Make Sure Your Product Launch Packs a Punch
Updated May 2, 2019
Your company just developed the perfect product. It’s been tested and is ready to be introduced to the public. But are you ready for launch day? Sure, it’s a great product, but the last thing you want to do is cross your fingers and rest on your laurels. Think of it this way, the launch is your opportunity to make a great first impression. To do so, you have to do some planning. The following are some steps that will lead to a successful launch.
Seems obvious, but in order to determine if your launch is a success, you need to make sure you clearly define what you are trying to accomplish. Typical goals might be to raise awareness and trial or to increase market share. Regardless of the goals identified, make sure they are reflective of the product and audience.
Develop a clear message.
Your product will never sell if you aren’t speaking about it in a way that your audience understands. That means not only do you need to know what you want to say about the product, you also need to know who your audience is and speak to them in their language. If they don’t know what you’re talking about, they aren’t likely to try your product.
Establish a theme.
A theme for your launch will serve as the outline for the story the product is going to tell. This is the overarching idea that gets your audience excited about the product. A truly successful theme will take it a step further by encouraging the audience to tell others, so don’t afraid to be clever.
Create a program.
Once you have your theme in place, you’ll need to develop a set of steps to reach your target audiences. Depending on your budget, it could be a full-blown launch event or something as simple as a news release or a social media campaign.
Track your outcomes.
OK, so now that the launch has happened, you need to be able to measure the work you did. This takes the planning full circle by revisiting the goals you set. Be sure to establish tracking based on metrics that make the most sense for your campaign. If you can’t measure it, it didn’t happen.
As you can see, a successful product launch is a result of thorough planning. Done right, a product launch can open the door to new customers and markets while cementing relationships with existing ones.