103: 6 Things I’ve Learned About Launching
Welcome back to Making Good, the podcast for small businesses who want to make a big impact.
I’m your host, Lauren Tilden, and this is episode 103.
I’ve been selling products since I launched Good Sheila in 2017… but it wasn’t until last year that I feel like I finally figured out how to really launch in a way that creates buzz, conversation – and most importantly, results.
So, today I’m going to be sharing 6 things I’ve learned about launching that I think you can use the next time you are releasing something new into the world.
BUT! Before we get into the episode, I just wanted to plant a bug in your ear that in March, the doors to Making Good Happen will be re-opening. If you are looking to make a smart marketing plan and then have the accountability to ACTUALLY follow through on the plan… we would LOVE to have you in Making Good Happen. Be the first to hear more about it by joining the waitlist: makingoodpodcast.com/waitlist.
Okay! So let’s talk launching, shall we?
First of all, what do I mean when I use the word launch?
A launch is simply the coordinated effort of releasing something into the world.
You can launch a business.
You can launch a product.
You can launch a service.
Your launch plan is your best shot at making a splash.
I used to think that launching a product simply meant that it was now available for sale. Build it and they will come, right?
Well… no. Turns out, that’s not how it works.
What it took me a little bit too long to learn is that a product launch that actually generates big results has a lot of planning, effort, and MARKETING involved… long before the product is available to buy.
I took a different approach to launching for the last two things I released into the world, my 2021 Holiday Collection for Good Sheila, and my new membership program, Making Good Happen, and the results really spoke for themselves.
So, today I’ll be sharing the 6 things I learned about launching as a result of doing things pretty differently the last couple of times around.
The first thing I learned is that The most important part of your launch, BY FAR, is the pre-launch.
When you break it down, launching has 3 phases:
Pre-launch: this is the period of time leading up to the launch
Launch: this is the results of all the planning and previewing when the product is available to buy
Post-launch: the period after the launch when you evaluate and make any tweaks necessary
In the past, my approach to launching has been to work really hard behind the scenes on whatever I was launching (and not really share much about that), until it was finally ready when I’d press publish and say LOOK WHAT I MADE. I hadn’t spent the time warming up my audience, getting them interested in what I was doing, so the results weren’t what they could have been if I’d invested more time beforehand in the pre-launch.
I really believe that my last 2 launches have exceeded my expectations because I did the vast majority of the marketing BEFORE there was even a way to purchase. I spent the time giving sneak peeks, involving my audience in decisions about the product, and building buzz, so that when there was finally something to buy, I had adequately warmed up and interested my ideal customers in what I had to offer.
There are no set rules about how long a pre-launch period is, but I’d recommend at least a few weeks.
For my December product launch, my pre-launch was a few weeks long. For the launch of Making Good Happen, the pre-launch period was a couple of months long. This means for a couple of months before there was even a check-out page, I was talking about Making Good Happen. If you listen to this podcast, you probably heard me!
Okay, let’s move on to the second thing I’ve learned about launching, and that is to Show EVERYTHING behind the scenes (no matter how boring it seems to you).
Like I mentioned, my approach to launching has usually been to work hard behind the scenes, keep pretty hush hush about the product itself, and then when everything is all ready to go, I launch with an email or two and some social media posts.
But, this time around, I decided to approach my launch COMPLETELY differently. I pulled back the curtain of mystery, and shared everything.
For example, for my Good Sheila holiday collection launch, which included gift wrap, gift tags, and ornaments – by the time I actually launch, I had already shared images and sneak peeks of EVERY SINGLE ITEM in the holiday collection.
For example… with wrapping paper, that meant I let people in on the painting, the scanning, the digitizing, the pattern making and everything.
With the Making Good Happen launch, I shared screenshots of the member portal and content as I was building it.
I let people in on the whole process. I was really hesitant to do this, because I felt like I was spoiling the surprise of the launch…. But as it turns out, now looking back – I wish I’d done even more!
Next time, I’ll challenge myself to go even further and share more and more of the behind the scenes.
And the results are in! The mystery reveal that I normally have done is simply not as effective as building hype by actually getting people excited about what's coming... and that means details. Photos. Behind the scenes.
The third thing I’ve learned about launching is to include your audience in your product decisions.
One of the best ways to make people feel invested in something you’re making is to get them involved in creating it.
For both my December product launch and Making Good Happen, I decided that I was going to give my audience some real power over how I designed everything and what designs/features to move forward with.
