It’s a situation we see far more than we’d like to: Businesses launch a new offer that just absolute tanks. But we’d be lying if we said we’ve never stopped to gawk at the train crash. Roll our eyes as their tactics start to derail. Cringe as we see everything go up in flames.
Okay, so maybe that analogy is a little dark. But that’s show biz, baby! (Or maybe it’s just who we are as people. Who’s to say?)
Anyway, to get back on track, launching new offers is hard AF. You can spend hours and hours researching and reading ways to launch things the right way. What we don’t talk about enough is the wrong way to launch a new offer.
We get it: No one is perfect, and there are bound to be some missteps along the way. But sometimes it’s easier to course correct when you cut through the bullshit and know exactly what you’re doing wrong. That’s where yours truly comes in to help.
So, if you’re guilty of some of these wrongdoings, let this serve as your lesson to course correct and prevent yourself from a future imminent disaster.
All aboard, batches!
Selling to a cold audience
One of the biggest no-no’s in new launches is selling to a cold audience. What do we mean by that, exactly?
Take a minute to think about telemarketers or door-to-door salespeople. When they call you or show up at your doorstep uninvited, you have no idea who they are, who they work for, what they stand for, or what they’re selling. As a result, you have no reason to believe they are trustworthy or have anything of value to offer you.
Well, the same goes for your audiences.
You can’t just show up out of nowhere and expect your audiences to buy what you’re selling. If you haven’t emailed them or posted in months, they’re going to be taken off guard and have no reason to suddenly pay attention to what you’re saying.
Instead, you have to build trust and familiarity before your launch, so audiences have time to warm up to you first. Speaking of…
Not hyping it up
Hyping up your offer is the same thing as warming your audiences up. You should never promote your offer without hype beforehand. What’s the point of selling something if you can’t get people excited about it first?
When it’s time to start your launch promotion, start easy! We typically recommend starting your hype/warmup 1-2 weeks before launch, and usually in this offer:
- Tease the launch (1-2 weeks before): This can be a quick snippet or sneak peek on social and in your email newsletters.
- Announce the offer (week of): Create a waitlist to generate more hype and excitement.
- Push the offer live (day of): When your cart opens or your new product goes live, then you can start promoting even more.
Hey! Here’s a helpful guide to writing kickass pre-launch content. Ya welcome!
Not providing enough value
Even if your product is the most amazing thing ever to grace this small, minuscule, ever-warming planet, you can’t successfully sell it without providing additional value. In other words: Your audiences need to trust that you know your shit.
Make sure you have at least six to eight weeks of value provided before you start promoting your launch. That can come to life in a number of different ways, like:
- Writing and sharing blog posts relevant to your niche
- Building your email list with freebies and resources
- Creating helpful videos and how-tos
- And anything else that showcases your value and expertise
Not setting yourself apart
Just like virtually every other product in the world today, you can’t expect your new offer to sell itself. Audiences need so much more than just surface-level features and benefits of your offer. They need to know what’s in it for them, and how your offer is different from anything else out there.
That’s when you take things up a notch and speak to:
- The transformation: How will your audiences’ lives/jobs/whatever be transformed because of your offer?
- What they’ll get out of it: Go beyond monetary or physical value. What more will they get out of your offer?
- How it’s different: What sets your offer apart from others? Again, don’t just go for the low-hanging fruit here. Talk to your experiences, processes, and knowledge that make your offer that much more valuable because you created it.
LATASHA NOTE: When you’re setting yourself apart, there’s a fine line between talking about your value…and talking about yourself. Don’t just talk about all things you and your brand. Talk about them – your audiences. Put yourself in their shoes and exercise empathy so you know exactly where they’re at and how your offer can help. Don’t just talk at them; talk to them.
Using cookie-cutter launch email templates
We’ll be the first to admit that templates can be a huge life-saver for small business owners and entrepreneurs. But when it comes to launching new offers? We advise that you take a hard pass unless you plan to customize them heavily.
That’s because your audience wants (and needs) to hear your voice and see your brand reflected in their offer. They don’t want to feel like they’re just being sold to and that their name was dropped into a surface-level, over-the-top sales email.
Yes, this part will take more work, but the payoff of showcasing your true brand personality is always worth it.
Sticking to just selling
Yes, we fully understand that the entire point of launching a new offer is to actually sell it. But one of the worst things you can do is stop there.
So, don’t just sell your shit. Tell stories. Share testimonials. Showcase how someone else has benefited from your offer. Let your audiences see themselves through those stories so they can see first-hand the value your offer provides.
Going dark in between launches
Going dark between launches is one of the biggest mistakes we see. Listen, as much as we would love to crawl into a dark hole and hibernate after every launch, the business world just doesn’t allow it.
Remember: Your business is so much more than your offers – it’s the culmination of your entire brand! It’s the relationships you build. It’s staying ever-present. It’s humanizing yourself so you can continue to showcase your value and personality even when you’re not selling an actual offer.
Think about it: Consumers these days – including us – don’t just rely on the quality of an offer. Sometimes, we’ll buy something just because we like the brand so much. Or we’ll go out of our way to support a small business because we feel like we actually know the person behind the screen.
Your business and brand are no different! We’re not saying you have to be ‘on’ 24/7 (hello, burnout), but going dark in between launches is not the way to do it.
Not hiring help
In case we haven’t reminded you enough: Launching a new offer – no matter how big or small – is challenging AF. Especially if you’re new to the game or have had previous launches not go so great. Our advice? Hire some damn help!
Even if it’s temporary help, a couple of quick strategy sessions, or a post-mortem launch audit, seeking help and advice from experts who have planned and executed launches in their sleep can be hella valuable. That’s what we’re here for, after all!
So, if you’re ready to stop launching new offers the wrong way, set up a call with Latasha or get in touch with us to learn how we can help. We promise we won’t be (too) judgmental.
