You’ve already been in business for a couple of years, andnow you feel the time is right to broaden your product range or services. Launching something new is bound to be a challenge, but to promoteit effectively, you’ll need a plan. When you’re operating a small business, most tasks will fall on your shoulders; production, communication, website design, andmarketing are all down to you, which can be very daunting. However, coupled with the hard work,there is an awful lot of personal reward. If you’re wondering how you can fit the promoting of a new product into your already full work schedule, here are some ways that might help. That’s not to say there’s no work involved for you. Quite the opposite. You’ll also be pleased to learn that some of the suggestions are quite simple.
Email Marketing
Email marketing has been shown to be very effective at converting readers into customers, more so than social media channels. Thisis because withan email, there are no distractions. Promoting a product via social media means you have to compete with personal posts, other brands, direct messages, paid for advertising and more. In a person’s email inbox there are no such distractions. You’ve already got their attention in a waybecause they’ve signed up to receive your emails and providedyou with their email address. They already have an investment in your product. Best of all, it’s free! A company that already uses emails to great effect is the Fast Fortune Club.
Communicate Value with a Story
Rather than telling potential customers how good your product or service is, you need to weave a story around it.You need to be selling an experience instead of a product. Don’t think of a customer as wanting a product. View them as a person who wants a solution to a particular problem. Benefits, features, andfacts are not what you need to concentrate on; instead, tell a story and feature a character along with intense emotions. A product’s value is easy to convey through storytelling. For example, you want to sell a new content writing service to customers. Send out emails and write content about writing content, how to keep focused when writing, the problems of working from home. Always try to include a call-to-action, either signing up for emails, sharing the content or buying a product.
Write a Blog Post
It’s always good to add a blog post into your content calendar, especially when you’re launching a new product. It doesn’t have to be a complex post, just one that explores how it can meetyour customer’sneeds and provide benefits. Add a button or widget that lets them easily buy the product and the job is done. Blogging is also good for SEO, and a blog is a good way to increase your brand’sexposure.
Share Information Socially
Billions of potential customers make use of various social media channels. Facebook, Twitter, andInstagram are the better-known ones. However, there’s also Pinterest, LinkedIn, Snapchat, YouTube and a wealth ofothers. Find out which channels your target audience chooses to use and share posts about your products. Make sure you customize the content for each channel. Make your posts more visual, andyour customers will be able to see what they’re getting.
Create a Teaser Campaign
Before the launch of your new product or service, create a teaser campaign on one of the social media channels. It is a way of peaking peoples interest before the big launch day. You don’t necessarily have to launch the exact sameproduct you were planningbecause the relationship and interest isalready going to be there. Keep the campaign updated with informative, creative and interesting posts. A good way of engaging with audiences is a behind the scenes video of what is going on.
Offer Discounts for Regular Subscribers
Discounts can be a great tool to use, butyou do need to use them wisely. The aim is to reach new customers, but you don’t need to be cutting into your profit margin at the same time. As well as discounts, consider free shipping and buy-one-get-one-free offers. Loyalty schemes are also worth considering because they have proved to be very successful for high street stores. Regular customers can earn points which can then be exchangedfor gifts or products.
Write a Press Release
Many businesses focus on the wider audience, but have you thought about going local? Online marketing is the big thing nowadays, but there are still local news agencies looking for valuable content to fill their paper pages. Think of ways you can make it relevant to the local community and get in touch with local newspapers and news stations.
Run a Contest
Thisis an easy and affordable way to get your brand in front of lots of people. However, you need to make sure your contest targets the right kind of people, as in potential customers. You have to take care with the platform your contest is promoted on, the timing and the message you wantto convey.
Referral Marketing
Not so many years ago, it would have been wordof mouth that was used to promote a product. It is one of the oldest forms of marketing and is still possible even though we tend to rely on the internet for marketing efforts. Rather than recommending products face-to-face, referral marketingis about getting others to talk about your products online, in a way that will drive sales and awareness.
Facebook Live
Thisis a relatively new addition to the Facebook box of tools, but it is gaining in popularity. Using Facebook live you can talk to your followers directly about your new product or service. You might be intimidated at first, but it is worth getting out of your comfort zone because being able to see the face behind a business is a very humanizing experience and creates a special connection with your customers.
Your new product isn’t going to sell itself. You don’t need to lose sleep over it though because there are many ways to promote it. We’ve included a few of them in the list above, but there are plenty more you can choose to try.
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