Ah, the launch strategy. The nerves, the excitement, the butterflies-in-your-stomach feelings that keep you up at night. Been there, done that…can’t wait to do it again!
As a business continues to grow, it makes sense that so should it’s catalog of offers, right?
And as a business owner becomes more comfortable in their own entrepreneurial skin, it makes sense that they would continue to come up with game-changing ideas, no?
Creating a launch strategy for a new product or service might be nerve wracking, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to evolve alongside your audience and bring even more value to your customers.
But where do you start? How do you let people know that things are a-changin’ (without spending the big $$), and how do you get people as pumped as you are about it?
Two words: email marketing.
Keep reading for ways to implement email marketing into your next launch strategy and get ready to buzz your way into people’s inboxes with all the sass and excitement your brand deserves!
Hold up. What’s email marketing?
To put it simply, email marketing is the use of emails to promote a product or service. It’s basically the modern-day version of a mail-in catalog showing up at your doorstep, but without the dog-eared pages marking the bell-bottom jeans you want your parents to buy.
Every time you receive an email from a company, they’re using email marketing to connect, inform, and start a conversation with you. This includes newsletters, special offers, surveys, and…you guessed it: product/service launches!
Email marketing is an essential part of digital marketing for a few reasons:
- People are more likely to see your email content vs. something that’s posted on social media and might get lost in the noise
- It drives a much higher conversion rate (2.3%) when compared to other social media platforms (1%)
- There’s also a higher ROI: for every $1 spent, there’s an average $38 return on investment
- It’s easy to adapt to mobile, which means more people will be enticed to read or take a look
All this to say that, when done right, email marketing can help make launching smoother, less social media heavy, and get the right people to sign-up for your offer.
So, how do you implement email marketing into your launch strategy?
Let’s split things up into stages to make it easier
Stage 1: The Pre-Launch
You’ve been hard at work for the past couple of months creating the *perfect* product/service you know your customers will love. You’ve put in hours of market research, you’ve talked to other experts about it, you’ve read into everything…
And now you’re thisclose to putting it out into the world. You just need one thing: a place to start.
Planning your next launch strategy? Download our FREE Launch Strategy Checklist! Keep track of your progress, jot down ideas, and keep the momentum going with these tips and tricks.
Pre-launch email marketing is a great tool to incorporate into your launch strategy because it helps you gauge interest and, if needed, make a few final adjustments. After all, you haven’t released anything yet, so there’s still time to fine-tune the details.
A few key things to keep in mind during the pre-launch phase are:
- Don’t announce the product/service straight up: Keep the name to yourself until it’s time for the big reveal!
- Keep the suspense going: People like being on the edge of their seats, especially when it comes to launches
- Hype your readers: Whether you offer them an early bird discount or a chance to peek behind the scenes, continue to grow the excitement by getting more personal
- Give a lil’ something away: People love free stuff. People love free stuff no one has even more. If you’re launching something new, give your audience a lil’ something for free so they can get the buzz going around it.
When it comes to the actual email marketing strategy, we suggest diving up your pre-launch content into two separate emails:
- The Introduction
- The “Head’s Up”
01. The Introduction
The introductory email should be a quick hello that hints at something new coming soon.
It’s usually a good idea to include a promotion here to start creating more buzz and to get people more pumped. That could be a discount code, an opportunity to become an ambassador, a 1:1 call for early bird subscribers/buyers, or any other “freebie” you think will fit.
02. The “Head’s Up”
This email should be sent out closer to the launch date, and will tease that something BIG is coming very, very soon.
Ask readers to keep their eyes peeled for the announcement on both your social media channels (more on this later!) and via email.
You can continue to offer readers a special incentive (promo code, freebie, etc.) here, as they might be more keen to participate knowing that the launch date is just around the corner!
Stage 2: The Launch
The day has come! Your product/service is ready to see the light of day and you can’t wait to finally reveal what’s been happening for the past few months.
Luckily, sending out an email with the announcement is much like completing a marathon: you’re tired, you’re sore, but the finish line is just a few more steps away…
By now you’ve sent out at least 2 emails teasing your audience about what’s coming. When it comes to actually launching, you only really need one email:
01. The Announcement
01. The Announcement
The final reveal, your announcement email should include all the fine details of what you’re launching.
- What does the product/service entail?
- Who is it aimed for?
- Where can they purchase it?
- What will they get from it?
- What does it include?
Remember to spend some time carefully structuring your email so that people can easily read through it and get all the information they need – even if they do a quick skim to begin with.
Ready, set, launch! Our FREE Launch Strategy Checklist is here to walk you through the steps you need to plan, organize, and execute a new launch strategy from start to finish. Get yours today!
If your product/service is a seasonal or one-time offer, make sure that your announcement email also creates a sense of urgency that entices people to rush over and click PURCHASE. However, stay away from manipulative tactics (“You can’t live without this…” “The ONLY thing you need…”) as this might do the complete opposite – go from YAY! to ICK! – for certain people.
Stage 3: The Post-Launch
You’ve launched your product/service, people are talking about you, and there are even a few purchases that have made you happy dance in your chair. Take some time to celebrate and unwind, but know one thing: it ain’t over yet (sigh).
READ MORE: 7 Hassle-Free Ways To Grow Your Email List
Your post-launch strategy is just as important as your pre-launch and launch strategy, especially because it helps you learn even more about your audience.
