Common Product Launch Mistakes to Avoid

This blog post talks about the 8 most common product launch mistakes and how you can avoid them.

A product launch doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive if you plan it well and approach it strategically.

However, simple and costly mistakes are common.

8 Common Product Launch Mistakes

 

Improper Planning

One of the key steps of a product launch is the planning phase.

You need to take some time at the beginning and map out the whole process, including a content calendar that maps every task along the way.

Take the time necessary to do this before diving into any other product launch activities.

 

Setting the Launch Date Too Soon

Of course, you’re excited and you want to launch as soon as possible, but you should set your launch date no sooner than 3 months out.

Once you get started, you’ll understand why.

There is a great deal to do and launching prematurely can make your product launch a disaster.

 

Wasting Time on People Who Won’t Buy

How well do you know your customers?

If you cast your net too wide, you’ll waste time marketing to people who won’t buy.

Instead, create a detailed customer profile and make sure you’re targeting just the right people who want and need your product.

 

Focusing Only on Features

Naturally, you feel that your product offers the best features and you want your audience to know about them.

It’s good to discuss the features included in your product, but make sure you emphasize the benefits.

People are enticed by how their lives will be improved and their problems solved by your product.

Cultivate the image of a better life using your product — this is what will sell.

 

Spending a Fortune on Ads

Costs can add up quickly when you’re running advertisements, but you can do it all without spending a dime by taking advantage of content marketing.

Create content that helps your audience and post this for free around the web.

This will draw them in and then they’ll check out your website to see what you have to offer.

 

Working on Assumptions

You may think you know your audience well, but don’t base your decisions on assumptions alone.

Obtain real objective data about your customers through metrics and feedback, and base your decisions on this.

 

Doing It All Alone

You don’t have to do your product launch all alone.

Enlist people who can help.

Get people who can handle the tasks you don’t feel as confident undertaking.

Leverage their unique skills.

Hire a virtual assistant to help with regular routine tasks.

What you pay in employing others will save you a great deal of time.

 

Failure to Track Results

You may feel like your launch went well, but you need to monitor and get feedback to know for sure.

Choose a few key metrics to measure your goals and evaluate these to see how it went.

Reach out to your customers for feedback after purchase and see if there are any changes they’d like to see you make.

Each product launch offers lessons to learn. Avoid these mistakes on your first launch — you may still make some mistakes, but look at these as learning opportunities. After a few launches, you’ll be an expert.