New year, new you, new products and services, whoo-hoo! Even if you don’t buy into all that new year fresh start talk, it’s likely that you’ll be planning a launch for SOMETHING in 2017. Maybe it’s something shiny and new, or maybe it’s the same thing you’ve been offering for years. No matter, because this year it’s all about working smarter not harder, and that means planning ahead! Let’s chat about how to plan a successful launch so you can move forward with more intention and less “holy crap I have to throw this up in three minutes” (because we’ve all been the business owner that announces things that way before!)!
When it comes to unveiling new (or old!) products or services, organization is the key to a successful launch. The more prepared you are, the better your execution will be!
I think January is a wonderful time to map out a rough schedule for the year, so I suggest you carve out some time to plan when you will be launching various things during 2017. Perhaps you’re a photographer and want to offer special sessions around Mother’s Day. Or you want to really push to sell your hand-lettered holiday cards this year. Write all of those things down now, so you are prepared!
A month and a half before the approximate launch date you pencil in, write yourself a reminder to start making your plans. In addition, wherever you have a launch scheduled, block off that entire week so you don’t schedule anything else during that time. Launches can be overwhelming, and the less you have going on at the same time the less stressed you’ll be! Less stress equals more success!
In all things, I believe the more organized you are, the more successful you will be! Consider creating a launch binder where you can keep all of your launch related worksheets, calendars, and notes. Bonus if it’s pretty and therefore fun to pull out!
Here’s what you should be doing a month out if you want to have a successful launch:
- Plug your dates into your planner. Write down your official launch day, when you’ll launch to VIP’s (if that date is different from the “public” launch date), when you’ll start hinting at your launch, when you’ll send reminder emails, etc. Keep in mind most launches are around a week or two, so plan your marketing dates accordingly. Obviously depending on what you’re launching that time frame may be different, but for most products/services that’s a good launch length!
- Create a solid marketing plan. Write out your social media posts, what groups you’ll post in, reach out to friends, family, clients, networking buddies, and anyone else you think can help you spread the word and ASK them for their help, write the emails you’ll send to your email list and schedule them. Get creative, and be thorough. Remember, people are more likely to help you when you do the work for them and they don’t have to use their brains. So if you’re asking for shout-outs, provide them with graphics and plugs they can copy and paste and be done! If you’re going to come up with an affiliate program or give rewards for referrals, get that plan set. I like to print out a calendar so I can write everything in and look at it as a whole. I use these sheets because they’re pretty!
- Slow it down. Remember those weeks you blocked out when you made your rough launch calendar for the year? Pay attention to them! Don’t book any clients, or plan any other tasks for those weeks. Give yourself time to create graphics and content, answer emails, take care of any hiccups, and go out for ice cream to celebrate all your hard work when it’s over.
- Hammer out the details. Pricing, sales goals (and how you’ll measure your success), potential issues to watch for (and how you’ll address them), marketing timelines, etc.
- Reserve a few pages in your notebook for note taking. During the entirety of your launch planning (from planning to execution and a few days after while you’re wrapping things up) take notes! Write down how you’re feeling (overwhelmed, well prepared, etc.), take note of any complaints you have or confusion people have along the way, write down your numbers, everything! By taking notes in real time you’ll be able to better assess how you did later!
Two weeks before the big date, do this:
- Get people excited. Begin posting hints about your launch! Share behind the scenes teasers, release a freebie that relates to whatever you’re launching that leaves people wanting more, give a few people early access so they can shout your praises all over creation, get your landing page(s) setup and ready to go.
- Get chatty. Start reaching out to the people you’re hoping will help you spread the word. Give them the dates, the content you’ve created for them, and tips for achieving high conversion rates! Send an email out to your VIP list and encourage them to sign up for your launch list if you’ve created a separate list.
- Blog it, baby. Write a blog post about the upcoming launch to get people excited. Be sure to encourage people to sign up for your email list so they don’t miss out on the reminders or any special goodies you plan to share with your subscribers.
A few days before your launch:
- Test EVERYTHING. Make sure all your links are redirecting correctly, ensure your copy is clear and correct, test your payment processing, and ensure the process is easy to understand.
- Launch early-bird specials. If you’re giving early access to anyone, it’ go time! Be sure the details are clear, and think about how you’ll handle someone coming to you after the early-bird special is over asking for the discount, or extra goodies even though they’re late.
