How to Plan a Successful Digital Product Launch

 Updated: September 1st 2022

A product launch is an occasion ... like an art show or a huge "open house" which makes a statement: "Hello world, here I am. Stop by and discover more about me." A launch is an occasion to "wow" the people who attend.

For your audience, it's a process of discovery. Can this product perform a function that pleases me, solve an issue, or perform better than the product that I've already owned? The moment you introduce your product into the market is when you can open your doors and test the extent to which you can meet your customers' likes and requirements.

Since a digital product doesn't have the characteristics of an actual product, it isn't a part of the physical world at least How should the launch of your item look like, how do you plan one, how can you get people to notice it, and how do you make all your hard work result in a profit?

Set Start Goals

A product launch is the perfect opportunity to assess the goals you have set and evaluate the success you have in achieving the goals. Do you have a target number you have in mind for the number of sales you'd like to make in a specified length of time? Are you more interested in discovering what your clients are like and their purchasing habits? What kinds of behaviors do they have? Which part of the world do they reside in? How will they relate to your product?

Make sure you have the necessary tools and procedures in place to capture everything you chose to measure. If you're trying to get 10,000 downloads in the first 30 days following the launch date, do you have the processes put in place to track the count of downloads? Can you easily pull data regarding where they originate geographically? Do you have the tools to collect the feedback of your customers?

Utilize Timing strategically

The time of an item's introduction into the marketplace is an important marketing strategy. Determine the best times of the year as well as those locations where it is likely 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 the public holidays like the Christmas season, New Years, Good Friday Thanksgiving, Easter, Labour Day, Bastille Day, Yom Kipper, Boxing Day, and so on.

• Follow the coattails of major trade shows in your industry or some similar event that is major, like a conference or the announcement of a new product release or a new technology that integrates with yours. Examples: a large training workshop or seminar that trains users of technology that would likely be users of your product or the release of an app or operating system which supports your product or enhances some feature of it.

• Do not miss launches that you might be aware of that are held after your competition's' launches. You want to be in front of your competitors but not in the shadows or else you could find prospective customers aren't interested anymore. Start first from the gates, if you can.

• Do not delay your launch. Your competitors may take that occasion to get in the game early or worse, stir up the negative press. Be prepared and have customers anticipating the availability of your item, and media ready to read the reactions and report on the event.

Create a Launch Checklist

A product launch involves lots of preparation, tasks, pre-announcements, post-announcements as well as follow-ups. You must ensure that customers are able to get the product on their computer, are aware of how to use it, and are happy with the purchase. There isn't always a strict procedure, but you do want to be sure to perform these tasks when they seem logically appropriate. Be in the know about those that require time, and take advantage of the ones that are flexible. Don't ignore the most important ones. Use a checklist.

The big announcement

Develop and carry out the most activities you can in order to generate excitement and the demand for your product prior to it is made available to consumers. It can be accomplished with large or small budgets and for any size company. Begin by identifying and informing your partners. Involve them as early as possible so that they can educate about their clients. Sales managers can be your most powerful evangelists. Make use of LinkedIn connections, as well as networks and other contacts to get them in touch with you.

Send a press release to journalists and bloggers ahead of the time, to provide them with the chance to peek (like an early screening of the newest film to a select public). Make sure they know they've been chosen for this exclusive view. This is more than just being a nice gesture. This has the potential to bring customers to your sites for selling similar to a cowboy taking cattle out to pasture.

Industry analysts are also able to create excitement. You can reach them on the business networking sites like LinkedIn, your trade networks , and even in the group discussions that are on Facebook, Twitter and Google+. Inform them of your plans, ask for their opinions and keep them up-to-date on developments.

Sometimes teasing or creating an aura of secrecy ahead of a big event could create curiosity and even excitement. Give a select few information about the launch. This can feed an exuberance, encourage buyers to get engaged, and increase urgency and anticipation among potential clients. Release the date for the launch months in advance and tell your audience something big will be happening.

