11-Must-Know-Product-Launch-Tips
So you're going to launch a new product/ website/ blog/ service online
– how do you make a big splash that gets people on board and taking action?
While this isn't meant to be a step-by-step primer, we have put together what
we think are the crucial nuts and bolts to any successful launch.
- Know
what you want. You can launch just about anything with a little creativity. But
the first question you should be asking yourself is not what to launch,
but what you want to get out of a launch. Do you want sales? Do you want
to build a list? Positioning? Speaking engagements? Attracting partners
and affiliates? By knowing what you want, you'll be much more successful
in figuring out how to get it.
- Forget
hype. Create an event. People are over run with hype and hoopla and the latest and
greatest everything, which is why you don't want to add to the noise.
Instead, you want to cut through all the hype and turn your launch into an
EVENT.
Think about it – despite how busy we all are, we
still love holidays and birthdays and graduations and so forth. Why? Because
they are events – they're things to look forward to and celebrate. That's why
when you turn your marketing into an event, you'll completely bypass all the
other marketing that's happening and you'll stand head and shoulders above the
other distractions competing for your prospects' attention.
- Create
urgency.
Whatever it is that you want people to do – buy your product, get a
freebie for subscribing, join your membership, whatever – give them a
deadline or use an element of scarcity. For example, if people purchase
during your launch period (typically 2-7 days) then they get a special
deal or extra bonuses or a lower price. Or your offer is only available
during the event – after that it goes away permanently.
It's because you're running this special event
that you can add in the scarcity element. Otherwise it's difficult to do it
ethically – for example, those scripts that say the price will increase by
midnight of the day the visitor hits the page are not only unethical – they may
even be illegal.
And because of the scarcity – the bonuses going
away or the price increasing or the actual product no longer being available –
you'll find there is a surge in sales in the hours before the deadline.
Scarcity really is a powerful motivator.
- Introduce
something in the middle of your event to spike sales. Let's say you're doing a five day event. On
day 1 sales will be high because people are primed to buy. But by day 3
sales will have fallen off dramatically. That's why you need something to
add excitement and make more sales. It might be an additional big bonus,
or it could be a payment plan. Whatever it is, introduce it shortly before
the halfway point. You should see a sales spike in the hours immediately
after your announcement and again on the last day of the event in the
final hours before it closes.
- Your
sales letter is not what you think. Sure, on the day of your big launch you've
got a sales letter ready to sell your product or sell whatever action you
want them to take. But that's only the END of your sales letter. Really
your entire sales letter begins with your first marketing message and
continues all the way through the pre-launch phase.
What you're doing throughout your entire prelaunch
phase is introducing yourself to your prospects, letting them know that you
suffered from the same problem they have and you've found solutions. You're
telling your story, and as you tell your story you also share tidbits of really
excellent information that they can use right away.
You're actually accomplishing two things at the
same time – you're establishing trust by telling your own personal story, and
you're establishing credibility by sharing some of your best stuff with them
for free. Mind you, you're not giving away the farm or telling them everything
you know. Rather, you're telling them what they need to do to accomplish their
goal or solve their problem. You're just not telling them how to do it, because
that is covered in the product.
This way, when you get to the actual product
launch day, you've got people who don't even need to read your letter in order
to purchase your product – they're ready to buy. And those who do need a sales
letter to make the decision are already warmed up and very interested – you
just need to push them over the fence.
- Begin
your launch just as you would begin a sales letter – with a big headline. You need something to
capture people's attention and get them excited. And each phase of your
pre-launch should have another headline, whether it's a written message or
a video. Always be capturing attention and creating curiosity all the way
through the process.
Remember, this is an EVENT, so treat it like an
event. Rather than using hype, attract people with what's actually happening and
what's really taking place. Your launch can change people's lives – if not then
maybe you should rethink it. And because it can change lives, you need to
clearly convey that message to your prospects. And the best way to do that is
by using an attention grabbing headline each time that sets the tone, and then
following up with really great information.
- Have a
great offer. This goes for anything and it's especially relevant for launches.
Just because you're going to all the trouble of creating an event doesn't
mean you don't also need a great offer, because you do. I don't care if
you're a wiz at prelaunches and launches, if your offer stinks then you're
not going to make sales.
So what's a great offer? It's something where the
customers thinks, “Wow, I can't believe I'm getting so much value for so little
money.” That doesn't necessarily mean that your offer is cheap – it could be
$1000. But it does mean that you are offering far more in value than the price
you are charging. For example, if you're showing someone how to set up a
business that pays them $1000 a week, then $1000 for that information is
nothing, it's peanuts. Or if you're showing them how to solve a problem that's
been driving them crazy for days or weeks or even years, and you're dong it for
only $47 while they've spent hundreds trying to solve it, then it's a great
offer.
- Get
help with your marketing message. You go through the whole process of
prelaunch and launch, only to have a dud. Ouch. You can prevent this and
have a strong event by taking a little time to have some conversations
with your prospects in advance. For example, float your idea in a blog
post and gauge reaction. Are they excited? Do they want to know more? Or
is the sound of silence all that you're receiving?
Talk to your prospects and customers on forums,
webinars, via email, teleseminars, etc. Gauge reaction and tailor your sales
message accordingly. This can only aid you in having a successful event.
- Suss
out the marketing objections. You're having a conversation on your blog or
in your forum and you see the same problems coming up, what do you do? If
you're smart, you tackle them head on in your launch. For example, your
product is on how to be an amazing baker even if your prospect can't make
a Rice Krispie treat to save their life. (For non-bakers out there, Rice
Krispie treats are super easy to make.)
So you keep hearing, “When I make cookies they
always get too thin at the edges and that part burns.” So you make a video that
shows you had the exact same problem, and it was really embarrassing when
someone would comment about your weird cookies, but then you found the secret
and here it is and now your cookies are perfect. And Viola! You are now the
expert baking problem solver, all because you listened to your market and
discovered some of the things that were driving them crazy.
You might be wondering why I call these things
objections, and the reason is this: If your prospects feel like they can't do
the simplest of things, then they're not going to possess the confidence to
invest in your program. But if you can show them how rapidly they can make
improvements, not only will their confidence in their abilities increase, but
so will their confidence in your ability to dramatically help them.
- Sequence
your launches. You might be thinking that launches are just for huge products
and million dollar deals, but that's just the high profile launches. If
you're smart, and especially if you're just getting started, you'll start
small and stack your launches. For example, your first launch might be for
your blog - to get your first readers and start building your list.
Your second launch might be a small product in
which you're really focused more on getting active affiliates than making
sales, because with your third launch you're going to be going bigger, with a
more expensive product. Having those affiliates in place from the last launch
will help you tremendously. Maybe when you're focused on gaining affiliates and
building your mailing list, you pay 100% commissions.
Then as you get bigger, you start charging more
for your products but paying lower percentages to affiliates (example: 100% the
first time, 75% the second, etc.) And you just stack this way, doing one launch
after another, sometimes with different goals in mind and always building on
what you're done previously.
- Remember,
launches aren't just for the Internet marketing realm. Because we're in Internet Marketing, we're
witness to a lot of IM launches. But if you look at others niches, and
just about ANY niche, you'll find that launches are there as well. In fact
they often work even BETTER, because they're not overcrowded with launches
the way that IM can be. So the tip here is to think outside of IM, to look
at any other niches you're in or you want to be in, and think about doing
a series of launches in that niche to build your business there.
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