As an entrepreneur who is about to launch their product, you have achieved a milestone most would-be business owners never reach. You have made your idea into a reality, and that alone is something to celebrate, don’t you think? Now, however, comes the next stage: bringing your product to consumers, achieving sales, and (eventually) scaling up. How you launch your product will help determine whether you succeed or stumble. Taking the time to carefully create and coordinate a PR campaign to build momentum around the product launch can make all the difference. Let’s take a look at the four stages of a product launch and how you can maximize each one to your advantage.

Stage 1: Plan the product launch for your startup

At least seven months before you launch your product, sit down and construct your plan. It should factor in two crucial groups: consumers and the media. You are going to need both to have a successful rollout of your product. Consumers, obviously, will be the ones who buy your product, and the media will help you to generate publicity for it. Your plan for launching your product, then, should incorporate both groups.

You will have different goals for each one. For the media, you want them to see you as credible and an authority in your industry. To establish that impression, first create a list of websites, social media groups, online magazines, and blogs that are related to your industry. You will return to this list once you are ready to begin the pre-launch ramp up.

For consumers, you are aiming for them to be so interested in your product that when it launches, they rush to buy it. You will use the same list you created for the media but add to it anyone else you can think of who might be willing to test your product and give a review.

Stage 2: Increase consumer and media interest in your product before the launch

Here is when your list will come in handy. About six months before your product launch, begin establishing your online presence. Start commenting on blogs you read, leaving useful, insightful information that others can learn from. Become a guest commentator on other industry websites, and establish a solid presence on your social media channels. When the big day of your product launch arrives, the media will do a lot of research into who you are, and you want your digital footprint to establish you as credible.

Having already researched your ideal consumer and your competition, you are ready to build up the public’s anticipation about your product’s launch. Five months before the big day, ask bloggers, editors, and influencers if they will test your product and provide reviews. Start telling your story on all of your social media channels, as people love to be inspired and feel as if they are part of your journey. Tease consumers by revealing some of your product’s features, but keep some of them a secret so that it doesn’t lose its intrigue. Think “movie trailer” instead of showing the entire movie before it hits theaters.

A few weeks before the product launch, scrutinize every word of your press release and pitch and consider putting a media press kit on your website. It is much easier to be the one who controls the narrative than it is to allow others to control it for you. 

Make sure that your website is up to date and that you are spotlighting the upcoming product launch. If you have an email list, send out pre-sale information that includes a call to action and special discounts with tight deadlines. 

Stage 3: Launch your startup’s product

The big day has finally arrived. It has never been truer that you will not get another chance to make a first impression. Remember: the best way to lose a customer or media interest is to not make a deadline. If you say something will be done, make sure that it is.

Try to balance authority with personality. As you present your product to the public, perhaps in a press conference, try to relax. Public speaking is not high on the list of many people’s lists of fun things to do, but this is an awesome chance to gain publicity. By this time, you will have done an excellent job of establishing yourself as an expert in your industry and of building up the anticipation for your product’s launch, so the media is in front of you because they like who and what they see. Take advantage of it and keep the spotlight so that you can take your startup to the next level.

Two strategies that can be helpful include conversation and consumer contributions. Try to present your product in such a way that it inspires discussion and questions. If you want it to be talked about at the dinner table, what might inspire that? Celebrate launch day by asking consumers to take pictures of themselves with the product, and post them on your social media channels. 

Stage 4: After the product launch is over, continue the momentum

You put in a lot of work to get to where you are today: the owner of a startup that has successfully launched its first product. As you move to the next stage of your business, there are a few key things to do to optimize the results of your launch.

First, reach out to everyone who supported you, be it a family member or a journalist, and give them a heartfelt thank you. They played a crucial role in the success of your product launch, and they deserve the appreciation.

Second, ask for feedback. Some entrepreneurs hesitate to do this because they have put so much blood, sweat, and tears into their companies that they can’t handle constructive criticism. However, the perception that consumers have of your product could help you to strengthen it, so listen to what they say and see if changes are needed.

Last, always remember this time of your life. You are now a successful business owner, and it is a tremendous accomplishment. Where will it take you? You may not know yet, but the journey to finding out will be just as exciting as your first product launch.

Imperium Group is an American public relations and marketing consultancy firm. Founded in 2016, it specializes in guaranteed placements, creating utmost transparency for its clients. Imperium Group generates over 15M impressions a month for its clients. Its team is based out of New York, Dallas, and Los Angeles.  

For more information about Imperium Group, please see https://navigator.imperiumgrouppr.com/.