eBusiness Weekly
Robert Gonye
One of the most challenging and yet exciting seasons is when you are launching a new product. Product launches are an exciting time for any marketer.
Unveiling to the world the new campaign you’ve created just for that specific launch can be a relief. You’ve developed a great product, you know your target audience, and can tell anyone you know about it because you know it so well. The only thing left to do is to figure out how to market it. This can be challenging for a few reasons. Maybe this is your first launch ever, and you’re completely lost about how to bring marketing messages to email inboxes or social media profiles.
Alternatively, maybe you’re no stranger to product launches, but this product, in particular, is becoming difficult to promote.
You most likely know the basics of marketing a product: know your audience, execute a social media campaign. Here are a few more ideas to get the ball rolling.
- Experiment with messaging
If you plan to release a series of products under your brand, don’t be afraid to play around with names. Let’s reference all of the soft drink providers that are coming out. A lot are extensions of the brand name, but they still have relevance within and among the brand. The name sticks out. It’s not just an extension of the product or flavour, the idea, while interesting, is highly experimental and still has brand relevance.
While playing with names can be a risk, it makes you stick out among the competition among a saturated market. Think about how having a differentiation for your social media usage so it’s specific to your launch, or if you can create content offers that directly support your campaign.
- Stick within your industry
Naturally, businesses that get bigger expand their range of products and services. For instance, a beauty company that starts off selling body spray on Instagram, after growth, can start selling products for the entire face.
Similarly, a marketing company that starts out selling one product, like an automated email service, could eventually expand into then releasing automated marketing software across multiple fronts.
When releasing a product, think about future product stacks. What will that look like? Sticking within your industry is most likely ideal, so you don’t end up with a launch that is far out there.
- Tell a story
One of the sure-fire ways to market a product successfully is to tell a story. Stories get the emotional side of consumers, and, when done successfully, can be something they relate to.
When you think of the last time you felt something while seeing an advert, you can probably instantly recall what you felt and what ad it was. Stories, like the famous coke commercial, make consumers remember your brand, as well. For marketing, adding a story to your product could help possible leads understand what your product is, especially if it’s a new take on an existing stack of products.
- Deliver a realistic promise
Your release is centred on accomplishing a list of goals. Customers want to be delighted if you display how your product solves their problem in an accurate manner. Simply put, if you promise something in marketing that isn’t true to size, it’s best to not go in a different direction.
Similarly, don’t market things that aren’t yet created or approved. A brand’s reputation is dependent on the product and conveying this in a way that speaks to customers accurately is essential to a positive campaign.
- Take the leap of faith
Taking that leap of faith can be a good thing. Your brand exists because there was something missing in the market, tell that story because that’s what your customer expects and the buying journey is emotional, and make it a point to walk through with them.
The formula to execution should then be guided by the following:
- Think of the customer
When you’re marketing a new product in a line of others, think of the customer. How the positive reception has fuelled the launch and how you plan to improve the customer experience. “Put your customer and partners first”. In today’s over-crowded marketplace, your customers trust each other more than they trust your brand.
Keeping the consumers in mind, using customer-centric language will strengthen the integrity of the launch and remind prospective leads why they should pay attention. It also helps when marketing to a different target audience.
- Create a case study
Another way to market a new product is to leverage your resources. Create a case study and use that to tell the story of a satisfied customer. Customer stories or product demos do the talking for you. If I’m looking to buy a new laptop for work, I’m going to ask colleagues for their opinion. I’d rather hear how a product works from a partner to envision how it works for me in reality.
- Highlight your good side
You want to look good, right? When promoting a new product, show yourself off. If you’ve won any awards or have come across praise of your service that sticks out (or could connect with your audience on a personal level), show why others should pay attention. Market awards, certifications are all accolades to ride on.
- Include successful customers
In conclusion, in the same wheelhouse as putting customers and partners first, while being customer-obsessed: spotlight high-profile customers you may have.
Maybe they’re influencers with a large social media following or a programme that gave you a shout-out. Customers that would support what you’re launching are ideal to spotlight here.
The views given herein are solely for information purposes; they are guidelines and suggestions and are not guaranteed to work in any particular way.
Robert Gonye is a business growth expert and influencer. He writes in his personal capacity. Comments and views: [email protected]
