You worked hard—very hard—to bring your new product to life. Now it’s here, and it’s time to get it out there. Of course, just posting it quietly won’t generate the sales your time demands. You need to get the word out.
How do you tell people about your new product in a way that generates sales?
The Hard (But Good) Truth of Self-Promotion
There’s hard work, and then there’s hard work. In the biblical Book of Genesis, we find the story of Jacob. After some family drama, Jacob sets out to start a life for himself. He soon falls in love with a beautiful woman named Rachel, who is also his cousin (different times, folks). He goes to Rachel’s father, a herdsman named Laban, and pledges to work for seven years for Rachel’s hand in marriage. They strike a deal.
After seven long years, the wedding day arrives. Jacob marries his veiled bride, only to discover he’s been tricked! Under the veil is Rachel’s older sister, Leah. Laban explains that it is customary for the eldest daughter to be married first, and that if Jacob wants to marry Rachel, he needs to work seven more years. But it was true love, and Jacob did just that.
Compared to 14 years of manual labor, launching your next product is likely a walk in the park, but that doesn’t mean it’s easy. Like Jacob, the real victory comes in two hard-earned phases:
First, you have to create your product. You’ve got to do the work, write the book, build the course, open the office.
Second, you have to promote the work. It’s not enough that it’s there—though that’s huge! Once your product is ready for the world, you then have to set about the work of selling it.
Sales Are Social
This is what makes our social Web 2.0 world so great. You may not have a multi-million dollar marketing budget and an ad agency on retainer (that’s why you come to Platform University). But you do have access to the entire world from the device on which you’re reading this blog post.
In other words, you have no shortage of people to tell about your new product—and they have no shortage of people to tell on your behalf. All you need is a social launch campaign. We can help.
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Want to give Platform University (your one-stop shop for building an online audience) a spin? Get your first week of Platform University for just $1. Cancel anytime. Try Platform University for Just $1These are the four steps you need to follow to self-launch your new product via social media.
- Offer Value. This sounds like a no-brainer but when you offer your new product, you need to put something valuable in front of people. For example, if you’ve self-published a book, you could offer a discount to the first 100 buyers. But value is also emotional, so be sure your audience is clear on how your new product will benefit them personally.
- Make It Easy to Get. Friction kills sales. You must provide an easy way for people to get your offer. Make sure it is easy to find on your site, easy to buy (WordPress offers great eCommerce options), and easy to locate thanks to an automated confirmation email.
- Incentivize Sharing. Get your fans to share the word for you. For example, an author might contact their email list and offer the new book BOGO (buy one, get one) to encourage sharing with friends. Or you could provide a discount to any purchasers who refer a friend.
- Pursue Profitability. Various strategies exist for how to price your product. But with that squared away, you can leverage your new product to tout your other skills on social media and expand your platform. Book speaking engagements, offer coaching sessions, online courses, and so much more.
Social campaigns are super cheap, easy to do, and when done correctly, a beautiful thing to watch. Consumers are relying on their friends’ opinions more and more for purchasing decisions. So putting your fans to work promoting you is also a great way to grow your brand, grow your fan base, and generate revenue.