Let’s talk about the product launch as an example:
When I was painting ornaments, I'd put the different designs out there on Instagram stories and in my email list, and have people vote on what they liked best.
When I designed way too many wrapping papers, and had to narrow it down to 4 or 5 (which ultimately became 7, haaaa), I had my audience vote on their favorites.
And, I have to say. I was REALLY surprised with what people liked the most.
You can choose to involve your audience in your product decisions like I did… or you can have them help you with smaller things, like packaging design, or the colors on your sales page. Even the tiniest decisions are things you can involve your audience in.
Including your audience in your product decisions does a few things for you:
It makes sure you’re creating products that your audience wants
It’s a super effective way of generating engagement with my customers (you’ll be surprised by how many people participate)
It puts it in the back of people's minds that you have a launch coming up… even if you’re not explicitly talking about the launch
It gives you information on what your audience is interested in. You can even go the extra step and record which people voted on which things, so you can follow up with them later and let them know that their vote won!
The fourth thing I’ve learned about launching is that VIP Waitlists work.
For years I’ve been seeing people launch with VIP waitlists, and not really “getting it”. A VIP waitlist is when you give first access to shop to people who sign up to be on your list. This especially works well when you have a handmade product and a limited quantity.
Here’s how I used VIP Waitlists for each of the two things I launched in the last few months.
For my Good Sheila holiday collection launch, I created a VIP Waitlist for folks who were interested in shopping my new collection. The incentive to sign up was that folks on the waitlist got access to shop 24 hours before everyone else, and they also got an exclusive discount that I didn’t share with anyone else. Then, after 24 hours, I opened shopping up to the general public but they didn’t get access to the VIP discount.
For the launch of my marketing accountability membership program, I created a special waitlist for people who wanted to be notified when the doors opened for the first time ever. I had a special price that was offered for people who signed up in the first couple of weeks, and was so pleasantly surprised by how many people signed up for this list with that incentive of getting access to the best price ever available.
From now on I will *ALWAYS* do VIP waitlists anytime I am doing a significant launch, because such a high percentage of my sales from both launches came from that smaller subset of people.
The fifth thing I’ve learned about launching is that sometimes the best marketing means getting scrappy.
I love systems and things that happen automatically. I love “set it and forget it” marketing. I love scheduling emails and letting them go out. I love things that are hands-free.
This means that I sometimes struggle with the more hands-on, manual marketing tasks – like Instagram stories, which are generally done in the moment, and by hand. I tend to resist SCRAPPY.
But friends… Scrapy works. I spent so much time in both of these launches doing individual outreach, sending DMs back and forth on Instagram, creating Instagram story graphics from my phone instead of designed in something like Canva or Photoshop.
And I really believe that a lot of my sales came in because of this personal, hands-on approach. Because I was present, and made myself available in a way that I don’t always do.
The sixth and final thing I’ve learned about launching is… we need to ERR on the side of too much marketing.
I think I've always known this intuitively, but I'm walking the walk this time. Nobody sees everything you put out there into the world. And it's no one's top priority except yours.
WHICH MEANS, we need to feel like we're going overboard in our communications.
During my launch and pre-launch, I felt like I was posting about my program CONSTANTLY. I did make sure to sprinkle in some other, non-launchy content in there, but for the most part I was going full out. And even as a seasoned marketer, this was challenging for me.
And…. turns out that’s what I needed to do.
During your launch: Send more emails than you expect to send. Post more on your social platforms. Reach out personally to people who expressed interest. Put yourself a little bit outside of your comfort zone.
The worst thing someone can do is say no, or unsubscribe.
But I know that people who buy my products will love them, because I stand behind them 110%. And keeping in mind that the more sale I generate, the bigger impact I can create, helps me be willing to put myself out there and market more than I might be inclined to.
So there you have it! 6 things I’ve learned about launching in my 4 years in business so far that have led to my most successful launches.
To review, the 6 things are:
The most important part of your launch is the pre-launch
Show everything behind the scenes
Include your audience in your decisions
VIP waitlists work
Get scrappy
Err on the side of too much marketing
You can find details from this episode at makinggoodpodcast.com/103.
Before I wrap up, I also want to remind you that if you want all the details FIRST about when the doors open to my membership for small business owners, sign up at makinggoodpodcast.com/waitlist.
Thank you for being here, and for focusing on making a difference with your small business!
Talk to you next time.