How to Successfully Launch a Product: A Comprehensive Guide
Bear with me on this one, it’s a bit of a long one but it’s full of value.
Launching a new product is an exciting yet challenging endeavour. A successful launch requires meticulous preparation across all channels, including your website, ad creative, email, and social media. Additionally, having a pre-launch strategy and a plan for when your product sells out is crucial. Here's a detailed guide to help you navigate the process effectively and ensure your hard work pays off.
So, why it's so important to get it right?
Launching to no one can be soul destroying. After all the hard work you've put into developing your product, the last thing you want is for it to go unnoticed. A successful launch not only maximises your immediate sales but also sets the stage for long term success by creating buzz and momentum. In this guide, we’ll cover how to launch successfully and the crucial emails you should send to blow things up.
The importance of content
Content is king. You need to provide your audience with more than just a "buy my product" message. Engaging content that offers value and showcases your brand’s personality makes your audience more likely to buy from you again and also attracts first-time buyers. You need to give them more reason to feel assimilated with your brand, rather than just liking what you sell. You are also providing a true feeling to your brand to the outside world that is more than just your product. You will be memorable, with your personality popping and prospering. Additionally, producing regular content means you appear healthier for SEO and Google ranking, which is so beneficial.
First things first…
Step 1
Begin building your email list immediately! If you haven’t started yet, don’t worry, this is your chance to get on track. But seriously, make this a priority as nurturing your audience is crucial before launching a major sale or event.
Step 2
Understand what offers resonate best with your customers. To do this, you need to test different strategies and determine which ones yield the best results. These might include percentage discounts, cash discounts, BOGOF offers, tiered discounts, free shipping, etc. Every business has its own unique approach to sales and promotions.
Step 3
Ensure your emails are delivered effectively. This involves preparing your sending infrastructure, which is a topic covered in more detail in the email workbook.
Step 4
Your email design should be visually appealing and attention-grabbing. If you’ve been planning to enhance this, now is the time to do it. Additionally, plan the creative assets you’ll use for your upcoming event or launch. Get started in Canva or your preferred design tool.
Step 5
It’s pointless to drive traffic to a website that doesn’t perform well. Go through the website audit checklists to ensure your site has all the necessary elements to convert visitors into customers. Website speed is critical, especially during events like Black Friday. If your site is slow or unresponsive, potential customers will take their business elsewhere.
Step 6
Make sure all your automated email flows are set up and optimised. These should already be in place, but double-check that you’re satisfied with them. They serve as a safety net to capture potential lost customers.
Step 7
Segment your email audience into categories like highest-value purchasers, repeat buyers, and engaged users. Set these segments up as soon as possible so they can automatically update and work for you without any extra effort.
Preparing your website
Think of your website as your retail storefront. Just like you would make a big deal about launching a new product in a store on the highstreet, your website should reflect the excitement of the launch.
Update Your Above-the-Fold Site Experience: Make sure the new product is prominently featured on your homepage or website banner.
Highlight on Collections Pages: The new product should be the first item displayed, marked with a "NEW" badge.
Optimise Your Slide-Out Cart and Checkout Extensions: Prioritise showing the new product as the first upsell.
Revamp On-Site Pop-Ups: Include messaging around the new product, whether or not you offer a discount.
Enhance the Product Detail Page (PDP): Add modules to explain the product better, what it does, how it works, what's included, how to use it, setup instructions, FAQs, etc. Treat the PDP as a landing page.
Dedicated Pre-Launch Sale Page: If you run a pre-launch sale for your best customers, direct traffic to a dedicated landing page. Make sure you close this URL before the official launch.
In your ad campaigns
For new products, prepare ad creatives targeted at past purchasers, site engagers, and new prospects.
Ad Creative: Ensure the ads specifically call out the new product, show it in use, and highlight its benefits. Your goal is to earn clicks to the site, letting the product page handle the rest.
Use Video Reviews: If possible, compile video reviews from VIP customers or content creators in advance. This is especially effective for beauty, apparel, or products with novel applications.
With product launches, you want to make sure the ad creative specifically calls out a new product, shows the product in-use, and directly addresses the benefits. You just have to earn the click to the site, not fully sell the product, let the product page or landing page do that.
With email and SMS
Your email and SMS lists are your first opportunities to generate awareness and revenue with a product launch. My recommendation is prior to launch, you entice your best customers to purchase early (maybe top 5% or 10%) and for the rest, send them a teaser. It could be for example a blurry product image over email or text that entices people to sign up for a notification of when the product launches.
Build Your Email List: Start now! Nurture your audience before the big launch - as already mentioned, this should really be done already.
Know Your Offers: Test different promotional methods to understand what works best for your customers.
Ensure Deliverability: Warm your sending infrastructure to avoid emails ending up in spam.
