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When it comes to launching a product for your company, there’s a lot to think about, and you only launch it once, so you want to get it right and get as much out of it as you can. Launching a product involves you investing a lot of time and energy, and it’s not just about choosing a date and a location to launch or sorting out exhibition stand hire or a launch party. However, when so much effort, energy and resources have gone into creating your product, it’s only fair that it gets the launch it deserves, so how is the best way to do this?
Start Early With A Small Group
Have you ever heard of a soft launch? It’s the launch of a product or service with a restricted group of people, and you do this before you do the official launch. Although you want your product to be ready, it is still a good idea to be testing with users well before the official launch. As soon as you have a version of your product people can use and get some value from, you should be out there getting feedback. This could be weeks, months, or even years before you intend to launch. Your earliest users might be friends, business connections, and teammates or even some of your best customers.
Ask For Feedback
Feedback is the most important thing you’re looking for pre-launch. You don’t just want to find out and little niggles or glitches, but you need to find out where your early users get real value from your product or what unusual use cases or needs they have. This sort of feedback is invaluable for marketing teams as it gives you a direct line into your ideal customer’s head. You get to hear how they think and talk about your product.
Set Goals, Not Expectations
Launch days can be completely unpredictable, and unfortunately, a lot of your success will come down to luck. You need to forget about the things you can’t 100% control such as press, signups, downloads or sales and instead set more realistic goals. What you want to be doing is building awareness, getting feedback, and connecting with people who will help you move forward and use this information after launch day. Focus on feedback, comments, reviews, and meaningful engagement with users and influencers.
Use Your Personal Story
If you want to stand out from the competition and cut through the clutter, then you need to share your unique personal story. Your users need to be able to understand and connect to your product; they need to know who you are and resonate with your journey. Start early, define your narrative, and spread it wherever you can before launch day. Blog on your site, do interviews and podcasts and guest-post on websites or in forums. Be where your users and community are and tell them what you’re doing.
Use Social Media
Show people the value your product creates; don’t just tell them. Use videos, get people to give reviews and encourage people to share your posts about your product and your story. This will mean an increase in shares and a load of feedback on the launch, and it is all from content made by users.
