Remember that time Lily Pulitzer came to Target and her products lasted on the shelves about 3 minutes? Maybe 3 seconds? Me too. Online and in store, they were gone. Immediately. Part of why this happened is that Lily Pulitzer utilized a GOOD pre-launch strategy.
In a good pre-launch strategy, you build up hype for your product or service so that your audience is excited, they’re expecting it, and they’re rushing to get the products as soon as they can!! And today I’m going to share with you my 4 favorite, tried-and-true pre-launch strategies to get YOUR audience just as excited as those Lily Pulitzer fans were at Target!!
What is a Pre-Launch Phase??
A pre-launch phase is VITAL for the success of your launch because this phase is all about being a hype-man… building up buzz & excitement for your audience to get them ready for when those virtual doors swing wide open!
The beauty of pre-launches is that this could work for a service OR a digital product. If you haven’t yet jumped into digital products, I know these strategies work just as well for services because they’re what I use in my OWN biz whether I’m booking clients for weddings, coaching, or my integration agency. Whether or not you’re launching a digital product, these rinse & repeat strategies are crucial to your launch!
My Favorite, Tried & True Pre-Launch Strategies:
1. LET YOUR AUDIENCE IN ON THE FUN
You know the famous saying, “If you build it, they will come,” a la Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner?? Great quote, but unfortunately… this does not work for online marketing in 2022. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer but it’s more like: If you build it, they might not come.
What does make them come?? Letting your audience in on the fun! Gone are the days of quietly working on the back end until we surprise our people with a big reveal.
People want you to let them in! They want to see what you’re doing (nosey, anyone??) — it helps them to get excited and WANT what it is you’re creating for them!!
So think: What are some ways you can let them in on the fun?? Whether that be sharing on Reels, Instagram, YouTube, Podcasting… the options are endless in 2022 for you to begin to share that YOU are a creator and you’ve got GREAT stuff to offer!
2. ASK YOUR AUDIENCE FOR FEEDBACK
Let’s be real, people LOVE to share their opinions!!
So when you’re preparing for a pre-launch phase, ask for feedback. An easy way to do this?? Throw a question box up on Instagram or ask people to send you a DM or comment on a post where you’re asking the what THEY think or want to know.
And pro tip? If you’re feeling like you’re getting crickets, try answering a few questions yourself and people will warm up to sharing once they see that the conversation has started!!
3. LIST GROWTH, LIST GROWTH, LIST GROWTH!!
It’s 2022… if you haven’t already, it’s time to start an email list AND GROW an email list. You NEED it. You need to know who is in your ecosystem… not how many Instagram followers you have or how many views you get on TikTok but who says: I want content from just YOU.
When people are on your email list, they’re saying that they’re about YOUR CONTENT and they’re ready to hear specifically from YOU! They’ve giving you a micro-commitment by filling in their name and email address. which is the first step psychologically to becoming your consumers!
So how do you get more people on your list?? Next week we’ll talk all about HOW to grow your email list in 2022, so be sure to check back in with those tips!! But for now, remember that in your pre-launch, you want to start and/or GROW your email list!!
4. PRIME YOUR CONTENT
This last strategy is SO important: build the buzz by priming your content.
You’ve been there as a consumer! So now flip that script and help the consumer feel the way you felt when Lily Pulitzer was for sale at Target or why you stood in line at Barnes & Noble the day the next Harry Potter book came out!
My old business coach Graham Cochrane says, “Give them a chip that makes them want the whole bag.” You want to ask: How can I give my audience a chip every single week of my 6-8 week pre-launch timeframe that makes them want to come back for the whole bag?? Here are 4 examples:
- Overcome their objections. What would make someone say no to your product? Write a list for why anyone would say no to whatever product you’re creating and then combat that list by addressing it in a video or in a podcast or on social, wherever is best for your audience!
- Give real results. Think testimonials, past stories, and feedback from current or past clients & customers so that potential clients and customers see that what you’re selling WORKS. Bonus tip: If this is the first time you’re launching something, have some sort of beta process so that you have some past real results to showcase when it’s time to priming content!!
- Offer quick wins. Emphasis on QUICK. Give them something they can do right now, or in the next 5 minutes or later today. Short, simple & quick. How can they have a YES right now with whatever it is you’re offering them??
- Reveal your expertise. Show them WHY they want YOU in their corner, why YOU know what you know and how you can translate that into something TRULY beneficial!!
There you go! My 4 FAVORITE Pre-Launch strategies!! Put on that marketing hat, get people excited, and be that hype man for yourself so that you can build the buzz to make your launch a true success!!
And PS – If you haven’t yet, be sure to grab my FREE Launch Blueprint which will walk you through every step of the launch process including these pre-launch strategies!!
