Springtime is a popular time for product launches. It is a chance to launch a product prior to the summer slowdown but still gives you enough time to get the word out and create demand for the second half of the year. But this year is different. With the pandemic in full force, most people are focusing on the health and safety of their loved ones, filing for unemployment, or learning how to do remote work.
This means that if you are not offering something that helps alleviate the challenges that your target market is experiencing due to the pandemic, then now is not the time to launch anything new.
What do we mean by that? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, then you should move forward with your launch.
- Are you doing anything to help healthcare workers diagnose COVID-19?
- Are you doing anything to provide protective gear such as retooling a factory or a machine?
- Do you have anything that helps people with remote work?
- Are you offering anything for cyber security? More people online means more digital theft.
- Are you helping brick and mortar retail move online?
- Are you helping schools educate students?
- Are you helping businesses pivot or stay in business?
- Can you help people get better broadband so that they can work, learn, and have entertainment?
- Can you help people get food or medication?
I may have missed a few categories, but you get the drift. If you aren’t helping people or businesses deal with the fallout of the pandemic right now, then you should delay your launch until the news cycle changes from being pandemic-centric to becoming more business-centric.
One of the hallmarks of a successful product launch is a market ready to hear your story. If the market isn’t ready or willing to listen, then you are wasting valuable resources.
Once we are through the peak of the pandemic, you will begin to see the news cycle shift.
8 Things to Do While Your Launch is Delayed
Here are eight things you can do while waiting for market conditions to ease up. You may have already addressed these items in your pre-launch activities but the delay presents an opportunity for you to “go the extra mile.”
- Many trade and vertical publications are continuing to accept bylined articles and guest blog posts. Develop thought leadership topics that you have identified for your launch and pitch them.
- If you are a technology company, brief the analyst community on your new offering under NDA. It takes up to six weeks to secure briefings and analysts will help you refine your message.
- Create more images and visuals for the media as well as for social media. The more the better.
- Develop additional blog posts that further educate your target market on the problem you are solving.
- Work with your beta customers and develop more case studies – even if they are white-labeled. You can never have too many case studies.
- Turn educational content into short videos to use in social media and on your website.
- Refine your target personas. The more you understand about your target customer and influencers in the buying journey, the better results you will get from your lead generation and nurture programs.
- Review your SEO program and make sure that new keywords related to your launch are included in your overall program.
8 Additional Resources for a Successful Launch
- Winning Product Launches
- Was Your Product Launch Successful?
- 4 Secrets to a Killer Product Launch
- Building Momentum for a New Product Launch
- Product Launch:When Should You Start Talking About a New Product
- Don't Let Your B2B Product Launch Crash and Burn
- 10 Tips for Launching Disruptive Technology
- Check out our free ebook - 65 Steps to a Successful Product Launch. It provides 8 interdisciplinary checklists to ensure it goes smoothly.
