What to do to plan a successful Digital Product Launch -

 Updated: September 1 2022

A product launch is an event ... similar to an art exhibit or big "open home" which makes a statement: "Hello world, here I am. Stop by and discover more about me." Launches are an occasion to "wow" your customers.

To your customers, it's a process of discovery. Does this product do something which pleases me? Does it solve a problem, perform better than a similar product that I've already owned? The debut of your product to the marketplace is when you open your doors to check if you are meeting the customers' needs and expectations.

Since a digital product doesn't have the characteristics of physically tangible - and doesn't take up space in the physical world, at least What should the launch of your new product be like? How do you prepare one? And how will you make it reachable to people and how do you ensure that the effort you put into it result in a profit?

Make Launch Goals

An event like a launch can be a time to test your goals and measure the success you have in getting them. Are you able to envision a figure you have in mind for the number of sales that you would like to achieve in a specified length of time? Do you have a greater interest in knowing the people who are your customers and their purchasing habits? What kinds of behaviors do your buyers have? Which part of the world do they reside in? What is their relationship to your brand?

Make sure you are equipped with the right tools and processes in place to capture everything that you choose to quantify. If the goal is to achieve 10,000 downloads within during the first thirty days after the launch event, will you have the processes that will allow you to record the count of downloads? Do you have the ability to pull information about where the downloads originate in terms of geography? Are you prepared to capture their comments?

Make use of timing strategically

The timing for a product's introduction into the marketplace is a crucial marketing tactic. Determine the best times of the year, and also the locations that are going to maximize exposure and leverage:

• Stay away from dates worldwide where people usually go on holiday. This is usually during the months between July and August. Also, avoid other public holidays, such as the Christmas season, New Years, Good Friday Easter, ThanksgivingDay, Labour Day, Bastille Day, Yom Kipper, Boxing Day, and so on.

• Ride the coattails of a major trade show that is in your sector or other major event such as an event or announcement of a brand new release or technology which is compatible with your product. An example is a huge seminar or workshop that trains individuals to utilize technology, who will likely use your product or the release of a new app or operating system that supports the product you sell or increases some aspects of its use.

• Beware of launches you may not have heard of, which take place after your competitors launch. Your goal is to get in front of your competitors, not behind them or else you could find prospective customers have lost interest. Get the first one out of the gates, if you can.

• Avoid delays in your announced launch. Competitors could take advantage of that chance to launch their products earlier or even start a firestorm of negativity. It is important to prepare and have customers looking forward to the release of your item, and media ready to read the response and write about it.

Make a checklist for launching

Launching a product involves lots of preparation, announcements, tasks, posts, and subsequent follow-ups. Be sure that your clients can use the product, know the best way to use it and are satisfied with their purchase. There's no set arrangement to this, however you do want to ensure that you do them at the time they are logically appropriate. It is important to stay on top of the ones that are time sensitive and also make the most of ones that are flexible. You don't want to miss the crucial ones. Use a checklist.

The Big Announcement

Define and execute the most activities you can in order to generate excitement and demand for your product before it's available to buyers. This is possible using small or large budgets and any company size. The first step is to select and inform your partners. Include them early so they are able to educate their customers. Sales managers can be the most effective evangelists for your company. Use LinkedIn connections and all other contacts and networking groups to connect with them.

Create a press release for journalists and bloggers ahead of the time, to provide them with an opportunity to see a preview (like an early screening of an upcoming film for a select audience). Be sure that they are aware that they have been chosen for this exclusive view. This is more than just courtesy. The potential is to drive customers to your sites for selling as a cowboy drives cattle to pasture.

Industry analysts can also generate some buzz. Contact them via professional networks such as LinkedIn as well as your business network, as well as in social media forums on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Brief them, get their opinions and keep them up-to-date on developments.

Sometimes, playing with words or creating an atmosphere of secrecy ahead of a big event may create excitement and curiosity. Give a select few details. This can feed an excitement, make buyers engaged, and increase urgency and anticipation among potential buyers. Publish the launch date ahead of time and let that your customers something exciting will be happening.

