The question everyone has when it comes time to launch their new “anything” (product/website/blog/service) online is “how do I make a big enough splash to get everyone’s attention?” That is indeed the million dollar question that certainly requires an answer. Below you will find the quick and easy steps to make any new launch a success:
1. Know what the launch is all about. This sounds simple, but many men and women launch new products, go through the process and sit back trying to figure out if the launch was a success or not. It all comes down to what you want to get out of the launch. A bigger list, immediate sales, future meetings, etc… Once you know precisely what you want from your launch you will be on the right track.
2. Make the EVENT an actual event. A huge problem with virtually all new releases, whether they be big or small is the person or group pushing the “new” thing makes noise or uses so much hyperbole that the potential customers are let down. The bottom line is to just celebrate your new launch as an event and encourage opinions, ideas, and overall support in as many ways as possible.
Just think about all the holidays, birthdays, and celebratory events that keep everyone looking forward. These are no different than your new launch. Nobody knows exactly what they are going to experience, but they have a change to the same old routine. Just being able to break away from the norm and be a part of a celebratory event is great for sales. However, a kind of vague celebratory feel to the event is what will encourage more people to see what the launch is all about.
3. A sense of urgency! When sitting around and thinking about buying a product, the main factor that pushes everyone to buy is urgency. They believe that they are getting a one-of-a-kind deal that will not be available at any other time. Strike this type of tone when rolling out your new product, and the launch will be a huge success. For example, make the 2-7 day launch period a time for “special deals” that will expire after the launch is over. Even better than that, you can introduce low prices that will only be offered during the launch.
The special event that you are holding (your launch) is what makes these offers truly “special.” Just think about all of the unethical/illegal advertising tactics saying a product will only be offered at a set price for 6 more hours and then 6 days later the price is the same. Scarcity is only something you want to be using during events like launches or anniversaries. (days of commemorating the business successes of your products) Rolling out special prices that are always present will not only invite legal trouble, the customer base will likely feel betrayed and duped, which is when business starts to deteriorate at a never-before-seen pace because your business now has a cloud of unethical or untrustworthy tactics hovering over it and showing itself every time someone googles your name or a product that you sell.
Making these particular events rare and staying true to your word is huge. Customers respect your honesty and might even invest more money just because they respect the great deal you gave them. All businesses rely heavily on sales, and special events are the fuel that can be used for expanding the business and testing perhaps the most important aspect of the business (customer loyalty).
4. Make the entire experience enjoyable. On day one everyone will be interested in the new product, and they will be very likely to invest, especially if they see specials. However, four days into the event the excitement of your audience might begin to drop. The quick fix for this is to invent a brand new deal right on the spot. The deal does not have to be truly “on the spot.” You can get together with everyone involved and decide a strategy that includes everything from day 1 to the final day of launch. You might even set goals or requirements that need to be met before you release a brand new deal. Either way, the new deals being offered will re-energize your audience. It might even encourage the previous customers (the people that have already taken advantage of a great deal) to invest even more money because they feel left out.
5. The sales letter is more than a letter. One of the first mistakes a business can make is to think the first “sales letter” is all about sales. The first sales letter is the beginning of a relationship between you and your audience; it is a time for you and everyone that stands behind your business to masterfully lay out the plan behind the business as well as the goal. So in other words, every last word should be carefully managed to ensure that readers are interested, inspired, and overall touched. By doing this pre-launch, you significantly increase the chance of sales as well as turnout.
It is important to plan every last second of your launch carefully. It will literally come down to using every last second to your advantage simply because you have to push those that are already behind you to spread the word, introduce yourself to those that have never met you, and most importantly inspire excitement as well as action. Authenticity, strategic action, thorough planning, and of course a good product to stand behind will be the fuel that propels you to the top.
6. Begin with a big headline. When making that sales letter, you always want to capture everyone’s attention with a big and bold headline. Think of the launch process as the same thing. Kick it off with a special announcement or a surprise deal that no one expected. By doing this the already excited audience will become guaranteed customers and loyal supporters.
