Are you getting ready to release a brand new product? If so, you have to think about ways to get people excited for launch day.
Consumers are bombarded with emails, social media messages, and on-site advertisements all day long. It takes a lot to get their attention, and that’s not even mentioning the effort it takes to convert that person into a customer.
However, there are smart ways to use these platforms to promote your brand and products.
The truth is, email, social media, and your website are all great places to start building traction for your next big release. But you can’t throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. You could frustrate potential customers and cause them to go to a competitor’s website if you try too hard.
Instead, you have to break through the noise and develop a system of campaigns that work in unison to help you build buzz around your product or service.
In this article, I will go over several actionable steps you can use to launch your product, regardless of whether you sell physical goods, software, or both.
Ready? Let’s get started!
Give Email Subscribers a Sneak Peak
Email marketing is an excellent way to connect with your audience and let them know about your products. The people subscribed to your list are your most dedicated customers, which is why the average return on investment for email campaigns is a whopping 4,400%.
Due to this shockingly high return on investment, there’s a good chance that the first people in line for your new item will be your email subscribers. I suggest using this information to appeal to your subscribers by offering sneak peeks throughout development.
A campaign that shows the progress of your product is a great way to get people excited. You could send out images of the product prototypes if you’re selling physical goods.
Include behind the scenes footage of your team working on the project development for even more email engagement opportunities.
If you sell SaaS, you have even more options. Many software companies allow their users to beta test their new products. Business owners and developer teams use this information to fine-tune the service and make improvements ahead of release.
Here’s an example of a beta test email to give you an idea of what I mean:
Encourage subscribers to test a beta version of your new service and give feedback at the end. Not only will you gather helpful information about how to improve your product, but you’ll also start building hype with users before launch day.
Create a Custom Landing Page
You should create a custom landing page that shows off the features of your products or services.
Landing pages are a great way to put potential leads in a situation where they can learn more about your product, see what other people have to say, and see what’s in it for them if they take you up on your offer.
I recommend using SeedProd to build your landing page. SeedProd is a drag and drop landing page builder that’s super easy to use, and you don’t need to know a single line of code to get started. You can create a great looking landing page from start to finish with this plugin in just a few minutes.
Here’s a simple landing page as an example:
It’s worth noting that landing pages are typically designed with one purpose in mind. So, if your goal is to promote your new product or service, make an exclusive landing page to get more targeted traffic.
You can encourage people who make it to your landing page and don’t follow through with the offer to subscribe to your email list by using opt-in forms.
Now, you can stay in touch with your new leads and nurture them until they become customers. Your landing page can help you funnel users into segments, which makes marketing new products and services through email and on-site even more manageable.
Partner with Other Brands
Partnering with other companies is an excellent way to get more people interested in what you’re offering. Companies that sell products in the same industry often partner up on social media or company blogs to promote new releases.
For instance, an email marketing agency might partner with a website hosting company for a new software update.
Why?
Simply put, both products operate in the same space but have different functions. Most people don’t have one without the other, so this partnership makes sense.
Not only will promoting your products with partner brands increase awareness, but it also helps build social proof for your business. In this instance, consumers familiar with the partner blog, but not your company, may trust your brand more because of your association with a name they already trust.
As a result, these consumers are more likely to go to your website and look carefully at the products or services you’re offering. Spend time reviewing partnerships before you commit to one or more companies. Make sure you’re aligning with a brand that has a target audience that aligns with your own, so you can maximize exposure and new sales.
Host a Giveaway
Finally, I will tell you how to generate buzz for your product using social media. Online giveaways are extremely popular across all industries, and it’s not hard to see why. Consumers love the opportunity to get something for free, especially if it’s a brand new product.
It’s up to you how you want to hold your giveaway. You could partner up with social media influencers. If you go with this option, make sure to look for influencers with a target audience that crosses over with your own. If your new product misses the mark because their audience doesn’t care about the giveaway, you’re going to have a rocky launch.
However, if you can find a YouTube or Instagram personality with an audience that sees your product as useful and relevant, you could see an explosive launch day.
If you choose to host your own giveaway, use a tool like RafflePress to quickly create a great looking contest. The final result is easy to share on social media but still has a unique landing page on your website. RafflePress comes with a ton of options you can use when creating rules for your contest.
Here’s an example contest promoting an Amazon Echo as the prize:
When your followers see that you’re promoting a giveaway for a new product coming out, they will want to enter for a chance to win.
The key is to create rules that encourage them to spread awareness about your new release.
For example, you could create rules where every consumer can enter three times. The first way to enter is by liking your page on social media. The second way is to share the contest with all of their friends. Finally, they can subscribe to your email list for a third entry.
Let’s take a second and think about what that does for you, a business owner, or marketer. In the process of one person entering your contest, you’re growing your social media presence, spreading brand awareness, and growing your email list. Impressive, right?
Feel free to host multiple giveaways throughout your product launch. You could have one event a week before, and one a week after to celebrate. It’s totally up to you. But there’s no doubt that online contests are an excellent way to get people talking about your brand, which leads to more people learning about the products and services offered by your company.
I know that you want to get as many people as possible excited about your next release. Now, you know how to get people talking through email, social media, and your website.
After your launch is over and sales are counted, I suggest going back and looking at your analytics across all marketing platforms.
Find areas for improvement and make a note of where you succeeded. Use this information to help you better understand your strengths and weaknesses for your next big product release.