Alarm for the Press En Masse

Make sure to expose your product's story to the right media who may be intrigued, excited enough to want to write about it. Invest into a subscription to a news release service. Some of the best created for small companies are E-Releases PRWeb and PR Newswire are a few most highly rated options. The mid-tier price for the three services is $150 and $200. PRWeb is a good example. It can assist you in creating the message you want to convey, and then send it to every major search and news media (30,000 journalists and bloggers and over 250,000 PRWeb news subscribers) and track the results (detailed analytics tell you how many people read the release, where it was found and the number of times it was shared).

Will a press release build website traffic and SEO? Yes, it will however, a press release's capability to improve SEO has changed over the past few years thanks changes to Google's algorithm. Press releases are more likely to appear in results if users would type certain keywords in the press release, but it's unknown how much more likely.

Create and leverage your email lists

Mailing lists are like gold. It's not just about communicating your latest offering, they could be your customers' potential who are the source of your revenue coming from. It is important to nurture your emails as precious gemstones that bring in sales into the in the future. These emails will continue to grow when customers spread your messages. You're establishing a relationship with your customers. Keep them happy and they'll be your boosters. They should be frequent visitors to your website as well as buyers of your product, fans who will transport your message and make the message grow exponentially on social media.

Are you starting your product launch starting from the ground up? Most likely, you don't have a mailing list. Or, you may possess one that was previously a product that you've promoted. In either case, you want to encourage visitors to your site to sign up for emails from your. If you can begin this process, the larger your email list. Create incentives and rewards. Customers will likely require the motivation to purchase your product.

If you are starting out only sending a handful of emails, use social media to increase your email list. Boost your posts through Facebook. Add friends. Follow companies and people on Twitter. Retweet and tweet items that are of interest. Build followers on Instagram as well as Pinterest using your brand's pictures including blogs, images, pitch decks and how-tos. Invite people to complete short surveys. Here's one that's hit email inboxes:

Use your website or sales platform as well as social media to attract customers and followers and solicit them to sign up to join your email lists. This gives you the opportunity to communicate with your potential customers at any point later on, using whatever type of message you'd like; plus, you're not bound by search engine rankings or social media algorithms.

Start as early as you can making names to be included in a mailing list using your site. Invite visitors to sign up with their email addresses so that they can be first to get updates. Offer a complimentary trial download of the initial section (like the Amazon "Look inside" feature), or an e-book with useful advice or details. Create and communicate incentives like giveaways, bonuses, and discounts for early buyers.

Make sure you sign up for one of the companies that provide email services (ESP) particularly if you're starting from ground zero. Here are a few providers that are highly rated that range between free and $15 per month. Campaign Monitor, iContact, MailChimp, and Constant Contact. An ESP can provide you with all the tools to create templates, tools and other services that you need to get subscribers, test your campaigns, handle the day-to-day requirements of your emails and create analytics.

Prepare to Help

Prepare to provide quick and professional support, especially in the event of a brand new launch. Manuals for troubleshooting and user guides are helpful when your support staff are not available to help customers solve issues or provide answers to questions regarding usage.

Provide online chat, telephone support and/or email support if you are able to. Sometimes, telephone support can be more helpful for technical issues related to software. If you have a question about lost security code, credit card problems or the non-delivery of the item such as online chat or email may suffice.

Make sure you have your Customer Relations Management (CRM) implemented. Don't try to handle the support yourself. It will suck up the time of others and hinder you from the job that an entrepreneur does - creating selling, creating and producing revenue and developing new and better products. It is possible to use the CRM software to manage all your customer relations in all one location.

Look online for virtual assistants, or other people looking for part-time work they can do remotely at home. Or go the digital route through a software company that acts as your online help desk and/or chat service online.

Missteps Breed Success

Once the product is launched, take note of as your product reaches out to your global audience. Continue testing, tweaking, making adjustments in the event of need. If your sales and responses weren't up to your initial goals Keep in mind that this is just the first chapter of the novel. Don't be afraid of the mistakes you make or your shortcomings. Learn more from your mistakes than from your victories. Doing so lets you to turn a good product into an extremely profitable one.