Launching a new product, service, website or even an entirely new business is exciting! You’ve worked so hard to create an amazing offer, so when you launch you want to see people take notice and respond positively. But to achieve this requires more than just luck, it’s so so important to have a clear launch plan in place. All too often I see small businesses skip this step, they rush to hit go, then… dead silence.
While it’s understandable that you’re excited and eager to hit the market as soon as possible, your customers won’t be unless you implement a launch plan that builds a buzz. So here’s how to do it, PART ONE of Creating a Killer Launch Plan That Gets You Noticed:
Pre-launch
Validate your idea
Before doing anything, make sure your ideal customers/clients actually want what you are selling. Do your research, ask questions, take polls, create questionnaires. This will give you clarity on the wants and needs of your customers.
Test, test, test
Get feedback from others (preferably of few of your ideal clients) before you hit launch. If you’re in hospitality invite people to sample the menu ahead of time so that you can make changes. If it’s a website, have friends and family use it. If it’s a course, have them take it ahead of time. Ask questions about it (how much would you pay for it? Was there anything that confused you? What was your favourite part? Do you think anything is missing?).
Know your audience
You might think that everyone will want your product but they don’t. Know who you are selling to and focus only on them. Use the feedback from your testing to guide how you speak to them. Are there phrases that were commonly used?
Start with numbers
Before you start your launch process, make sure to note down your current statistics for your website, email list, social pages or current sales. This will allow you to track your progress and see day-to-day how your launch is going. Set your ‘launch goals’ and see how you perform against them. Your launch goals could be a monetary value, number of sales, clients booked, the number of new subscribers, etc.
Write out your ‘launch story’
To launch you need content that will relate and attract your ideal clients, so plan your keywords, pain points, struggles and how your product or service helps your audience. Don’t be scared to tease your audience before you officially start your launch. Plan sneak peeks, pre-sales and early signup specials. If you plan to use email to promote yourself, start talking to your audience to ‘warm’ things up ahead of time so things feel less pushy when you hit launch.
Don’t forget your launch calendar
Set up a timeline and calendar for your launch, include your start and finish dates as well dates for content marketing releases, such as when emails go out, what is being posted on Instagram and Facebook and when, when do follow-ups need to take place.
Review your content
Read through your website, test it and test it again. Make sure all the forms and links are working. Have you created all the posts ahead of time? Have you written and set up your email sequence? Have you photographed your products to show off?
Taking the time to plan for your launch means you will be more prepared for it, more confident in it, and it is far more likely to succeed. Dedicating time to this process will help you create a better and more creative launch!
Read PART TWO for 6 killer launch hype ideas you can try
