Does the thought of a launch send you spiralling into a frenzy, complete with sweaty palms? Do you liken a launch to mind-numbing bills and a precarious bank balance? (video)
I chose to make my launch an exhilarating ride to 'the next level' - with change in my back pocket, to boot!
Let me tell you how.
When I started working on the launch of simplyput.co.za, or what I like to call the 'business blog with benefits', I was determined to make it count. Being under no illusion about the fact that, unlike Rockefeller, I'm the other fella, I needed to be smart about how to run a teaser campaign frugally. At the same time, I wanted to get the most out of it.
These simple steps are what helped me:
- Make it count
There's no point in going to the trouble of planning and then embarking on a teaser campaign, without sharing any of your learnings. Make it count by sharing your experience with others.
Not only could this potentially gain you a following, it will also save your audience the time, effort and expense of having to experiment.
- Keep the momentum
Think about how you are going to keep the momentum of your campaign by sharing regular, interesting updates with your audience. Do guard against spamming them, though.
- Choose an appropriate social medium
Once you've established the objectives and direction of your teaser campaign and the subsequent launch, choose a platform that will give you the most traction. It needs to be one that is favoured by most of your target audience.
I chose Facebook as my primary platform, and dubbed my teaser campaign 'Project Pulse', to create a bit of mystique and to pique their interest.
- Add some personality to your teaser campaign
When I was ready to unveil 'Project Pulse', I created a short, personal video.
After writing my script, my husband, Greg, and I made work of this exciting shoot. We even got our 7-year old daughter involved!
I also used this opportunity to give context around simplyput.co.za, explaining its mission: to empower small and medium-sized businesses with practical business tips, ranging from effective communication and clever use of social media, to strategic savvy.
- Say thank you, it goes a long way
Showing gratitude not only makes for common courtesy, it also strengthens rapport and encourages your audience to keep showing support.
As part of the video mentioned above, I also thanked everyone for their contribution. The video features an image of what I call a 'wall of thanks', listing all of their names.
The video, as well as the 'wall' mentioned above, can be viewed on the 'Awesomeness' page of simplpyput.co.za.
- Pay it forward
At the outset, I decided that I was going to make this project count! Sharing the experience gleaned during the teaser campaign, was the best way I knew how.
Therefore, I've also shared my launch tips in a video on YouTube, called 'How to pull off a shoestring launch - and make it count'.
Main learnings
- Before embarking on a teaser campaign for a launch, think about how you can really make it count; and remember to include people from the start. This is critical to the success of your launch.
- Don't be scared to ask your audience for their input during the process, careful not to reveal too much. People generally like to share their opinion.
- Levels of interest will vary with your posts, so tweak your approach as you go. Text, plus images, tends to draw more attention, than text by itself.
- If you're a novice at this, ask for help.
- Be authentic in your dialogue
- Optimise the process - it's a great way to create a bit of hype and awareness around whatever you're launching.
These tips should spare you a lot of angst and save you a great deal of money in panning your next launch.