You don’t need to follow the classic copy/paste strategy for launching your digital products — actually, it’s better if you don’t. Don’t get me wrong; you absolutely need a strategy and launch plan in place, but you’ll get better results when you adapt it to you (and your business).
But, while I would love to break down an entire launch strategy in one post, we’d be here all day. Instead, let’s focus on the first bit – your pre-launch marketing strategy.
What is a “Pre-Launch” Strategy?
A launch strategy is your planned and coordinated effort to introduce your digital product to your audience. A pre-launch marketing strategy is one of the beginning stages of your launch.
Your pre-launch period follows your prep period and is when you’ll start building out your funnels, writing your sales page copy, planning your social media content, and, if you have affiliates, creating promotional swipe files for them to share.
A pre-launch period should start 4-8 weeks before your active selling period, aka your “open cart,” or when you’ve officially released your product to the public.
3 Must-Have Things You Need in Your Pre-Launch Marketing Strategy
You’ve done your research, developed your digital product, and now it’s time to put it into action. You probably have a good idea of what’s involved (at least on the surface) in your pre-launch marketing strategy, but I want to help you take it one step – or three – closer to absolutely nailing your launch.
I’ve helped launch 200+ digital products, and if you’re prepping to launch your own, I highly recommend adding these three things to your strategy:
#1. Invite Early Testers
It’s exactly what it sounds like — you’re going to get at least three people to test your product for free, and with the stipulation they’ll answer specific feedback questions you can use to improve your product and gather social proof to share during launch.
When you share the feedback with your audience, tag your testers in your post so people can ask them questions about their experience. With this, you build trust and connection while communicating confidence in your product.
#2. Host a Promo Workshop
The perfect bonus for early buyers is a promo workshop. A promotional workshop can add massive value to your offer, and face-to-face time with you will encourage them to purchase early — and you’ll have hella reviews and receipts to showcase.
Add it to your pre-launch strategy by marketing it on your socials and to your list by sharing if they buy within a specific timeframe (whatever feels good to you); they can attend your live workshop one month (or whenever) later to review what they created with the help of your product and make tweaks.
#3. Embrace Humor (and Transparency)
Drop the agitational content and swap it for humor and transparency. Focus on content that addresses the problem/need your product solves.
Consumers are ready to buy from brands who make them feel good (and demonstrate they understand and care about them). They want to support companies who give them a little giggle — they’re tired of being beaten down by content.
Try these three social media prompts rooted in sales psychology to get started and see a glimpse at how transparency (and positivity) work in your content!
When to Start “Launching” to Your Audience
Here’s where things get tricky when planning your launch — your timeframe. Your “pre-launch” is just a portion of your overall launch strategy, and the time you should expect to spend on your launch is typically around 8-12 weeks from the start of your prep period to the end of your active selling period.
You can begin sharing sneaks with your audience whenever you feel comfortable, but I recommend waiting until after you’ve warmed your audience up to your offer (the purpose of your pre-launch period) before you start full-out selling your product.
And you can absolutely adapt any aspect of your launch to fit your audience, business, and offer — they’re not hardcore rules you have to follow (just recommendations from a copywriter who knows a thing or two about launching and wants to see more business owners like you succeed).
If you’re ready to sell your digital products but you’re getting a little overwhelmed by the whole “launch” thing, I’d like to introduce you to The Digital Seller’s Copy Kit — a Copy Kit that includes all the resources, templates, and guidance you need to successfully market and sell your digital offers without breaking a sweat.
Curious? Take a tour through the kit and get a quick sneak peek of what’s inside.
