Social media marketing can be one of your best digital tools when planning a product launch. Whether it’s a webinar, book, or in-depth course, there are several ways social media can support the creation and marketing of your launch.
Below are three ways to leverage your product launch with you social media channels.
#1: Crowdsource ideas and feedback through social media as you build your product.
The experience of inviting people to help you as you build your product on social media not only helps you plan, but it creates a community around your product.
When I wrote my book on social media marketing a few years ago, I used this technique through both email and my social media platforms. I shared images of different versions of my book cover and asked people to vote on their favorite. I asked folks to weigh in on what topics they felt were most important, then revised my chapters with their insights.
The feedback I got was valuable to me as I created my book and it was also quick – there is nothing like getting real-time answers to questions!
People who shared their feedback or gave opinions felt like they were part of my journey as a writer, and many of them purchased the book when it was finished.
You also likely have people who follow your social media or connect with you online that would love to be part of the process as you build your next product. Let them be a part of your experience.
#2: Expand your social media to include a Facebook Group where you give early access to your launch.
Everyone loves to get the inside scoop on something new and exciting. You can give some of your biggest supporters an inside peek of your product when you invite them into a closed Facebook Group.
The key is to select supportive and enthusiastic folks to be in it. Plan to drip out questions, previews, and videos to this group. They will appreciate the free advice, and you will also be supplying them with a story to tell when your product launches. Make the content you share so valuable that they can barely contain themselves from telling their friends and coworkers about your launch.
Although it might seem like creating content for these folks is an extra layer of work, the experience will benefit you. The feedback you receive from them and the questions you answer are a preview of the interactions you will have when you do the full product launch. Fielding questions in the group will help you prepare to answer them later.
#3: Build anticipation of your product launch on your social media platforms.
The last thing you want to do when you launch a new product is open the virtual doors to the sound of crickets. Make your product launch a fun event with excitement, activity, and enthusiasm.
One of the easiest ways to do this is through videos. Before you say “heck no” to video creation, keep in mind that the video doesn’t need to be a 30-minute video of you alone talking about your launch. It can be a quick interview with someone, a pre-recorded video of you teaching a skill with a screencast video, or a 30-second video of you announcing your launch has begun and urging your followers to reach a new blog post or visit the landing page.
And if video is not your thing, you can focus on the easier social media content before launch day. Here is some content you can share in the days leading up to your launch:
- A daily tip in a graphic related to your book or course
- A series of links that drive people to blogs that show off your expertise on the topic
- A post on Instagram or Facebook Stories giving an update of your product launch
Whatever you decide to share, make sure you’ve planned out the series of posts ahead of time to reduce stress and last minute launch jitters.
The reasons and tactics I’ve shared here to use social media marketing to support the launch of your product skim the surface of what it possible. With some creativity and planning, you’ll find that social media can be one of the strongest drivers of your product launch.
