Every new product is different and so there is no universal plan to follow. In fact, getting to the MVPs i.e. Minimum Viable Products is the act of balancing between the validation process and jumping into the market at a rapid pace.
Product launching requires a lot of strategic planning and decisions. You need to identify the market needs, your product as a solution, and then communicate it well to the targeted customers.
Any disbalance in the entire process can lead to bad customer experiences. But there are some sure-fire strategies one can implement throughout the product launch process to eliminate such risks.
This blog is not about the rigid formula that works for a specific company, but about some of the most useful practices that you should learn to launch a new product.
Here are some of the important tips for a successful product launch
1. Determine your goals and target audience
Good campaigns and marketing programs should always get started with a well-defined goal. You should always start by asking yourself the question of “Why”.
Why are we even launching the product? Will it solve the problems of your customers?
If you have the answer to your question then probably you can take a step ahead. You can now start with the most basic goals such as customer awareness, customer engagement, and finally conversions.
Apart from this, you should even know about your targeted audience. Simply, you should know which group of people your product will serve to fulfill their needs and desires.
Getting to know your audience can eliminate the complexity of refining your product idea. It even helps you build a stronger and better relationship with your customers.
2. Refine the concept of your product
It is always important to gain insights into the customer experience to build a bridge between the market needs & customer expectations and your business goals.
When you are able to connect your business ideas with your business goals and customer needs, you can get the surety of serving the unique needs of customers with your product concept.
Refining the concept of your product can help you to kick off your product planning and positioning in the market. You can just directly grip yourself with the customers and market needs without struggling to communicate the value of your product.
This will help to boost the confidence of your team and enhance the value of product marketing along with refining the value. It thus increases the productivity of your team and achieves the business goals more aggressively.
3. Define launch priorities and create the plan
Closely aligned to determining the goals, defining the targeted audience, and refining the product concept, it is imperative to strategically create the launching plan or the release plan and prioritize the announcements.
For SaaS companies that build new products on a continuous basis, it is vital to plan the announcements prior to the smooth launch process. It will help you define the responsibilities of the stakeholders and ensure the smooth and efficient process of the release plan.
The first and foremost step for this is to plot the launch of your product. Documenting the priorities and the release plan can help the product managers to ease the tasks of timelines, positioning, and roadmap.
It increases the visibility of the plan for the entire team and eliminates any potential confusion that exists around the dependencies and deadlines.
4. Create marketing campaigns on social platforms
Product launches are incomplete without the marketing buzz. It has to be integrated with the corresponding advertising and marketing strategic materials.
These materials ensure that you can now communicate the viability of your product in an effective way.
When talking about marketing plans, social media is nowhere to be forgotten. In fact, social media is the most crucial plan to advertise your product and reach your targeted audience.
From countdown clocks to teaser photos, there are many ways one can use this platform to get into the feeds of the audience.
Starting this process early can also help you build the desire and excitement for your product and prepare your targeted audience for the product launch day. This way you can keep your product on the top of the minds of the audiences who are willing to invest in it.
5. Analyze your results
Once the product is launched and is in the shopping carts of the customers, it is not just the end of the entire process. The most essential part is yet to come.
With everything that is required to launch a product, it is crucial to track its results. It will ensure that you are on the right course and will surely hit the business goals. You can use your release plan documentation and your goals to determine the areas of your win and the areas of future opportunities.
Analyzing the results will also help the team boost their confidence for the next release and know how to escalate it. It even validates all your hard work and the precious time you have invested in the product launch.
It even helps you identify all the opportunities to help you refine the development of the product in the future. Therefore, it will make the subsequent releases much more effective and efficient.
Ensure The Efficiency Of Your Next product launch
The first impression of your product is its launch, which has to be the most important part for a product manager. For the seamless release of your new product, you need to communicate its value to the customers, let them know its features and usages, and build strong relationships with your customers. It will help you scale up your business along with the product release to get aligned with the customer’s needs and desires.