When it comes to email marketing, consider including one final post-launch email to your funnel:
01. The Feedback
01. The Feedback
Feedback forms and surveys are a great way to peek inside your audience’s mind and learn what steps you need to take next time to make it even better for everyone involved.
Maybe people wish you’d given just a liiiiitle more insight into what you were launching? Maybe others wished you’d offered more incentives to join as early birds? Maybe someone thinks they don’t need another _______ (insert your offer here).
All this is valid, valuable feedback that can help you work better and smarter for any upcoming launch strategy you might have in the works.
Other tips to keep in mind for your next launch strategy
Email marketing is a great way to amp up your followers and get them extra pumped about a new product or service coming their way. However, there are many other tools available for you to tease, invite, and spark curiosity.
READ MORE: When To Rewrite Your Website Copy
While the main goal is to have the whole of your audience subscribed to your newsletter – or to have them sign up specifically for this launch – there are still stragglers out there who don’t necessarily like being targeted via email. When that happens, here are a few things you can do:
Create a dedicated landing page
This is, in our eyes, essential when creating a launch strategy. We’ve mentioned it before, but it can’t be said enough: your product/service needs its own landing page 📣
Why?
- Because it means people don’t have to scour through pages upon pages of your OG website to find the information they need
- Because it holds all the essential details of this brand new, shiny product/service together under one roof
- Because it’s easier to automate the buying process (this one makes life easier for you!)
- Because it’s a lot less stressful for someone who’s meeting you for the first time
Creating a dedicated landing page also means you have the opportunity to play around with Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Ensuring that your SEO is on point means you’ll be:
- Scoring higher on places like Google (which means you show up first)
- Showing up organically when people search for something related to your product/service (which means less $$ on ads)
- And receiving a steady flow of traffic to your site (which means constant sales)
How do you make sure your SEO is putting in the work?
- Research your keywords and use them throughout your copy
- Include meta descriptions
- Make sure your website is easy to read and navigate
- Use headers and include your keyword in them
- Link to relevant sites, both self-owned and external
- Use simple URLs that are easy to read
Never underestimate the power of social media
Ok, most of us know that social media is a SUPER powerful tool to stay connected with our audience, bring value to their life, and create a community of supporters.
The same force can be applied to a new product launch. With so many tools available within each social media platform – from Instagram to LinkedIn – there’s endless possibilities when it comes to announcing a new product/service and creating a holistic, all-encompassing launch strategy that still feels real.
Looking for more ways to implement social media in your launch strategy? Our FREE Launch Strategy Checklist is your go-to resource for planning and executing a holistic launch strategy with less stress and more fun!
Here are a ways to use social media to your advantage:
- Instagram: Create Reels that highlight what your new product/service is about
- Facebook: Share a blog post that relates to your launch with a CTA (sign up for the newsletter, visit the landing page, etc.)
- Instagram: Use your captions to tease that something BIG is coming and that people should stay tuned
- LinkedIn: Write an article that relates to your new product/service and add a CTA at the end to sign up for the waitlist or redirect them to the landing page
- Instagram & Facebook: Go LIVE! Invite a guest expert or host a quick chat yourself to catch up with your followers and give them a little more insight into what’s coming
Rounding up your launch strategy with email marketing and social media will not only help get your message across to even more people, it will also start to seem more genuine and personalized.
READ MORE: 5 Ways To Increase Engagement In Your Community Organically
Connect with influencers and other key figures
Amplifying your message is essential if you want to create a successful launch strategy that will have people clamoring to buy, buy, buy.
And, while speaking to your audience is a great way to get people who know you excited, why not go beyond that and reach an untapped market? That’s where partnerships come in.
Working with influencers and speakers who share a similar niche to yours is a great way to connect with new potential customers who haven’t heard of you or your brand before. It’s also a great way to cement your reputation as someone who can be trusted.
When working with an influencer or a speaker, make sure you:
- Set clear KPIs (how many posts a week, how many stories a day, etc.)
- Agree on payment beforehand (always, always pay your influencers! “Exposure” and free sh*t doesn’t pay the bills, y’all)
- Provide them with swipe copy or graphics you want them to use in order to stay on-brand
- Inform them of the scope of the project, what they can and can’t say, and any other details they might need to share with their own followers
Let’s wrap this up…
Email marketing is a powerful tool that can be used for any launch strategy to help you reach a wider audience, create buzz around your brand and what’s coming, and gather useful information for future launches.
In order to simplify things, we suggest breaking up your email marketing campaign into three stages:
- The Pre-Launch: Used to create anticipation and get people excited
- The Launch: Used to share more informative pieces of information and purchase links
- The Post-Launch: Used to gather audience feedback regarding what worked and what can be done better in the future
In addition to email marketing, your launch strategy could also benefit from a few other action plans in order to continue to gain traction and bring even more excited customers to you:
- Create a dedicated landing page for each product/service
- Harness the power of social media through interactive and fun content
- Connect with influencers and key figures to gain more attention from different people in the same industry
Have you worked on a launch strategy before? What other tips and tricks do you have that could come in useful for other business owners? Share them in the comments below!
* Launching a new product or service? Our Launch Strategy Checklist will walk you through the process from start to finish, so you can spend more time doing what you love and less time worrying about the planning!
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