Last updated 10 hours ago
One of the biggest challenges for a small business is how to get the word out when a new and exciting product is launched or a new service is offered. Your social media presence can help immensely, but it doesn?t happen automatically ? so, here are seven key DO's and DON?Ts for getting the most out of social media on your next product launch.
- DON?T wait until your launch to start using social media.
- Do have an incredible offer - you may be as excited as all get-out about your new product, but people outside your company couldn?t care less. It?s a serious mistake to think features and benefits alone will sell your new product ? you have to give people a reason to take action now. Blogs and Facebook are especially effective for promoting special offers, but Twitter works, too. Proven offers include time-sensitive and generous discounts, free trials, rebates, gifts, and extended warranty options.
- DO integrate social media with your other promotional activity - Sending an email blast? Include a link to your Facebook page where people can see scores of photos of your new product. Creating a PDF brochure about your new service? Design in a blurb encouraging customers to follow you on Twitter, where they can learn more about its exciting features and value.
- DO add the personal touch to your social promotion - Alert influential bloggers and social media connections about your launch via email, Twitter direct message, etc. Ask for their support by retweeting your launch announcements, mentioning the product in a blog post, or commenting on your blog post announcing the new item. Perhaps you can even offer the product to bloggers at no charge, in return for a review of the product on their blog. In social media, there?s an underlying spirit of cooperation, but you still have to ask.
- DON?T get personal with people you don?t know - When doing #4 above, be careful not to approach people you don?t know or barely know as if they were lifelong friends. That type of phoniness goes over like a lead balloon in general, and like a lead zeppelin in social media. The good news is, high profile social media people may be willing to help you, especially if you approach them in a professional manner and give them legitimate reasons why it makes sense for them to lend support.
- Don?t promote something old as if it were new - Social media is all about authenticity. If your new product is really an old product in a new wrapper, there?s a good chance social media participants will call you on it. If your launch generates negative conversation, it can damage your brand. Remember: when people do Google searches for your company or your ?new? product, they will see social media content in the results ? including negative Yelp reviews, blog posts with negative comments, etc.
- DO encourage social sharing - When people place an online order for your new product, add a feature to the thank-you/order confirmation page that allows them to tweet or publish a Facebook comment about their new purchase. Offer people a small incentive to leave a comment on your blog about the new product, such as a coffee mug or a tee shirt. Too much of this can backfire, as it could be viewed as manipulative. However, when kept low-key and entertaining, a consistent drive for social media sharing can produce a prodigious word-of-mouth effect.
Social media marketing is best seen as a long-term strategy, but it?s when you need to do something big and fast, like a product launch, that the hard work you put into building a presence will really pay off.
Do you need help integrating social media into your go-to-market plan?
Brad Sharenow, Senior Internet Marketing Consultant with ReachLocal NYC helping businesses acquire, manage, retain online customers through online marketing strategies.?
Give him a call at (877) 411-3777 to schedule a Free Consultation
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