Promoting new product is not an easy task. For companies it is very important to have creative and effective marketing strategies, since these are able to attract new customers and make the current ones more loyal to company’s brands. Informing customers about the new product launch and making them try it later are the first steps in creating a respectful brand, and they are equally important as any other parts of product’s campaign. In this article we’re going to review the whole process of promotion and try to explain it in 7 easy steps.
Building the Hype
Step 1: Product Functionality Is the Key
Big hype before the product launch is one of the most useful things that can help its later sales. Is there a better example than Apple, who sold more than 10 million units of the new iPhone 6 on the first weekend of sales. One of the most important things when it comes to creating a big hype is to properly emphasize all advantages of the upcoming product in a way people can understand them. Steve Jobs never spoke about tech details of the Apple gadgets, but about how they’re going to change our everyday lives. This strategy made him one of the best entrepreneurs in the world.
Step 2: Social Media Campaign
Most entrepreneurs don’t have enough money for prime-time TV commercials. They shouldn’t feel bad about it though, since social networks became the best places for product promotion long time ago. Product needs to be loudly promoted on all available networks, with the use of paid ads and constant look for audience feedbacks. Product launch campaigns on social networks usually present teaser photos of the product or some of its parts, videos of the product or its production process and lots of interesting and educational stories, facts and jokes. Each campaign should have a set of memorable hashtags and lots of retweets and shares made by celebrities or experts from the niche. Company’s community managers can also make contests, and the most successful fans should get presents from the company. Giving the new product as a present to the most loyal fans and sharing it on social networks can be a great marketing strategy. This kind of promotion is one of the most effective if your product is in electronic form, like e-books, software, etc.
Step 3: More Traditional Promotional Tools
Although social media pages became the best places to promote products, companies shouldn’t forget about some more traditional ways of raising the awareness among their targeted audience. Some of these more traditional tools for informing possible customers about the new product launch can be: leaflets, life-size cardboard commercials and all kinds of different printed material available from almost any of your nearby printing services.
Product Launch
Step 4: The Event
There’s no middle ground when it comes to events like this. Either it should be arrogantly posh, like Porsche’s private party in the Sistine chapel, or totally down-to-Earth like M&M mascot walking around New York City in Dart Wader costume surrounded by the troopers. Both of these successful campaigns created a huge public response. Product launching event shouldn’t feel like another boring conference. It needs to have an interesting program, with lots of music and video content. Company’s PR should call all the relevant media that’s covering the niche, including relevant bloggers and as much celebrities as possible to this event. They all need to get special treatment because a happy blogger can be very helpful when it comes to product promotion.
After the Launch
Step 5: Making it Exclusive
People like free stuff, but they also like exclusive products that are only available to small groups. After successfully obtaining a product like this, people usually feel like they got it for free. One of the good examples for this kind of strategy is the marketing campaign that promotes OnePlus One smartphone, that could be bought only with an invite from somebody who already has it. Although this mid-range smartphone is one of the least expensive models in its class, its smart marketing campaign made it to be one of the most desirable gadgets in the world today.
Step 6: Sharing Testimonials
After first customers start sending feedbacks about the new product, companies should start collecting and posting them (with their consent of course) on their website and social media pages. This will ensure people who are still doubtful about the new product that it is a safe bet and they have nothing to be scared about.
Step 7: Power of Promotional Pricing
This should be done when the hype caused by the product launch disappears, and it is a great way to put the product back in the public spotlight. Discounts should be promoted in the same way as products before the launch. Each promotional action needs to be covered by on- and offline media and regular percentage discounts are not the only strategies that can be used. Different kinds of promotional actions like giving three products for the price of one, or giving away useful gifts that go well with the product in question can also become very popular among the customers.
