How To Plan A Pre-launch Marketing Campaign
I saw this week that a luxury lifestyle hotel in Glasgow had managed to sell 100 rooms within an HOUR of them going on sale, and then over 2,000 rooms, all sold THREE months in advance of opening. So it got me thinking, how did they do it? And what are the key things you can do when planning a pre-launch campaign to ensure it’s a success? Read on for my take.
Wondering why a pre-launch campaign is important? Aside from the obvious advantage of banking revenue even before your product has launched, going out early also de-risks launch day. The day of launch is high pressure and there's nothing more disheartening than the project you've worked so hard on going live and then... not much happens. Building a pre-launch campaign means you've maximised your chances of seeing sales take off from day one. (Though that's not to say the work stops there...).
So, here are five things to remember when planning your pre-launch PR or marketing strategy.
1. Gather your assets early
A product may not be out, the doors may not be open, but if you can gather your marketing assets (yes — you need images, of some form or another, even if it's a mockup or artist's impression) and clarify your key messages months in advance, going out to your audience ahead of time can really deliver.
2. Keep engagement levels high
Plan how to maintain interest throughout the pre-launch period, to keep engagement-levels high. Behind the scenes interviews, sneak peaks, asking questions of your audience to guess what's in store... There are plenty of ways to build and maintain anticipation and excitement over a number of weeks.
3. Start close to home
Engaging early drives talkability and word-of-mouth within your industry and beyond. "Have you seen...?" "Did you hear...?" — people love to be the first to know and, just as importantly, they love to SHOW that they are the first to know. Don't underestimate the ability of your closest and most connected community to help spread the word when you’ve got something exciting cooking.
4. Foster a feeling of exclusivity
Using messaging that builds a sense of belonging, exclusivity or being an insider, is a highly effective strategy. Whether it's belonging to a club or getting on an exclusive email list, we all love to feel that we're special.
5. Prioritise the media
The media want and need to get early access. The earlier you go out to media, the earlier you can tee up press coverage with time for the full write-up process to take place efficiently and effectively, and in line with your wider launch calendar.
I’m Elizabeth and I help founders of e-commerce businesses scale awareness by creating brand communications strategies that deliver against business objectives and align with brand values. Book in a free call with me here by clicking this link.