Remember to keep the hyperbole out of the launch. Saying things like “this launch will change your life” or “this launch will forever change the future” are very bold statements to make even if the product being released is revolutionary. So try to tone it down and keep the element of surprise on your side. Think of the celebratory events. Nobody knows what is going to happen and that is part of what makes them so exciting. Tossing out new and exciting specials is like going to a special event and trying a brand new dish that is delicious. Stay in touch with reality and keep finding new ways to surprise the audience.
7. Have a great offer. It is no secret that organizing a launch is tough. The entire process requires hours of preparation, dedication, and brainstorming to be a success. However, the most important part that cannot be left out is the deal. You could put together the best pre-launch letter that puts the customer in the palm of your hand, but when they look at the deal, you are offering them, that newfound loyalty and dedication could fade away terribly fast. So make sure you spend even more time and effort on deals and bonus packages.
During the brainstorming session (prelaunch) the question of “what is a great deal?” can have different meanings. One person might toss out a price, and the next person might toss out an even lower price. The main thing that makes a deal “great” is the feeling it creates in the customer. During the launch, they should not be given a number that makes them say “I will have to think about?” They should be given a number that makes them say “Wow! I cannot believe the price is so low!” The idea is to treat the occasion correctly. A birthday always has a cake, and a launch should without a doubt have an outstanding deal that inspires the customer to feel good and trust you. For example, a “good deal” could be showing someone how to make $1,000 per week and only charge them $1,000. An excellent bargain that will leave the person in absolute shock.
8. Getting help with the marketing message. The worst thing that could happen would be to spend countless hours preparing, come up with a great deal, and then fail to present it correctly. The best way to make sure you are on the right prelaunch track is to put the idea out and see the response. So webinars, blog posts, teleseminars, and face-to-face conversations become opportunities to present the ideas in your head and see how they impact people. Everyone is different, and some people are just hard to please. The overall goal is to tailor your message around the ideas that seem to make everyone jump with joy and start asking questions.
9. Thinking proactively and know the audience as well as their problems. That sounds very complicated, but it all boils down to thinking about your audience and listening to the responses they have in the comment section. For example, you could be pushing a new method of baking to make everyone a “master baker.” The obvious fear everyone would have would be that they could not do it because of previous failures or their lack of creativity/experience. Push those fears out of the way at the launch and just watch the response. Everyone will gladly accept your new product and will begin the baking experience with a new found confidence. You did not suddenly transform that person into a baker, but you took away the fears they had and made them rethink what they could do.
You can even expand this further by talking to your audience and finding the things that make them crazy. You might hear from men and women that just want to bake some decent cookies. Every time they end up being dry, burnt, and overall terrible. So at the launch, you would make sure to bring up this topic and use it to your advantage. The best thing to do at the launch would be to remember the biggest problems that caused the most trouble for the men and women you talked to and then proceed to systematically go through them and assure each and every person that you have the answer, and it is the new product being offered to them.
Instilling confidence in people is not just a sales tactic. When people think they cannot do the most simple tasks, they begin to lose themselves and their joy for exploring new things. By addressing all of these issues at the launch, you will create a connection between you and your clients that is beyond words. They will become the loyal supporters that spread the word about you and your products. More importantly, they will become some of your best customers/friends that you can bounce ideas off of.
10. Sequence the launches. At first, everyone has the idea that launches are for people who are inventing a million dollar product. That is indeed true, but launches are perhaps the most important aspect of taking a business to new level. For example, the first ever launch could be to celebrate your new blog and to inspire followers.
Over time you would gradually continue this process. After you find your feet and begin making a name for yourself, you could do a second launch that brings together all of your followers and invites them to bring their best ideas to life. Some of the most successful launches have been sequenced into yearly events. So every follower has something to look forward to, and every new follower has a reason to get involved and show their support. It all boils down to the goal of your business. If you get with those closest to you and talk about what needs to be done, the launch could be tailored around achieving that goal.
11. Launches are for everyone. For some reason, everyone thinks that launches are only for online products. Another thought that could not be farther from the truth. Some of the greatest and most loyal men and women behind a business will tell you they got involved because they got to meet with the person behind the idea and see their passion. Business is all about standing behind a product, taking risks, and inspiring those around you to not only have better lives but to continue to push the definition of what it means to be better or get something done quick. All of this can indeed be a part of one single launch.
