How to Plan a Successful Digital Product Launch -
The last update was September 1st, 2022
An event like a launch of a product can be described as an event ... as an art exhibition or an "open home" that makes a statement: "Hello world, here I am. Come visit and learn what I'm all about." The launch provides an occasion to "wow" the people who attend.
To your customers, it's a process of discovery. Can this product perform a function which pleases me? Does it solve some issue, work better than something similar to one I have already? The debut of your product to the marketplace is the time at which you open your doors to see how well you meet your customers' likes and expectations.
Since a digital product doesn't have the characteristics of a physical product - it isn't a part of the physical world at least What should the launch of your product look like, how do you prepare one? And how will you make it reachable to people and how can you make the effort you put into it be worth it?
Make the Goals for Launch
An event like a launch can be the perfect opportunity to assess your objectives and gauge your progress towards reaching these goals. Do you have a number that you're thinking of for the revenue you'd like to make within a specific length of time? Do you have a greater interest in finding out about what your clients are like and their purchasing habits? What sort of habits do they have? What are their locations? How will they relate to your products?
You must ensure that you have the tools and procedures set up to record all the data you decide to count. If the goal is to get 10,000 downloads in the first 30 days following the event's launch, do you have the mechanisms that will allow you to record the number of downloads? Are you able to easily collect data about where the downloads originate in terms of geography? Do you have the tools to collect the feedback of your customers?
Make use of timing strategically
The timing of a product's introduction into the marketplace is a crucial marketing tactic. Find out the time of the year as well as those locations where it is likely increase exposure and influence:
- Avoid dates when worldwide where people generally take a vacation. They are typically the months between July and August. They also include public holidays such as the Christmas season, New Years, Good Friday, Easter, ThanksgivingDay, Labour Day, Bastille Day, Yom Kipper, Boxing Day, and so on.
- Follow the coattails of major trade shows within your field or similar event that is major, like a conference or the announcement of a new product release or a new technology that integrates with your product. An example is a huge seminar or workshop that trains people to use technology who will likely use your product , or the launch of an app or operating system that complements the product you sell or increases some feature of it.
- Beware of launches you may not have heard of, which take place after your competitors launched. You want to be ahead of your competition, not behind them or perhaps you'll find that potential customers have lost interest. Start first from the starting line, in the event that you are able to.
- Beware of delays when you announce your launch. Competitors could take advantage of that occasion to get in the game early or, even worse, create negativity. Be prepared with buyers who are looking forward to the release of your item, and media ready to look over the reaction and write about the event.
Make a checklist for launching
Launching a product involves many planning tasks, pre-announcements, post-announcements, and subsequent follow-ups. Make sure your customers can access the product, understand how they can use it and are satisfied with their purchase. There's no set order to this, but you do want to ensure that you do them in a way that is logical. You want to be aware of those that are time sensitive and also make the most of ones that are flexible. Don't overlook the important ones. Use a checklist.
Make the Big Announcement
Create and implement every activity you can to build excitement and create interest in your product prior to when it is made available to consumers. This can be done on a budget that is small or big and any company size. The first step is to select and inform partners. Be sure to include them in the beginning so that they will be able to inform their customers. Sales managers are your most powerful evangelists. Utilize LinkedIn connections as well as all the networks and other contacts to get them in touch with you.
Make a press release available to journalists and bloggers before the time, to provide them with a sneak peek (like the screening prior to the newest film to a select group of people). Make sure they know they've been selected for this privileged viewing. It goes beyond mere the standard of courtesy. The potential is to drive customers to your sites for selling similar to a cowboy taking cattle to pasture.
Industry analysts also create buzz. Contact them via business networks like LinkedIn and your professional networks and in social media groups on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Inform them of your plans, ask for their feedback and inform them of the latest developments.
Sometimes, easing into or creating an aura of secrecy prior to a launch could create curiosity and even excitement. A select group of people can be given the lowdown. This will help create an exuberance, encourage buyers to get excited, and build excitement and anticipation in potential buyers. Release the date for the launch months prior to the event and inform the world that something important is on the way.
