5 Secrets of a Winning Product Launch Plan

The time has come. It’s time to launch that new, splendid product of yours. Well done you! First of all, I want to say I am very proud of you for taking the time to craft the perfect product launch plan.

I believe we do not make enough time to celebrate our accomplishments. Especially the type-A marketers like yours truly.

Now, let’s be real. The key to a successful product launch is having a solid plan in place.

Launching a new product can be incredibly exciting, but it can also be nerve-wracking. After all, there are so many variables to consider and so much that can go wrong. But what makes a winning product launch plan? In this post, we’ll share five secrets that can help you create a launch plan that sets you up for success.

In a world where pivoting has been key for business growth, launching new products or variations of them has been the only way to really progress and keep ongoing whilst the way we work has readjusted and evolved right before our eyes.

When it comes to marketing your products ahead of releases, it’s key to take the time to make sure you have your house in order – if you are looking for more help, don’t forget to check out our course library.

Validate your idea

I could write a whole piece about validating your idea – oh wait, I actually did!

One of the biggest qualms I have when it comes to working with my clients (a mix of startups, established businesses and personal brands), is that we focus far too much on the launch process, and we forget about doing the groundwork.

“Rookie mistake” you may think. “I would never do such a thing” I can see you muttering. On research, I carried out ahead of one of our live cohorts I discovered that over 80% of businesses (based on clients I worked with for over 8 years) forget to do at least two of these key five things ahead of a product launch.

Validating your business idea is crucially important for several reasons.

• First and foremost, it helps you avoid the costly mistake of launching a product or service that no one wants. By taking the time to validate your idea, you can assess the market demand and make sure there’s a real need for what you’re offering.
• Additionally, validation can help you refine and improve upon your idea, making it more appealing and valuable to potential customers. It can also give you the confidence and motivation you need to move forward with your idea, knowing that you’ve done your due diligence and have a solid plan in place.

Check-in with your stats

We cannot ignore the fact that without having a plan, you won’t be able to complete a successful launch.

Not only does a plan help keep you organised and on track, but it also allows you to measure your success and track your progress.

• Understand what’s working: By tracking your statistics, you can identify what’s working and what’s not. For example, if your email click-through rate is low, you may need to re-work your launch email sequence.
• Identify opportunities for growth: Tracking your stats can help you identify areas where you can grow or improve. For example, if you notice a high engagement rate on Instagram, you may want to focus your launch efforts on the Gram!
• Set realistic benchmarks: By tracking your stats over time, you can set realistic benchmarks for yourself and your team. This can help you stay motivated and focused on your launch goals.

Pre-launch statistics

Before you start the launch process, make sure you note what your current statistics are for your site, email list, social pages, or current sales. This will allow you to track how your launch is going.

Pre-launch statistics should be tracked before you start the launch process. That way, after you launch you can compare your stats to see the growth.

• Email subscribers
• Social media followers
• Engagement rate

Launch success benchmarks

Keep track of other metrics aside from your launch goals will keep you motivated during the days when you feel like you are not meeting your target.

You see, benchmarks basically help you and your team stay on track and focused on your goals. Launch success benchmarks are specific targets or metrics that you set up for yourself to achieve during the lead-up to your product launch.

By setting these benchmarks, you can better track your progress and make any necessary changes to your launch plan to help ensure that you achieve your desired goals.

These include:

• Conversion rate
• Website traffic
• Click-through rate (CTR)
• New leads or prospects
• Revenue or sales

Refine your product launch goals

Decide what your goals are. Is it a monetary value, subscribers, the number registered, clients booked, items sold, etc. You won’t be able to assess your success if you do not look at the targets consistently.

A few options for this include:

• Number of enrolments
• Number of subscriptions
• Items sold
• Clients booked

Until you have a clear idea of your unique plan strategy and the goals you are trying to achieve with your product launch, you may still miss some of the tools you may want to add – we have a list of amazing tools right on the website.My top essential marketing tools include:

• Social media schedulers 
• Email providers (ConvertKit is great for visual automations)
• Design tools to create assets for your posting schedule like Canva
• Spreadsheets or tracking systems (check out our shop for premium tracking templates!)

Next steps in your product launch plan: map your user journey

User experience and user journey are not just something your web designer should worry about.

In the world of marketing, it’s key to know the journey your customers will go through to prompt them to share their purchase, spread the word about your product and get excited from the moment their payment goes through.

When it comes to a simple user journey, we can use the example of some of the key landing pages for your launch.

The pages to look into include:

• Coming soon page (8 to 7 weeks ahead of the launch)
• Landing page (where you will have a countdown for your launch date)
• Sales page (the place your offer and the new product will live)
• Thank you page

If you do not welcome your customers and prompt them to share from the get-go, you’ll lose a great opportunity. I personally love using simple tools like click to tweet to encourage buyers to share the fact they purchased a new product – and even upset sometimes.

Creating the key pages for your launch as soon as possible is key. I recommend using a tool like ConvertKit to create signup pages, and most people can create thank you pages and sales pages on their websites.

Map the journey your audience will go through in order to buy your product. Will they be coming from a link in bio on social? What will they see when they first land on your page? How can you encourage social sharing after purchase?

The truth about launching

Everyone loves to talk about the marketing funnel of a launch. It’s something I call the launch frenzy. The excitement of a deadline, seeing the sales ticking. Yet, when talking about the foundations of your launch, so many marketers still brush the fundamentals off.

You don’t want to be that person. Make sure you build the boldest, most successful launch to date by ticking off these simple steps before you get started on your strategy planning.

Remember that launching a successful product is as much an art as it is a science. So don’t be afraid to try new and creative approaches, and be sure to stay organised and focused on your goals.

Armed with these five secrets of a winning product launch plan, you’re on your way to launching a product that truly resonates with your target audience and drives growth for your business.

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