Alarm the Press En Masse

Make sure to expose your product's story to the right media outlets that might be curious or even excited enough to blog about your product. Invest into a subscription to an online news release platform. Some of the best made for small-sized businesses include E-Releases PRWeb as well as PR Newswire are a few most highly rated options. The mid-tier price for these three options is between $150 and $200. PRWeb For instance, PRWeb will help you create your announcement, then distribute it to every major search and news media (30,000 journalists and bloggers , and more than 250,000 PRWeb news readers) and track it (detailed analytics tell how many people have saw the announcement, the places it was picked up as well as how often the release was distributed).

Does a press release help build website traffic and SEO? It is certainly true that a press release can increase traffic to websites is a good thing, but the press release's ability to increase SEO has changed in the past several years due to changes in Google's algorithms. The press release you send out is more likely to show up on search results if people were to type in certain keywords in the press release, but it's unclear how many times more likely.

Create and leverage your email lists

Mailing lists are like gold. They are not just a way to promote the latest product you've launched, but these are potential buyers who are the source of your revenue coming from. You want to cultivate your emails as precious gemstones that bring in sales into the in the future. The number of emails you send will increase when customers spread your messages. You're establishing a relationship with the customers. Keep them happy and they will be your supporters. You want them to become repeat visitors to your site as well as buyers of your product as well as fans who can spread the message of your brand and help the message grow exponentially on social media.

Are you launching a new product launch starting from scratch? Most likely, you don't have any mailing lists. You may also possess one that was previously a product you've marketed. If so you'll want to encourage users to opt-in on emails from you. The earlier you start the procedure, the more extensive the list of email subscribers. Set up incentives and rewards. Your clients will most likely need the motivation to purchase your product.

If you're starting with very few emails Use social media for build them up. Boost posts via Facebook. Join friends. Follow companies and people on Twitter. Tweet and retweet items relevant to you. Create followers on Instagram and Pinterest by sharing your company's photos, blogs, screenshots pitches, how-tos, and pitch decks. Request that people fill out a short survey. This is one of the surveys that has been hitting email boxes:

Utilize your website as well as sales platforms and social media channels to gain the attention of visitors and followers and then solicit them to sign up for your email list. This allows you to communicate with your potential customers at any point in the future with any kind of messaging you want; and it doesn't rely on the search engine results or algorithms for social media.

Start as early as you can making names to be included in a mailing list using your website. Request that visitors leave their email so they can be first to get updates. Give them a free trial download of the initial section (like Amazon's "Look inside" feature) or even a PDF with helpful advice or other information. Create and communicate incentives like incentives, giveaways, or discounts to early purchasers.

Sign up with one of the companies that provide email services (ESP) particularly in the case of starting at with nothing. Below are some companies that have been rated highly that range from free to $15 per month. Campaign Monitor, iContact, MailChimp, and Constant Contact. An ESP will provide users with the tools, templates and services you need to get subscribers, test your campaigns, meet the daily demands of your newsletters, and generate analytics.

Always be ready to help

Make sure you are able to offer quick and competent support, particularly when launching a new feature. User manuals and troubleshooting guides can help when you or your support personnel aren't available to help customers solve problems or to answer any questions related to the use of your product.

Offer online chat, phone support , or email support in the event that you're able to. Sometimes, telephone support can be more helpful for technical issues related to software. If the issue is related to a lost account password or 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) set up. Avoid handling your support on your own. It will suck up the time of others and keep you away from the tasks as an entrepreneur, which is developing selling, creating and producing sales as well as new and improved solutions. You can use the CRM software to handle all of your customer relations in the same place.

Find online virtual assistants and other applicants seeking part-time jobs you can work remotely at their homes. You can also go digital by using a service which acts as an online help desk or online chat provider.

Failures breed success

After the launch, learn how your products can be marketed to your global audience. Keep testing, tweaking making adjustments in the event of need. If the response and sales did not meet your goals for launch Keep in mind that this is just the first chapter of the novel. Do not be scared of making mistakes or shortcomings. You'll learn more from them than your successes. This will allow you to turn a good product into an extremely successful product.