Alert for the Press En Masse
Let your company's product be known to relevant journalists who might be interested, excited enough to want to write about the product. Invest into a subscription to an online news release platform. The top three options created for small companies are: E-Releases, PRWeb and PR Newswire are a few best-rated providers. Mid-tier pricing for these three options is between $300 and $250. PRWeb is a good example. It will help you create the message you want to convey, and then send it to all major newspaper and search engine (30,000 journalists and bloggers and more than 250,000 PRWeb news readers) and monitor it (detailed statistics will tell how many people have read the release, where it appeared and how many times the release was distributed).
Does a press release help build the traffic on your website and increase SEO? Yes, it will is a good thing, but the press release's ability to increase SEO has changed in the last few years due to changes in Google's algorithms. Press releases are more likely to appear in results if users are able to enter certain words in your press release. However, it's not known how likely.
Develop and Make Use of Your Emails
Mailing lists are like gold. It's not just about communicating your latest offering, they are potential buyers who are the source of your revenue being earned. You want to cultivate these emails like precious stones to bring in sales into the in the future. Those emails will grow as customers share your communications. They'll build a rapport with the customers. Be sure to keep them satisfied and they will be your boosters. It is your goal to make them frequent visitors to your website and purchasers of your product, fans who will transport your message and make the message grow exponentially on social media.
Are you launching a new brand new product completely from the ground up? Most likely, you don't have any mailing lists. You may also have one from a previous product that you've promoted. In either case, you want to encourage users to join a list of emails sent by you. The earlier you start the process, the larger the list of email subscribers. Establish rewards and incentives. Your customers will probably need the motivation to purchase the product.
If you're starting with very few emails Use social media for building them up. Boost posts on Facebook. Add friends. Follow people and businesses on Twitter. Retweet and tweet items that are that are of interest. Build followers on Instagram as well as Pinterest by sharing your company's photos including blogs, images, pitch decks and how-tos. Invite people to complete an easy survey. This is one of the surveys that has hit email inboxes:
Make use of your site or sales platform as well as social media to attract visitors and followers and then solicit them to sign up for your email list. This allows you to reach out to your customers at any point later on, using whatever type of message you want; and there is no need to worry about ranking on search engines or social media algorithms.
As early as possible start making names to be included in a mailing list using your site. Request that visitors leave their email so they can be first to get updates. Give them a free preview of the book's first Chapter (like the Amazon "Look Inside" feature) or even a PDF with helpful advice or other information. Develop and promote incentives, such as giveaways, bonuses, and discount offers for those who purchase early.
Make sure you sign up for the email provider (ESP), especially when you're beginning from with nothing. Here are a few companies that have been rated highly with prices ranging between free and $15 per monthly: Campaign Monitor, iContact, MailChimp, and Constant Contact. A good ESP can provide you with all the software as well as templates and the services needed to build a list of customers, evaluate your campaigns, handle the day-to-day requirements of your emails, and generate analytics.
Prepare to Help
Prepare to provide quick and expert support, particularly in the event of a brand new launch. User manuals and troubleshooting guides will help you when your support personnel aren't available to help customers solve problems or to answer any questions related to how to use the product.
You can provide online chat, phone assistance, and/or email assistance when you can. Sometimes, phone support is more effective when dealing with software-related issues. If it's about a forgotten password, credit card issues or the software not being received the online chat option or email could be sufficient.
Make sure you have Customer Relations Management (CRM) set up. Don't try to handle your support on your own. It can consume many hours of your time, and prevent you from the tasks that an entrepreneur does - creating, producing and generating sales as well as new and improved solutions. CRM software can be used CRM software to manage all your client relations from one place.
Search online for virtual assistants and other applicants who are looking for work that you can work remotely at home. You can also go digital with a software provider who acts as your online help desk, or an chat service online.
Missteps Breed Success
Once the product is launched, take note of the product's reach to a global audience. Continue testing, tweaking, making adjustments, if needed. If your sales and responses didn't hit your launch goals Remember, this is only Chapter One of the book. Don't be afraid of mistakes or shortcomings. They can teach you more than from your victories. This will allow you to turn a good product into an extremely profitable one.