Best Way To Launch Your Product!

Heighten your visibility, avoid costly mistakes and build buzz with these strategies

You’ve created the killer product that will change the world. Now you need people to buy it. Top entrepreneurs share their tried-and-tested ways to build buzz so people buy from you and passionately spread the word for mega profits.

1. Be strategic

One, find your core audience. Whether you’re creating the new iPhone or a cupcake stand, find and learn from your core audience. Establish your base and build their confidence in you.

Two, get advice and listen. Most friends will be your biggest cheerleaders, but that doesn’t mean they’re helping. They need to poke holes in your ideas, which you can fix before taking a product to market. Resist the urge to be defensive. And use the opportunity to strengthen your product.

Three, learn from others. There are no more original ideas, just repurposed ones. As you prepare to market your idea, examine your competitors. Take from their good, learn from their bad, and enhance what needs to be improved. Then put your spin on it.

Four, be smart about publicity. You no longer need traditional media to drive ideas, products or messages. Don’t get caught up in creating a PR budget if it won’t drive core business. Instead, spend your time creating messages to buyers.

Five, conditioning your social media audience is critical. Always pushing them to “buy” creates fatigue, making them feel like a number. Build a relationship with your audience at least three months in advance so they can learn your tone and rhythms. Then seek ways for them to interact with your product.

Six, for all your analysis, don’t forget to rely on “feel.” Entrepreneurs are risk takers with unwavering belief. Don’t abandon that now that you’re moments away from the launch.

Finally, use the power of broke. I wrote a book about this. My biggest business mistakes came when I tried to buy success. My most successful business experiences came from using limited resources, supported by innovation. Resist the urge to spend, spend, and spend.

 

2. Go overboard with outreach

Obscurity kills businesses. If you don’t go overboard, you won’t get the attention needed to be successful. Before launching a new product, ask yourself: One, How far will I go to get attention? Two, How frequent will I be in my attempts?

3. Use common sense

Know your audience. If someone asks you, “Who’s your target audience?” have a concise answer. Otherwise, there’s a problem. Also, get to know your stakeholders. Find out where they spend their free time and join them after work. Events are great for getting your product into the community. Consider sponsoring a mixer at a local restaurant, brewery or wine bar to draw interest.

Know your product’s value. Interview a client who found success using your product. Ask them why it was successful.

With branding and promotion, have a multimedia approach that includes print, photography and video. Don’t treat hash tags as an afterthought; they’re a powerful tool to grab eyeballs. Use them intentionally. Follow and engage with reporters on social media who can direct attention to your product. Ask a local celebrity, like the mayor, to do an on-camera interview. Worst case, they say, “No.” Best case, they authenticate your brand.

4. Target major media outlets

Attention is the currency of the internet. The average person consumes an inordinate amount of information daily. To get attention, cut through the noise.

With the right strategy, you can land a major media placement. Pitch yourself as an expert and target high-profile news outlets. Figure out what story segments producers want. They’re under pressure to book the right experts, so there’s a good chance your knowledge fills a gap.

5. Build your super fans

Don’t jump into launching a product without first building a community of super fans who’ll vouch for it. Lay the foundation to build the buzz later. It may take one to two years, but it’s worth it. You could start with conferences. Hunt for your target audience. Invite them to join a value-add Slack group or receive exclusive invitations to your events.

After launching, if your fans don’t resonate with your product, revisit square one. Don’t judge your market; listen because they’re telling you what they want. Fix the current product to their liking and they’ll build the buzz it deserves. And you’ll avoid losing a lot of money, wondering why your promotions didn’t go as planned.

6. Bring brand ambassadors into your business family

It takes a village to get buzz for your business. Find ambassadors whose interests align with yours and bring them into your business family. 

7. Use pre-launch videos to drive leads

Use a pre-launch video campaign to jump-start product sales and build brand awareness. Your price point should correlate with the length of your video content. While lower-priced items require 15 to 60 seconds of video, a more significant ask is best served by a five- to 15-minute pre-launch video campaign.

Use a landing page with a sign-up form to capture email addresses. Then, create an email campaign that offers special incentives to buyers who refer family and friends.

A respected influencer gives instant product credibility. Get industry influencers to put your product in front of their fans through endorsement campaigns.

8. Technology is your friend

Webinars are perfect for spreading your message in an attractive, engaging form. Here’s how to maximize your success:

One, research and choose the right webinar software: easy to use, requires no IT knowledge, downloads or installations, and is ready to go — time is money. The software should give you the necessary tools for the whole process — before, during and after the webinar.

Two, host webinars on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday between 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. That’s when you’ll get the best attendance.

Three, craft a “catchy” topic name to draw the largest audience: “The Marketing Platform of Your Dreams” is more enticing than “New Marketing Automation Platform.”

Four, tell everyone about your launch via every means possible: email, your website and social media.

Five, prepare an agenda. Tell your audience what to expect from your webinar, with the intended topics. Don’t forget timing: Our research found that a webinar shouldn’t exceed one hour — 30-40 minutes for your presentation and 15 to 20 minutes for Q&A.

Six, focus on solving a problem your audience may face. Subtly incorporate your product into the discussion, but concentrate more on the outcome and less on the product.

With a strategic approach, webinars reach, educate and engage your audience, earn their trust, improve your conversion rates and, ultimately, impact your bottom line.