Marketing tools for announcing new products

You have created the perfect product. Your heart and soul are invested, as well as your pocketbook. Now, you need the best tools to announce that product and see your hard work pay off.

What’s the best way to let people know about your new product and convert that knowledge into sales? Here are a few ideas:

Direct contact
MailChimp lets you contact customers with release dates and timed updates before your launch. Bear in mind, email announcements work best with people who have been cultivated, such as those who have opted in to your email list, referrals from friends, or current customers.

Print advertisements give your customer something tangible to post on the calendar, as they eagerly await your product. Traditional mail can be a very effective part of your release campaign, especially if it includes custom design or postage stamps. You can keep print costs down by having your marketing team join a reseller program and get bulk printing services.

Television and radio outreach still work for new product launches, and technology is improving the arena here with Valassis, which lets you turn your TV and radio ads into personal offers sent to mobile devices.

Social media’s many options include Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, blogs and your own website. While many of the social media items are free, you may want to consider a social media marketing expert to make sure your launch messages are consistent and timely.

If you go the DIY route, make sure your graphics are appealing, captions and text are inviting, and that customers can network with you and each other about the product. Provide links and reasons for customers to respond.

Customer building
To get the most out of your announcement, you want to make sure you define your target customer. Person does just that, by having you input data about your target customers and share that information with those creating marketing plans. Similarly, Socedo will help you create a list of leads on Twitter, where you can follow potential leads and let them know about your product.

Another way to build your potential customer base is by including customers in decisions and progress before you launch. For example, you can ask customers to vote on names, colors or other design features and vote on social media. Having beta-users provide reviews that you can post on social media will also grow your launch customer base.

Tracking and follow-up
Sometimes customers will not commit the first time they check out a product. This is where a tool such as Picreel can help, by giving your customers offers before they exit your website.

You can also contact website visitors after they have visited by using Autosend, which will automatically respond to potential customers by text and email based on their visit to your site.

And while cookies may not be hugely popular, they are a great way to extend the announcement by remarketing your product later. Finally, a customer support strategy that includes FAQs and answers to questions will nurture your early customers, who will become your biggest fans.

An integrative approach to marketing is very effective for a product announcement. There are so many amazing tools for communication, customer building and follow-up, that you can ensure a successful launch!