’t go too narrow. You might miss out on potential customers you didn’t even know you had. Start broader and then refine based on what works.

Remember, you’re trying to build excitement for a product that’s not available yet. Some ideas can be teaser ads, countdown ads, feature highlight ads, if you have early reviews or testimonials, and more. 

Video ads tend to perform well, especially on platforms like TikTok. But don’t neglect static images – sometimes a stunning product photo is all you need. Always test a healthy amount of creative assets when running social ad campaigns.

Another way to expand your reach? Partner with influencers in your niche. Micro-influencers (10,000-100,000 followers) often have super engaged audiences. Set up an affiliate program where the influencer earns a commission on pre order sales generated through their unique link.

Ensure key information is shared with the influencers; you also want the content to feel authentic to each influencer’s style so give them a lot of flexibility with what they create for your brand. Provide guidelines and key messages, but give them creative freedom. Their followers trust them because of their unique voice – let them use it!

Here are a few tips to start your Influencer campaign: Give influencers’ followers special early access or a limited-time discount on pre-orders; let them share sneak peeks of your product development process. Once samples are ready, arrange for synchronized live unboxing events across multiple influencer accounts and more.

For product-based businesses, unboxing videos from influencers can be especially powerful for driving preorder sales. There’s something about watching a real person excitedly open up and examine a new product that moves viewers to want it for themselves.

For preorders, it’s even more powerful because it gives customers a taste of what they’re waiting for.

Here are a few ideas to start with: The mystery box challenge with influencers, the unboxing process in a satisfying time-lapse video, the ASMR unboxing, storytime unboxing with a story related to your product as it is being opened, and many more.

Ever browse a product online, then see ads for it everywhere? That’s retargeting. Use it to stay on the radar of people who’ve shown interest but haven’t bought yet. 

Platforms like Meta allow you to build custom audiences based on actions people have taken—like visiting your preorder page but not purchasing. You can then create ads specifically for this audience, perhaps offering an extra incentive to convert like free shipping or a discount code.

The goal of retargeting in a preorder campaign is to keep your product top-of-mind and provide that little extra push to convert interested browsers into buyers. For people who’ve shown strong interest (like adding to cart), consider offering a special preorder bonus or limited-time discount. And if you’re getting positive reactions to your preorder, use them in your retargeting ads.

As you’re creating social content for your preorder campaign, remember that people don’t want to feel like they’re being sold to. Rather than fixating on product features, focus on the emotional benefits of your offering. How will it make the customer feel? What aspirational identity will it help them achieve? 

And don’t just talk to your followers – chat with them! Encourage them to share their excitement about your upcoming launch. Ask for their input on things like colors or features. When people feel involved, they’re more likely to invest in your brand.

According to research, about a third of preorder sales happen on the very first day, so you’ll want to go all out with your promotional tools.

Flood your feed with launch announcement posts featuring high-quality product photos. Go live on Instagram or TikTok to personally reveal the big news to your followers. Have your influencer partners post about the preorder going live, along with a direct link to your page.

At the end of the day, a preorder campaign is all about generating excitement and turning your social audience into customers.

Install the Timesact Pre-Order App on your Shopify store.