Launching a product entails deliberate, planned, and coordinated efforts to introduce a new product to the market and make it available for purchase for the first time. It often involves numerous moving parts that work to create anticipation, gather feedback, and build momentum for the new product and company as a whole.
It is always best to prepare for your product launch early enough before the desired date. This can also include how it’s presented and packaged. In doing so, planning to partner with suppliers such as Packaging Chimp can be beneficial in the launch of the product. This will ensure that you adequately research, plan, and consult relevant stakeholders to make it a big success.
Failure to do so might as well spell doom for your upcoming product launch. With a 75 percent chance of flopping, launching a product that fulfills specific consumer needs and invokes an emotional connection with the brand can be challenging.
There are many ways to make your product launch successful, including:
1. Ask Users What They Need
A successful product launch strategy always puts customer needs first and plans to satisfy each in the best way possible. This implies that you need to understand the gaps in your target market then tailor your product or service to meet them precisely.
So, survey the market and figure out how your new business offering or product will solve an existing problem within the market or, better yet, make life better for your target consumer. Always ensure that the product you are launching is something people want.
Doing so should help you generate actionable insights that will inform and form a strong foundation for all the other steps in your product launching plan. While numerous applications are available to help automate this process, you can use customer relationship management (CRM) software to quickly find out what customers want from you and what they said in the past.
2. Know Your Competition
Competition is an integral part of any business. It might seem intimidating, but it is a significant force that drives innovation. Getting to know your main competitors and their business offerings should help you make unique products that cater to untapped but profitable niches within your market.
The main aim here is to know what your competitors are doing and how you can do it better. Doing so will help set your company apart, mainly by enabling you to come up with competitive prices and new ways to improve the quality of your products.
Also, this knowledge should help you take advantage of their weaknesses, inform your marketing strategies, and enhance your business performance.
3. Create a Prototype
Prototyping often plays a crucial role in product development, and it mainly refers to the production of a sample product or prototype. Businesses can research and test their performance and general market response rate before production by creating a prototype.
In other words, this will ensure that no mistakes happen, and you can offer actual customers the prototype, gather feedback, and save money if anything needs to be changed. It is one of the best ways to gain new ideas of what to add or how to market the product.
4. Build Anticipation
The success of your new product launch is often pegged on its momentum; something anticipation helps create. Customers ideally need time to discover new products, but you can help fasten this by building anticipation before the launch date.
This is often more important than the product launch itself, as it creates awareness and excitement around your product in advance. The momentum generated eventually becomes prevalent and helps drive sales during and after the product launch.
How Can You Build Product Anticipation?
- Create a website and landing page to attract, capture, and nurture leads
- Give sneak peeks on social media to tease the market
- Create an email campaign to encourage sign-ups
- Reach out to PR (public relationship) representatives to enhance product awareness
- Advertise on as many platforms as you can
- Create a variety of content to spike excitement
5. Network
Networking often fosters business development and growth, meaning that it provides you with a unique opportunity to share important product information as you approach your launch date. This usually includes essential updates, features, and timelines, all geared towards getting maximum public attention during the launch.Â
6. Reach Out to the Press
After launching the product and getting positive feedback, you should reach out to the press and ask them to cover a story about the launch. This feature should cover your entire journey from inception to post-launch. Once published, consider sharing it on social media for extra momentum and possibly additional sales.
Have a Successful Launch
There are numerous steps to take before launching a product, with the most important one being planning for it ahead of time. Implementing the six discussed tips above will give you the best chance to launch your new product successfully. Just ensure that the product addresses a specific need in the target market and is something that customers would talk about and want to buy.
