Product Launch 101

As you read this I’ll be in a 2-hour intensive session with one of the few 1-on-1 consulting clients, and we’ll be preparing a precise strategy to bring his nutrition product to the world using a product launch.

Now you probably know that “Product Launches” are the “car show girls” of the internet marketing world. Super sexy, and everyone wants one in their business.

After all, if you pay any attention to the world of internet marketing, you know that the big guys are doing product launches all the time – and for good reason too, because they work better than almost everything else for making sales.

Of course, a successful product launch is easier said than done, but the steps are pretty simple. If you’ve done one yourself, you know that it’s just a matter of following a proven system.

Last Friday at the seminar I was attending in Cleveland, Jeff Walker, the “father of the product launch” laid it all out for those of us in the audience.

Now I can’t tell you everything that Jeff told us, but I can walk you through the basic 5 steps of Product Launch 101.

Step #1: Demonstrate Authority

Essentially, this is what I’m doing every day that I write my Internet Independence email.

By giving you great information and action steps, I’m proving to you that I know what I’m doing. (Although some folks might disagree, ha!).

In addition, there are other subtle ways of proving authority, such as associating myself with Jeff Walker and by attending exclusive seminars where folks like Dan Kennedy and Walker are speaking. Plus, I demonstrate authority by doing my own speaking gigs as I did down in Panama.

So identify how you can demonstrate authority to your market.

To be honest, as soon as you start putting your ideas down in a newsletter or on a blog, or when you start creating your own videos, you’re already taking big steps to creating a level of authority. So take action today.

Step #2: Create Reciprocity

The best way to do this is by giving away a free piece of content that most of your readers would be happy to pay for.

During Jeff Walker’s product launches for his Product Launch Formula product, he gives away free videos.

In the fitness world, my business partners tend to give away free reports that are packed with great content.

By doing this, and asking for nothing more than an email address in return, you are generating what is known as a feeling of reciprocity…that your readers feel they owe
you something in return – and so they’ll give you their attention.

Step #3 – Demonstrate Community & Social Proof

Your product launch should be built on a website with a comments section. That’s why most launches use a site built on wordpress to host their free videos, and allow comments underneath the videos.

In the comments, their readers create community and social proof with hundreds and even thousands of positive comments and thank you’s for the valuable free content.

You can even have a contest on your blog that offers a few free copies of your product in exchange for readers telling you their “reason why” they want the product so bad. That’s
a great lesson for another email.

Step #4 – Build Anticipation

In a product launch, you’ll see authors release more great free content or video that helps the reader, and that also talks about the system that will be released in the future. This builds anticipation in advance of the product release.

Step #5 – Identify Scarcity & More Social Proof

Many authors also mention “fast action” bonuses or a limited number of products that will be available. This also builds anticipation for the launch day. Plus, the authors will showcase past success stories of people who have used the product and achieved great results.

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Again, that’s a brief walk-through covering only a portion of the Product Launch system, but I’ve watched it work dozens of times. It’s a proven system.

Fortunately, it’s also fairly simple.

Most product launches last 10-14 days, but in theory, the entire process can be extended a lot longer than that.

In fact, Walker admitted he stumbled across the system because he didn’t know how to sell anything when he started giving out free info online many years ago.

He realized that by giving out great content, he built up anticipation among his readers who started asking him when he was going to finally release a product. He eventually created an entire system from that experience.

Now, having said all that, there’s one BIG catch…you need people on your list in order to make sales during a launch.

In most cases, successful product launches depend heavily on affiliates. So you’ll need to have a lot of affiliates or you’ll need to have built up a big list yourself.

If you’re new to Internet Independence, I explain how you can start building your list and attracting affiliates with a series of smaller product launches.

All of that info is in the “12 Months to $100K” Blueprint here.

Follow the simple steps to success,

Craig Ballantyne

Kekich Credo #75. “Persistence is a sure path to success with quality activities. Never, ever, ever, give up.”…So track your efforts and focus on what works. Create a system of success. Consistency is key. Harness passion and social support to get you through the dips. Never, ever, EVER give up.