- Get social. Amp up your teasers on social media! Do a live FB and IG video, share testimonials if anyone got a hold of whatever you’re launching early (or old testimonials if you’re launching a current or past product/service). Remind people to sign up for your list so they get access as soon as you launch.
It’s finally here! Final tips to host a successful launch:
- Shout from the rooftops. Once your landing pages are live it’s time to spread the word! Send out your emails (double check to make sure anything you’ve scheduled to go out, went out!), get chatty on social media, and post about your launch all over creation! One common mistake is only posting a few times about a new product or service. There’s nothing wrong with plugging your launch on the daily! Be sure what you’re posting is different on each platform, and make each post feel and look different so you’re not getting completely repetitive (ahem, boring!), but don’t be afraid to post about it often!
- Share great feedback. When someone sends a sweet email or posts a rave comment on social media, share it! Reach out to those people personally to thank them for their sweet words and encourage them to share your product/service with others that they think will love it as much as they do!
- Provide killer service. Be extra speedy with your email response times, check social media often and reply ASAP to comments, and don’t be afraid to address any issues people have! When someone books/makes a purchase with you, follow up personally. If your launch is too darn big and personal messages would take forever (yahoo!) be sure you’re sending out an auto-responder thanking them and giving more details!
- Keep the momentum going. Often, business owners launch big, and then kind of let it fizzle out. Treat every day of your launch with ferocious determination! Be just as excited in the middle as you were at the start, and keep that excitement going up until the last moments! Simply launching, sending a few random social media bursts that week, and then saying “hey don’t forget tomorrow is the last day” just isn’t going to cut it!
You made it! Phew. After your launch ends, tie up loose ends by doing this:
- Be grateful. Take time to thank anyone that went above and beyond to help you host a successful launch. Thank email list VIP’s, friends and family, social media followers, affiliates, everyone! Consider sending a little token of appreciation to anyone who really went wild and sent a lot of new people your way.
- Take notes. What worked well? What was a colossal waste of time? How did you feel during the launch? When did you have a surge in sign-ups? Remember, a launch isn’t only about the numbers. By making it a point to keep note of your feelings during your launch prep and execution, you’ll be able to find ways to make your future launches more and more successful! Sit back and study your notes, and write up a summary complete with ways you can improve next time.
- Celebrate! You’ve been working hard the past month, so it’s time to give yourself a pat on the back. Schedule a date night, or a dinner with your girlfriends, or give yourself an entire day to lay on the couch watching Netflix while eating Chinese takeout.
- Give yourself grace. This is a big one. No matter what happened, give yourself grace. Sometimes, despite our best efforts, a launch doesn’t go the way we had hoped. No big deal! Hopefully, you took careful notes and can reflect on them and figure out ways to do better next time. Perhaps what you’re offering needs a little work. Maybe you were targeting the wrong people and you need to go back to the drawing board to nail down who your ideal client is. Whatever the reason, beating yourself up won’t do an ounce of good. If you learn from your launch, you can’t call it a failure, even if you didn’t get a single sale. And you know what, launching a product or service is a BIG DEAL. Not everyone has what it takes to create things and put them out into the world. Be sure you’re looking at all the positives, too!
I’m a big advocate for planning out everything in advance from your blog post topics to your social media posts!
I write out my plans for my business a few months in advance and schedule out my social media posts a week at a time (unless I have some sort of launch). I also have a blogging calendar that I fill out a few months in advance so I can hold myself accountable and stay consistent (though some weeks when life gets crazy I choose to ignore my calendar to save my sanity!).
How do you usually feel during a launch? Do you tend to plan in advance or fly by the seat of your pants? Fill me in in the comments!
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Hey girl, hey! I'm Kim.
I'm a business coach determined to help female entrepreneurs run successful, profitable businesses that are not only stress-free, but fun. I'm passionate about finding ways to work smarter, not harder, so that I can spend time with her stud muffin and spunky, kind hearted daughters. I am a self-proclaimed organizational queen that is couldn't live without Lip Smackers chap stick, fresh flowers or dark chocolate. Real Simple Magazine is my guide to navigating life. My true obsession lies in branding; I am every business owners biggest cheerleader!
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