Product launches are exciting for B2B companies, but also daunting, because they can take you two ways. You could generate new revenue — but you might invite lot of comparison and criticism.
Like most things in life, there’s no 100 per cent effective way to get it right. But if you pay attention to the small things, they can all add up to some big swings in your favour.
Let’s start by classifying product launch stages into three: the pre-launch stage, the launch stage, and the post-launch stage. We’ll give a couple of examples of those small things B2B organizations should keep in mind for each.
The Pre-Launch Stage
Email Marketing
Do you have good contact list? Hopefully, because email marketing is one of the most effective ways to reach people who might be interested. Personalize your emails to make your product launch most relevant to your list and those most likely to buy, and send links to supporting content, such as blog posts, that expand on your offering. Be sure to speak about the pains that your product or service help resolve to really connect with them.
Pre-Launch Hype
Often, a product launch is accompanied by some event, whether physical, a big giveaway, or simply a celebration of the date (perhaps including a time-limited promo offer!).
That gives you the opportunity to put some effort into building pre-launch hype. Talk about the benefits of your product, but also talk about the problems it will solve — this will make it seem more valuable than simply screaming about the product itself over and over.
More on product launches right here!
The Launch
Shareable Content
Your launch should come with content that’s relatable and shareable in order to encourage a conversation to start. Viral content can be tricky — you don’t want the story to just be about the content itself — but social network activity is a great way to build awareness about the issues your product tackles, and link your brand to the solution.
No matter how big or small your B2B company is, always make sure your team has thoroughly vetted the content — you don’t want something to get out there that ends up having unforeseen consequences when people take it a different way than you expected.
The Post-Launch Stage
“Out of sight is out of mind after all”
Many marketers tend to focus all their energy on the pre-launch and hope the product will catch on thanks to its obvious effectiveness — no, this will not happen. Even if the product you have launched has amazing credibility and is genuinely the best product in the market, unless you consistently support the product and continuously push its story, people will forget and move on to the one that does.
Quick ideas?
- Run some paid ads to continue to get your message in front of people
- Target and retarget relevant audiences
- Continue to create content such as blogs and social media posts, and time them carefully for maximum impact
What else can you do to keep your customers engaged? Think outside of the box!
Social Influencers
You’ve probably taken some care to understand what your personas are interested in, what pain them, and how best to position your message to reach them. But did you consider who appeals to them?
Depending on your B2B organization, it could vary quite a lot.
- Local, highly connected business leaders
- Well-known internet thought leaders
- Respected organizations that you have firm connections with
Can you get them to endorse your product? It is time to make most of this opportunity! Most social influencers are often easy to get recommendations. Posts or recommendations from social influencers look authentic and natural — and hence are more appealing than paid ads or direct incentives
Referrals
Any B2B organization knows that word-of-mouth is incredibly important: it’s the most effective form of advertising, in fact! Give small incentives to your existing customers when they give you referrals.
Whatever you’re launching, pay attention to these small details before, during, and after your launch. They’ll all combine to deliver more conversions.
Need a hand with a product or service launch? At Flawless Inbound, we’ve helped more than 70 B2B organizations across Canada and the US with everything from product launches to website redevelopments to full scale sales and marketing campaigns. Everything we do is focused on the most critical goal of any business: revenue growth.