Product Marketing – When Apple announces a new product launch or unveiling event to highlight the latest benefits and design concepts from its arsenal of tech heaven Apple lovers worldwide are eager with anticipation. It undoubtedly took the legendary Steve Jobs and team years of toiling and working to refine Apple’s products and services before the operating system, iMac, iPod, MacBooks, and iPhones became staples for the company. And even then, creating a great product was not enough. As the company continued to grow Apple made sure the world knew what was coming next. They got people ready for it. And you should, too. Product Marketing is essential to the success of your brand.
Product Marketing is the Key to Success
So, with a revolutionary product loaded with life-changing technology in tow what’s next for a company to do? It’s not enough to create a new product. New products are released every day. Many of those products are very similar in comparison with only one or two functionalities or physical appearances that make it stand out from the competition.
- What makes your product different – the design, the price?
- How are you planning to get the word out about your company’s new offering?
Consumers are left to choose which product or service best suits their needs. But, they need to know about your product (where’s it available, how much it costs, what are the benefits/how does this change their life?) for it to be an option.
Most creators tend to get swept into the whirlwind of the creation process. It’s hard not to because it’s so fun and rewarding but that’s only the beginning. There’s another side to making sure your product is one that people want to use. After you create it, you need to focus on promoting it. There is a significant amount of marketing work to bring your product to the masses. It’s worth repeating again and again that creating a new product is not enough. You have to promote it.
Product Marketing – Letting Consumers Know About Your Product
Promoting your product or service doesn’t need to be difficult and complex. There are many options to consider when you’re ready to announce your latest offering to your target audience. You can consider small-scaled social media campaigns, consider a special virtual event, or launch a publicity campaign and focus on gaining media exposure.
- Launch a social media campaign. With most of the population scouring social media to find specific items and services, social media marketing is undeniably an effective way to reach consumers. Done right, you can start with a small promo campaign highlighting your product with images & descriptions on IG or Facebook and scale to using multiple platforms as the demand for your product grows.
- Virtual launch event. With the pandemic limiting the way we interact in public spaces, many brands and businesses have found great success with virtual meetings and events. Even though it’s not that special in-person engagement one typically expects from being amongst the crowd of event-goers, carefully planned virtual events do have the potential to be exclusive and intimate. You will need to get creative to your event one of a kind.
- Publicity campaign. Gaining publicity for your new product is a goal that all businesses, brands, and entrepreneurs aim to achieve. Who doesn’t want their product highlighted in the media and promoted to their consumer audience? Launching a publicity campaign with goals to obtain media coverage, local or national, still needs careful planning. Planning should include targeting & researching specific outlets to cover your story, crafting a customized pitch for journalists, and a thorough process of presenting your product for potential coverage. Done right obtaining media coverage has the potential to increase exposure for your product.
Before you finalize the last few stages of launching your new product, you need to discuss promotional plans with your team. Having a product marketing plan laid out ahead of time will save you loads of frustration when the product is ready for promotion. Now that you’ve created an industry game-changing product or service, what’s your next step to let the world know?