I am not going to lie to you.
If you want a successful product launch, you need to put in the time and effort into creating a rock star launch strategy.
Here is how I built my product launch strategy
Patience
I started my blog in 2010 for no other reason than an outlet for me as a new mom and to genuinely share my ideas & experiences with other new parents. I know not many of you have the luxury to ease into blogging in this way and that is perfectly okay. In fact, it is better than okay. There are tools the exist to help you build your audience and launch your product.
Evaluate your Content
What is your most popular content? Understanding the content that people respond to is a huge in your product strategy. Take a look at your popular posts, create a theme, and then produce a product within that same them.
Build Your List
There are many ways to build your list. The most popular one is to create a lead magnet where you add value to the reader's life and she becomes an email subscriber. My words of caution here include 1) don't have too many lead magnets and 2) think about how your lead magnet will lead to sales and to product creation. Build your list through boosting on Facebook via your page and by using a tool such as Sumo to capture leads.
Email Marketing Strategy
You need to adapt and become incredibly loyal to a particular email service provider. That is not to say that I didn't change over from MailChimp to ConvertKit but it is to say that it is important for you to go high level and consider your big picture goals. ConvertKit gives the option to segment and to tag and not to duplicate subscribers. So, in other words, you can have a subscriber tagged with x and tagged with y but she will only be listed once in your system. This approach is incredibly powerful as it relates to creating your sales funnels. {Read: How to Easily Create Affiliate Funnels in ConvertKit.}
Perfect Your Pre-Launch Content
There is an art and there is a science to a product launch. Don't rush into it. Study the process. I took Jeff Walker's Product Launch Formula course last year and it completely blew my mind. I learned a tremendous amount from Jeff and continue to do so on a weekly basis. Consider your pre-launch content and especially the mental triggers you may want to consider as you develop copy for your marketing strategy.
Cultivate Partners
Affiliate partnerships are HUGE. In fact, Jeff Walker has a whole section of his course on how to identify, manage, and work with affiliate partners during your product launch. If you don't already have a tribe, seek one. Contact people directly to be on your VIP affiliate team.
I recommend before you get started with affiliates, that you hand pick a select group of partners until you get comfortable with the affiliate process. Price your product in a way that entices and lures in affiliates. The commission rate is typically 40% in my experience. With that said, it is up to you. I pay my printable partners 50% because the pricing structure works.
By the way, WordPress offers a plugin called AffiliateWP that works well as an affiliate platform. Many teaching/course platforms, such as Teachable and Thinkific, have affiliate features built right in.
I can't wait to hear about your launch!
Marnie
