Pre-Launch Marketing Strategies That Generate Buzz

Realizing that much of business success relies heavily on momentum will serve anyone well. But it is not exactly a textbook concept that one can generate by following a flow chart. The reality is that there are more options for trying to create momentum than any single company will ever be able to attempt. The vast number of solutions should cause those in charge of a company to be wary – just because a “best practice” method exists and is recommended to your team, does not mean it will generate the buzz you and your newest products are hoping to achieve. For many companies, trying to get the ball of momentum rolling before their products ever reach the market has been their route of choice. Brian Halligan, the founder, and executive chairman of HubSpot (News – Alert), described why this is so, “People shop and learn in a whole new way compared to just a few years ago, so marketers need to adapt or risk extinction.”

With a near endless number of pre-launch marketing strategies to generate buzz, selecting the most effective is astute. Therefore, we connected with a few business experts who have offered their ideas on the matter.

Social Media Is your Best Friend

Trevor Ford (News – Alert) is the Head of Growth of Yotta, a brand offering an easy and fun way to save, spend, and manage your money. He believes the variety of unique moves to be made on social media platforms is worth paying attention to.

“When your company finds itself in the position where the product is about to debut, but you have a few weeks before that happens, this is the time to strike while the iron is on social media. Targeted ads for giveaways have been shown to be a surefire way to get people excited about what you’re doing. What better way to start your relationship off on the right foot with a whole new customer base than by giving them free stuff? Especially stuff that reflects highly on your company. For parties, this seems like a win-win to me.”

Present Yourself Accordingly

JOI specializes in plant milk concentrates (bases) that are made from single, whole ingredients, with zero preservatives or added sugar. Their CEO, Hector Gutierrez, suggests making the current state of your company clear to any online visitors.

“You can quickly estrange your potential customers from your brand by not being crystal clear about where your company is at in the production and release process. There is no doubt that people respond well to buzz about product launches. But, if they don’t know the specifics of when the products will be available or even if they don’t understand if they’re available now or not, they’re going to take their wallet and find another place to put it to use. Whatever you can do to help potential customers understand what is available to them now and in the future is incredibly beneficial.”

Create Original Content

If there had to be one single use for the internet it would be passing the time. OLIPOP is a business providing delicious new soda made with plant fiber and prebiotics. Their Head of New Business Development, Steven Vigilante, considers it necessary to position your company to be visible when people hop on to do this.

“Break time, bedtime, dinner time, and any other time resembling free time of some kind generally results in people opening their phone and simply scrolling out of habit. This behavior can be useful to companies who are about to launch their first product if they play their cards right. These people are looking for something to occupy their time within their phone and if you can find a way to get content in front of them you should. Obviously, you must start with creating original and attractive content first which is easier said than done.”

Partner with Influencers

Ryan Rottman is the Co-Founder and CEO of OSDB, a brand offering a digital sports platform with the most extensive sports information on the web. He advises others to do their research and attempt to work with internet influencers who can healthily broaden public awareness of your brand.

“To an outsider, business may seem like nothing more than a game of numbers, but this just isn’t true. I’m not saying numbers have zero influence in business. However, viewing the entirety of business as nothing more than that will harm any company trying to create excitement surrounding themselves prior to their official opening. One could argue relationships are a bigger factor which is why going out of your way to form them with internet influencers is helpful – even if that means this initial forming costs your company products or money. There’s nothing stronger than the human relationship so leaning on that between you and the influencer and between the influencer and their audience should prove impactful.”

Public Relations

Urban Skin Rx specializes in scientifically researched corrective skin care products for all skin tones and colors. Their Founder and CEO, Rachel Roff, believes a thoughtfully designed PR campaign can work wonders for generating buzz.

“Unless your name is Jeff Bezos, there is likely going to be very little if any media coverage of your product launch. Don’t let this defeat you. Instead, use it as fuel. It is your responsibility to ensure articles, podcasts, ads, and more all containing honest information related to your launch appear online. On top of this, you don’t want any of these items to contain misinformation that could damage your reputation. These two factors together mean you need to create a public relations plan that is as bulletproof as possible. Simple facts will get the ball rolling but it really needs to be a crash course in what your company is.”

Focus on Community Growth

Before reaching the stage where a company will try their hand at generating buzz, they must have people to generate that buzz with. TakeUs is a business providing collateral-free NFT rental and mortgage platforms. Their CMO, Loic Claveau, proposes prioritizing this.

“A company that has a wonderful product waiting in the wings but no people to take interest in it is a bit like a band that has a library of hits but no audience to play to. The question must be asked, do these creations exist if no one knows or has any interest? I guarantee that if you’ve built a product or service that meets the demands of people, there will be interest if you show it to them first. Facebook (News – Alert) groups and Instagram pages are a great place to start growing a community of interested people.”

With all that must be done, letting marketing strategies fall by the wayside could hamper your effectiveness before you even get started. Getting prepared for the launch of your first or next product is trying to say the least. Together, these two issues were addressed by Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon, “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.”