“Nearly 30,000 new products are introduced each year, and 95% of them fail,” according to Harvard Business Professor, Clayton Christensen. Look at Apple. When they release a new product, they don’t focus on the specs of the new product. Instead, they focus on the emotion of how it will affect the people who purchase it and how it fits into their lives to make it more convenient. That being said, big companies like Apple can afford to make mistakes if their new product launches, whereas smaller startups do not have this luxury. That’s why it’s extremely important to take proper steps to hype up your product launch. There are a lot of ways to create buzzworthy talk about your new product but we’re only going to list a few of our top favorites.
1. Offer early access/deals: Early access and pre-order deals get people excited early. This can help create a sense of FOMO and urgency.
2. Create a build-up launch plan: A deliberate plan should be constructed on what info you will release when you will release it, where you’ll release it, and who you want to be talking about it. Having a plan will be part of your success. It’s important to note here that you should make sure you know your audience for the product.
3. Partner with creators/influencers: Find creators and/or influencers that are in the field of business your product is to help promote it. They will help engage your audience and possibly even bring in new customers. Their opinions can have a positive impact on public perception. Make sure that these creators are authentic and relatable to your audience.
4. Get early testing feedback before going live: Let some people in on the product to get feedback before the actual launch. This can help improve areas that may need it before it goes public. It can also be a way to help market the product when the launch occurs.
5. Turn the product launch into an event: This is a great way to invite the right people that you want to talk about your product to get the WOM out there. Invite local media, family, and business partners. If you have the budget for this, do it! People will take your product more seriously and sales will likely increase.
Offering value and focusing on people first will ultimately help the launch be a success. People don’t care about every little attribute of the product. What they want to know is how it can positively impact their lives. What problem will it solve? How is it innovative and bold? You want to paint a picture of their “best life” because of your product. Make it exciting so that they will want to be a part of something special.