Eye-Catching Email Design: Invest in good design and plan your creative assets in advance.
Optimise Your Website Performance: Ensure your website is fast and user-friendly. A slow, unresponsive site will lose traffic, especially during high-competition events like Black Friday.
Set Up Automated Flows: Ensure your automated email flows are optimised to retain potential lost customers.
Segment Your Audience: Create segments based on purchase history and engagement to tailor your messaging.
Once the product goes live, I prefer to send 1 email per day, for the first 3 days, and exclude purchasers before each send. For your best customers, you can add a VIP discount or early-bird special. On SMS, I would send the launch day message, and only subsequent texts if there’s engagement (link clicks, email opens, etc.).
In case your product sells out, you want to also have a SOLD OUT! email and SMS ready to fire off. That should lead to a PDP with an email sign up or phone number sign up to be notified when it’s back in stock. As soon as the product is back, use email and SMS to notify people you’re back and to hurry before the product sells out again!
The specifics - Your email launch campaign plan
Build the Hype (10 Days Before the Event):
Add teasers in your newsletters.
Create attention-grabbing subject lines that will get clicks
Embed countdown timers into your emails to create urgency.
Encourage customers to ensure your emails land in their inboxes making sure future emails end up in there.
Highlight products and relevant categories.
Make sure you include products you want them to buy.
2.Priority List (A Week Before):
Create a VIP list for early access or bigger discounts and tell your audience you’re creating it to make them feel special. Create a CTA for them to opt in - you can embed a form on your website.
Promote this on your socials with a sign-up link. This will work well to make sure followers who haven’t yet signed up get signed up because they won’t want to miss out.
Include another countdown time
Address customer anxieties for example about returns and delivery. This will make sure you're rid of the worries before the launch.
Make sure you have a list set up for those who opt in and also a flow associated with it to send out a thank you email in real time - keep them nurtured!
3.Priority Launch Email (24-48 Hours Before Launch):
Email your VIP list with a special discount code.
Ensure the code has a clear expiry date.
4.The Main Launch:
Tailor messaging for previous purchasers and new customers.
Highlight sale details with clear calls to action.
Recommend products and address anxieties.
5.The Social Reminder Last Chance Email:
Remind customers the sale is ending soon.
Include top-selling products, customer reviews, and social proof.
6.The Sale Closing Email:
Emphasise urgency on the last day.
Highlight the discount and product scarcity.
Optionally, offer a 24-hour extension to your email list.
On organic social media
Regardless of how large or small your brand is, if you have a new product launch, the first place most people will go is to check your social channels. Website? It can be hard to remember the exact domain, so naturally, people search Instagram or TikTok, that’s why you need to think of these platforms as funnels.
When you have a new launch, be loud with the post, maybe take over the top 3 posts with a new set of pinned posts. You can add a highlight on the profile that specifically talks through the product, unboxing it, what makes it different, why it’s such a big deal, etc. It should feel like you’re walking someone through a QVC-style shopping experience.
Pin Posts and Create Highlights: Feature the new product prominently on your profiles.
Tease the Product: Share sneak peeks leading up to the launch.
Encourage Email Sign-Ups: Promote your email list through social posts.
Leverage Reviews and Social Proof: Share customer reviews and influencer endorsements.
Engage Actively: Interact with your audience during the launch period.
Top Tip – get your social schedule planned too, you can adapt the creative you use on your emails so everything is in sync and a cohesive message for your customer.
The product tease
As you’re leading up to the launch, people need to get excited about the new product. To effectively tease a product before launch, share sneak peeks that build anticipation. Use blurred or partial images, behind-the-scenes content, or cryptic messages across your social media, email, and website. Create curiosity with countdowns and hints, but avoid revealing too much. Engage your audience by encouraging them to guess what’s coming and offer exclusive early access or sign-ups for notifications. This approach generates excitement and primes your audience, ensuring they’re eager and ready when the product officially launches.
Preparing for a Sell-Out
Anticipate that your product might sell out, and prepare accordingly. You should expect your product to sell out, and if necessary, you can manufacture it. Apple does it all the time, why can’t you? As mentioned earlier, in your prior planning you will be ready to send out pre-written SOLD OUT emails and SMS ready to fire off.
Collect Emails and Phone Numbers: Have a version of the PDP ready to capture contact information for restock notifications.
Notify Customers: As soon as the product is back in stock, use email and SMS to alert your audience and drive urgency.
So, in conclusion…
A successful product launch is a multi-faceted effort requiring detailed planning and execution. By ensuring your website, ad campaigns, email, and social media are all aligned and optimised, you can maximise the impact of your launch. Remember, a well-executed launch not only drives immediate sales but also builds long-term brand loyalty and recognition. Good luck with your launch, and may it be a resounding success!