If you’ve ever struggled to get your party guests commenting and engaging with your Facebook party posts, it might be time to switch up how you create your party content. Using a fun, engaging party theme not only gets guests excited to attend, but also keeps them connected during the whole party and encourages them to book parties of their own.
But many direct sellers struggle to create party themes. Which products should you feature? How many products? And which themes actually compel people to buy your products, host their own party, and join your team?
In this post, I’ll walk you through the four simple steps to creating a compelling direct sales party theme. But before we get too far into how to create a theme, let’s chat about the reasons why party themes are critical for successful parties.
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Themes are a great booking tool.
When you use a party theme, it encourages guests that might be on the fence about hosting to go ahead and do it! A good party theme causes people to want to come back and see which products you’ll show them next. And when you can offer potential hosts a theme that also solves a problem and educates them on how to fix it, your booking ask becomes almost irresistible!
Let’s face it. No one likes to see the same thing over and over again. Party themes add variety so not only will people want to host their own party, but also invite their friends to check out what’s new.
Party themes help you narrow your product focus.
When you think about sharing products in your parties, the tendency for most direct sellers is to try and share the whole catalog. Not only does this cause product overwhelm, which decreases your party sales, but it causes more stress on YOU trying to create and squeeze in more and more party posts.
And when you narrow your product focus, this gives guests a reason to come back to another party. You haven’t shown them the entire catalog yet, so they want to see what you’ll show them next!
Themes also prevent business boredom.
Ever felt bored with your business? Yep. We’ve all been there and done that. I had times in my own business where if I saw the same game, question, or post again, I was going to claw my eyes out! Keeping your Facebook party content fresh and new helps you stay excited about your own business and the products that you’re sharing. If you’re bored, your guests will be, too.
Now that we know why it’s important to theme our virtual parties, let’s dig into how to create a compelling party theme that will have guests clamoring for more.
Step One – Consider the Season
The first step is to consider the season. Themes are easiest to brainstorm when you think about when you’ll be using them. Take a second to consider what’s going on right now in your people’s world. What are your customers thinking about? What pain points are they struggling with? There are different holidays, events, and needs for each season, and different products solve the pain points related to them.
Think about it. I’m not going to make a lot of soups during the summer because it’s hot. I’m also not going to use a Christmas planner in the middle of the summer.
Here are some examples to get your creative juices flowing.
Let’s pretend it’s August, and someone is on the fence about hosting, or even shopping, at a party. But you’re offering a fun back-to-school party theme, with a focus on prepping & planning meals quickly so moms can make the transition back to school that much easier. Do you think that might compel some party guests to book their own party? Uhm, yeah! We’ve all been on the back-to-school struggle bus at some point.
Here’s another example. Let’s pretend it’s summertime and you sell skincare products. You decide on a fun pool party theme where you’re going to share how to enjoy summer without your makeup melting off your face. That’s a no-brainer!
Or maybe you sell books and you’re going to teach guests some tried and true boredom busters for summer while the kids are out of school. Again, no brainer!
Once you’ve considered the season, now it’s time to start thinking about which products to feature.
Step Two – Pick the Main Product or Collection
Step two is to pick the main product or product collection to hone in on. Think back to those previous questions about your customer’s current pain points and problems. Which product will be most helpful to solve those problems? Which products easily fit within the season or upcoming holidays? It could be based on what the product does or what problem it solves.
Your main product could be from a new product launch or a tried and true product that’s always a customer fave. Your main product could also focus on an upcoming host special. If you have that info in advance, that’s an easy way to pick your product focus for your parties.
Bottom line, make sure this product can solve a current problem for your ideal customer.
Step Three – Choose Two to Three Complementary Products
Step three is to pick two or three complementary products or collections. Which products go together naturally with your main product? If you sell Pampered Chef, Epicure, or Tastefully Simple and you’re making a recipe, what are the other products you pull out to make the recipe? If you’re with Tula Xii and you’re putting together a planner or an organizer, which pieces do you put together? If you’re spring cleaning with Norwex, which products are you grabbing? If you’re with Stampin’ Up or Chalk Couture, what other tools or supplies do you pull out when you start crafting?
Take a second and really think about the complimentary products you grab without a second thought. If you struggle with this one, just pay attention the next time you use your products. Or check out your catalog. What has your company’s marketing department already paired together for you?
The purpose of this step is to help your guests think in product bundles or suites. Even if they purchase one product to help solve their problem, they will likely see the value in the other products and come back to shop for more later or host their own party to save some money.
Step Four – Brainstorm Additional Tips & Tricks
Step four is brainstorming additional tips and tricks. We don’t want to just post products at our parties. An endless smattering of “Buy My Stuff” posts is sure to make your party guests ignore your posts. Obviously you want people to purchase, but a party needs to also provide some value in the form of education or entertainment for your guests and your hosts.
Party guests and hosts are looking for an overall party experience. They don’t just want to be sold to. They need to experience something unique and fun in order for them to engage.
After you have your theme nailed down and have chosen which products you’ll feature, think about other tips and tricks or themed games that you can offer to fill in the gaps between the products.
Let’s go back to our previous example. If you’re doing a Back to School theme to help moms make the back to school transition easier, you can offer meal planning and prep tips. You can also toss in some fun back to school themed games and engagement posts.
If you’re talking about summer skin care, why not educate your guests on which level of SPF they need or which of your products’ ingredients are perfect for summer skin. You could also offer tips on a simplified skincare routine since the summer is so busy!
If you struggle to come up with tips, make sure you hop over to Pinterest or Google and do some searching. There is a treasure trove of knowledge out there. Take some tips that you think would appeal to your party guests, put them in your own voice, and create some fun graphics and share away! If you need games, make sure you check out our shop for ready-made game and Facebook party theme graphics.
If you’re still struggling with party theme ideas, make sure you check your product catalog. Most direct selling companies have whole marketing departments that are thinking of all these things for you. They may even have theme ideas in their newest catalog or on your website.
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Want a proven plan for growing your direct sales business without feeling like you're chasing your tail? The Direct Sellers Business Blueprint explains the 4 key areas you must master to build a simplified, systematic business. It will even tell you which area to tackle first, so you can stop feeling overwhelmed or confused about what to do next. The best part? It's completely FREE!
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Mary Haynes is a highly successful direct sales leader turned strategist and coach. Her passion is helping party plan people streamline and scale their businesses using simple, proven strategies. Her goal is to eliminate business overwhelm so direct sellers know exactly what to do and when to do it. Mary is also a homeschooling mama that lives in sunny Florida with her husband, 4 kiddos, 2 dogs, and various other backyard animals.
