So you’ve decided it’s time to think about marketing your new product since it’s in process, nearly finished or done. Nerves are taking over. Doubt is seeping in. Will anyone buy it? Will people like it? Is it good enough?
Stop right there. Let’s back up a bit and start from the beginning.
You tested your idea, right?
You did your market research, yes?
You learned all you could about what your potential customers wanted. Didn’t you?
Did you plan your marketing while you were developing it?
Great. One more question.
How early did you start marketing it?
More and more businesses are figuring out that implementing marketing strategies once the product has gone from idea to development, goes a long way towards the success of the launch. If there isn’t enough response, they aren’t wasting time developing the wrong thing.
A mini-launch in the beginning of product creation can save you a lot of heartache. It’s the best way to more accurately gauge marketability. For an example of this in action, check out the Oona (the versatile smart phone stand). Watch the video, then click on “Buy it Now.” As of this writing, it’s on a pre-order basis. None are available now but they’re marketing it now.
What are some things you can do for a pre-launch?
- Start a social media campaign attracting fans, friends and followers
- Give away a related freebie or “first look” (and collect email addresses)
- Create a relevant mini-course or membership site
- Attract affiliates or sign up with an affiliate service (like Clickbank or Share a Sale)
- Implement surveys
- Hold contests
- Create excitement with webinars or videos
- Write articles, blog posts and guest posts
- Invite reviewers that have market clout
- Get testimonials
- Respond to all questions, comments and queries
- Set up pre-order sales pages
- Split test landing pages
- Test PPC ads for response
In the end, the secret, if you can call it that, is to find out how your potential customers vote on your product idea with their dollars. What they say they want, and what they buy, could very well be two different things. Of course, once you start accepting payments for your soon-to-be-released product, you’ll have to finish it! So use this technique carefully.
I’m always telling my community not to fall in love with their business or product ideas before they are tested. The worst thing you can do is spend an exorbitant amount of time on development without truly appreciating the market.
Once you have a solid understanding of how your market will react, and believe your product is ripe for launching, let all your worries go and just do it.
Your turn
Do you start implementing a marketing campaign before the product is finished? If you don’t have a product yet, what would you do? Let me hear from you.
P.S. For a real-time pre-launch experience, follow along with our February 2012 book launch, starting with a unique contest happening here >>
