While building a product or working on launching a startup, one mistake most founders and developers make is concentrating solely on the production aspect. When you finally launch, this can turn against you because not enough people may have heard about your product or startup. To avoid such a situation, you should take a cue from Apple. A new model is announced with all its specifications, endorsed by leading influencers and bloggers, and the suspense builds on. According to SimilarWeb, a site that analysed traffic surges to the Apple website over their last four iPhone launches based on worldwide desktop visits, the announcement of the iPhone7 saw an increase from 13 million to 32.8 million in just one day. They put out the chance to pre-order the product and most often their new phone models are sold out right on the launch day itself. So here are some creative ways in which you can create a buzz before launching:
Put the focus on your customer
Instead of going on a rant about how your product does this and that or how your startup offers so-and-so service, focus on your customers. Tell them how your product will matter to them and how it can fit in well with their lives and needs. Customers rarely care about the technical specifications of a product — they want to know how it will enhance their experience or solve a problem they are facing, which means your marketing narrative needs to be designed around this angle.
Gather your contacts
You need a good list of contacts that includes both influencers and potential customers before you go live. For the latter, instead of social media, try building an email list. If you think this advice is outdated, consider this study which found that the conversion rate for email marketing was more than three percent while that of social media was barely one percent. You could collect email ids through an enticing launch page. Give them just enough information to pique their interest and leave an element of mystery regarding your product or startup. However, it isn’t enough to get a large number of signups. If you don’t keep your audience engaged, they are going to forget about your brand or product. So mail your followers regularly, but make sure that you give them some useful information in each message. This way, they will not unsubscribe from the mailing list and will respond well to your launch. Work this on the other end of the spectrum as well. Make an updated press, blogger, and influencer contact list, which will help you in the next step.
Get bloggers and influencers to test your product
Many a study has consistently proven the importance of online reviews or opinions and how they affect purchasing decisions, so you need to make sure that your startup or product becomes a talking point. For this, you need to reach out to bloggers or influencers who reach your target audience and make your product or service available to them so that they can offer a review or feedback. Try tools like BuzzSumo to find out more about the top influencers in your field and send out word about your company and product to them. This will help generate interest about your product and your target audience will be exposed to a brand message from a source they trust.
Keep your audience engaged with games and gifts
This is another way to keep your audience glued to your page or email for more information. Announce games or contests and give away freebies or gifts to your target audience. This will help you forge stronger relations with your target audience and generate more leads. Make sure your gifts, too, connect with your audience, making more of them want to check out your website.
Launching a new product or business is not a cakewalk. Accept that it will take time, which is the reason you need to start well in advance. Building relationships is the base of this buzz-creating stage. Once you have launched successfully, never forget your first backers, users, and subscribers. Through these tactics, you are also unintentionally building customer advocates who will be loyal to you and spread the word about your business.
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