Listen, people don’t flood the streets for the world’s smallest, quietest marching band. If you want to attract attention, you need to make more than a little noise. How does this apply to your next big business launch? There are several clever ways to boost your launch strategy so everyone knows about the cool things happening inside your business!
What Is a Launch Strategy?
A launch strategy is how you reveal new business offerings. And it’s not as easy as slapping a new item on your service menu! A proper launch strategy requires multiple steps and a certain “wow” factor to draw clients in.
Think about your own experiences as a client or consumer to other brands. You may be able to recall some exceptional launch strategies that made you think, “Awesome! I need to buy that right away!” Picture those visceral sneaker commercials featuring runners on a canyon trail, or your favorite vehicle brand zipping down a windy, snowy road.
A launch strategy is your marketing team’s time to truly shine. Whether they implement social media advertisements, billboards, or radio broadcasts to announce your new business plans, they need to attract the attention of your target audience in order to succeed.
Related: How To Make Strategic Marketing Decisions and Invest In Advertising More Effectively
7 Tips to Improve Your Next Launch Strategy
No matter how well you’ve done with launch strategies in the past, there are always ways to do better. Check out seven surefire ways to boost your next launch strategy.
Set Clear, Measurable Goals for Your Launch
A good launch requires some metrics planning. After all, how will you know how successful your launch strategy is unless you have the means to track it?
The metrics you measure as you unveil your launch strategy depends on the type of business you’re running.
Some metrics to consider include social media interactions, website clicks, or newsletter signups!
Start Your Launch Strategy Early
When you allow yourself enough time to think things through, you improve your chances of achieving an excellent launch strategy. It takes two or three months time to research launch platforms and make positive connections (in the media or across industry powerhouses).
It’s also important to consider bumps in the road when planning your launch strategy. Appointments fall through, people get sick, and technology acts up now and again. The more time you have to get ahead of those problems, the more relaxed and effective your launch will be.
Test Out Your Messaging
Remember, you are not the person you’re trying to sell your services to. So you shouldn’t be the only person in favor of your new launch narrative or advertising hooks.
Get your launch strategy messaging out in front of as many people as possible before introducing new services! Of course, you need to choose safe people for the discussion, as you don’t want to spoil your announcement for the new clients you’re targeting.
Safe people to test your launch strategy message might include:
- Family
- Trusted friends
- Team members across every department
- Existing clients
Don’t be surprised if the pitch falls flat the first few times you talk about it. Practice makes perfect!
Conduct a Competitor Analysis
If you don’t take the time to check out your competition, rest assured: your clients will. Price and quality comparisons are inevitable no matter your niche. So make sure your launch strategy showcases what makes your services unique and valuable.
For example, as a social media manager you may be excited to offer a new “triple threat” package. You’ve designed a launch strategy to unveil pricing for Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. While this design might be new for you, it’s not wildly different from others in your field.
Take the time to tweak so your brand presentation beats out your competitors!
Define Your Most Important Metrics Before You Launch
The metrics you focus on depend on your service niche and business goals.
For example, a digital marketer may want to keep a close eye on opened emails, interactions, and click-through trails in order to determine if their launch strategy is working.
Most businesses take interest in funnel metrics to ensure their marketing strategies are working optimally. If you’re ever not sure what you should be looking at, take the time to educate yourself!
Know Your Exact Target Audience
Note: the audience you want can sometimes be different than the audience you actually have! That’s why this step is paramount when combing through your launch strategy.
Take the time to write down a few defining features of your audience:
- Age
- Gender identity
- Race
- Religion
- Lifestyle
- Sexual orientation
- Income bracket
- Interests
You may think that presenting your new services to anyone and everyone is the way to go, but specificity usually works better in business. People want to believe that you have the answers to their unique problems. Clients in all fields are drawn to niched experts—so present yourself as such!
Don’t Forget About the Post-Launch Stage
You aren’t done with your launch strategy just because you let ‘er rip. There are a few important steps to complete after your launch.
For instance, you need to keep tabs on client engagement. Are people interacting with your marketing channels? If not, you may need to intervene to steer your launch back on track.
Think carefully about which parts of your new services launch you want to expose first. (Lead with your best foot forward, am I right?) Take days, not seconds, to make the most of your launch strategy and see it through to success.
Designing the perfect launch strategy isn’t for the faint of heart. There are many things to consider in order to make your new service idea a true success! Keep these tips in mind the next time you tackle a launch strategy.
Be sure to follow along on Instagram for tips, resources, and insights into all things metrics and business data.
Launches are always exciting—and these posts will help you leverage them for epic results:
How to Improve Your Sales Funnel Strategy By Using Your Business Data
3 Key Strategies for Using Data to Build Your Business’ Quarterly Plan
How To Make Strategic Marketing Decisions and Invest In Advertising More Effectively
5 Essential Sales Funnel Metrics You Need To Consistently Track