As a constant observer of all things related to internet marketing, I have seen a lot of people following the produce launch formula. This program is when you do a series of videos (giveaways) that gets people to sign up throughout the process creating a funnel of prospective customers. Then you launch something for a limited time offer and you can only register until a certain date. It is almost always combined with an affiliate program to get more people into the funnel as possible.
It is really hot right now because it is a fabulous way to launch a product or service however it needs to be done right. You have to be ready to invest the time, energy and money to get all of your ducks in a row to launch. Every single piece of it needs to be done well. So if you are doing a video, it is not just about shooting some dialogue. If you watch some of these product launches that are going on and you dissect the video it is a visual sales letter. It is like watching an infomercial - they are trying to sell you something. Fifteen years ago Tony Robbins was on television late at night for 30 minutes and people used to come up to him and say "I watched your show the other night" because they did not recognize that it was not a series, but a sales promotion.
I would suggest you sign up for internet marketer's lists who are doing product launches just as research. There are people like Jeff Walker and Guy Kawasaki who are great templates to follow. For instance, if I see there is an affiliate opportunity coming up as a result of someone sending me an email and it looks compelling (well done and organized) I will sign up for it even if I don't promote it. I'll keep those emails in a folder and I will watch the pattern that goes into the building of the launch.
The process starts by making a very compelling request for the list owner (affiliate) by outlining the benefits (some have contests in which I have won a couple of iPads recently) and then a sense of urgency. That's when I sign up for the mailing and I see the follow-up emails come in. One of the things I find that is so critical to doing this type of launch is personalized follow up. If they are not personalized, people ignore them. Some people still make the mistake of just sending one email or one follow up. They believe there is no need to send another one because the receiver has flagged it as a to-do for later, when in fact they have just skimmed it. But if you keep getting in front of them and staying top-of-mind they are going to pay attention to you.
What I also see the marketers doing is sending out emails keeping you posted on how things are going. They will let you know the conversion rate of sales ($158,000 in 18 hours, "this is amazing...", etc.) The unwritten message is they are staying on top if it and they are being successful so you should get on the train before it leaves the station. It is obvious that they have created their process and outlined their strategy before the launch so that is all seamless. They also create many different versions of copy so that you can choose the one that best matches your personality. One-size-fits-all is not affective. If you can't develop sales copy really well, find someone who can.
They also encourage their affiliates to give away their own bonus gifts. The reason the affiliate would do this is (1) they are making money on every product sold so it is worth it to give away a small product, and (2) they are getting exposure for their own content. It is very attractive to get bonuses so the conversion rates are high.
If you really look at these models you will see that a lot of work, thought and preparation put into these program launches. If you do an average job at prep, you are going to get average or even below average results.
Who do you model your marketing efforts after? What specifically do you like about how they create their campaign? Please share your insights with me here in the comments section.
Peggy McColl is a New York Times best-selling author and an internationally recognized expert in the field of personal and professional development and Internet marketing. As an entrepreneur, business owner, mentor and professional speaker Peggy has been inspiring individuals to pursue their personal and business objectives and achieve ultimate success. She provides effective Internet marketing solutions for entrepreneurs, authors, publishers, professionals, and business owners, who want to establish an online presence, achieve bestseller status, build their brand, grow and/or expand their business online. You can find out more about Peggy at her website, www.Destinies.com.