The Rapid Product Launch – Our Speedster Secrets

Want to get your own course or product launched and earning for you in record time?

At Content Sparks, we create and launch 2 to 3 new products every single month!

We wouldn't be able to do that unless we had a strict process carefully laid out. One that we can replicate and improve on for each launch, without spending hours and days reinventing the wheel.

If you want to move quickly with your next launch, just be aware of one thing. The ‘speedster product launch' won't maximize your sales in one big release. In order to put out so many products, we like to make our launches a bit smaller and then build up sales over time. If we were only releasing one every few months, we'd probably take longer on the launch planning part.

Quicker, smaller launches are also a great way to test a new product without investing an enormous amount of effort and money. If you're insanely busy with other things in your life, it's better to get your product launched on a smaller scale so that it's earning for you. If it's a success, you can then spend a little extra time building a funnel to get more leads and do a larger launch the next time.

You'll also know whether it's worth your while to invest in additional advertising to drive traffic to your new product.

So if you DO want to take the speedy route, here our are top 7 secrets for rapid product launches:

1. Don't Over-Complicate

Start with the simplest, easiest launch methods – ones that you already know how to do or can set up quickly. It's easy to look at someone who has a complicated launch funnel and think, “I should be doing that!” But those people have been doing launches for years or have someone managing it all for them. When speed is an issue, it's best to stick with what you can implement quickly. Then add on more tactics over time as you get more experience.

2. Try a Soft Launch

We often do ‘soft launches', in which we promote primarily to our own email lists and followers. Soft launches are a great way to test a product with your current customers before investing in a bigger launch.

You can then ask your customers for their feedback, both the positive and the constructive type. Incorporate that feedback into both your launch materials and your product or service itself before you launch to the general public. You'll end up with a much higher quality product as a result AND you'll have success stories to share. That will improve the conversions on your bigger launches even more.

3. Build a Template Library

We use templates for almost everything in our launches and our products. For example, our images for sharing on social media use a template in PowerPoint that we can tweak in the master slide to match the product topic. Our launch email sequences follow a pattern of pre-launch content, heads-up, promo, content, reminders, etc. We may write new emails each time, but it's easier when you already have a sequence to follow. The same goes for all our launch content. Keep templates for your designs and layouts.

Create your own checklist of content that you know you'll want to create for each launch. Put that checklist in your project management tool and keep a folder of templates that you can share with team members.

4. Define a Detailed Process

While it may take time to figure it out, you need to lay out every single detail of your launch process. That should include all the bits and pieces that either members of your team or third parties are responsible for. We put that process into our asana project management tool, save it as a template, and then copy that template as a new project every time we're ready to launch a new product.

Having all your tasks laid out, down to the smallest steps, eliminates the time you usually spend trying to decide what to do next. And if you save that list, you'll help ensure you don't forget a task next time. Just add to the launch process template every time you find that you need to change or when you suddenly remember a tasks that wasn't listed.

5. Be Prepared to Change Course

Be ready to adapt to market (and life) events. An idea for increasing sales might suddenly come to you that you want to act on. You might have unexpected crisis in your own life that cuts into the time you had planned to take implementing the launch. A request from a customer or other feedback might come in that you want to incorporate in the product. Or, there might be a news event that you can leverage during your launch. Even though we create most of our content in advance, we sometimes go in and edit based on new ideas or events.

If your mindset is ready to turn on a dime and make changes in your launch plan, then your stress level is instantly reduced.

And if all hell breaks loose and your life turns upside down, you can still proceed with a launch if you cut everything to a bare minimum. I've definitely had this happen at times. Usually, we have everything prepared well in advance of a launch. But I've had times where 10 different demands on my personal time have pulled me away from launch tasks. In those cases, I look at my to-do list and identify the bare minimum, ‘must do' tasks, such as writing a launch email or scheduling a Facebook Ad. Then I prioritize the rest and fit it in around the edges of my crisis tasks.

6. Train Your Team

Build a team of reliable outsourcers who you can go to for help in creating marketing content, managing customer service, tech issues, monitoring sales, etc. Well before any launch, share your philosophy and guidelines for customer service, your standards for quality control, and your business values and mission.

Make sure that your team always has access to the most up-to-date materials, including promotional content. That means having shared folders where that content is easily accessible. And you can even keep little training videos in those folders or in a separate training section for team members. That way, if someone needs a remember of how to perform a task, such as set up a new content upgrade, they can just watch the tutorial and follow any checklist you've created.

Aside from having your team well-prepared, ensure you have open lines of communication. We use Skype for quick questions, Evernote chat for some projects with detailed checklists, and asana for keeping track of all the little tasks for a launch.

7. Don't Expect Perfection

Don't beat yourself up if something goes wrong during your launch or you end up not being able to do everything you planned. That's to be expected.

Even marketers who have been launching products for years have technology mishaps, bloopers, and typos. The key is to document everything so that you can improve your next launch.

Once you've done one product launch, you'll have the confidence to go bigger next time and add more complexity to the mix. Or keep it simple and just spend more time with lead generation in advance. If there's anything that's slowing you down, look for ways around that obstacle.

Want a checklist that you can use for your own launches?

You don't need to do absolutely everything in this free download, but it will give you a good framework to follow for all your launches.

Go ahead and grab that checklist …then customize it for your own launch needs.

Want to teach your own customers how to run a profitable product launch?

We also have a complete set of course materials, ready for you to teach and sell.