Question: Hi Ali, I am currently writing my first information product. After launching my product, when should I introduce another product, and how many do you recommend having? Thank you!
— Sonya Herbert, Miss Mega Marketing, Huskisson, NSW, Australia
Ali’s Answer: “Hi Sonya, and congrats on creating your first information product. Whether it’s a PDF report, an audio program, or a full home-study course, you’ll be generating passive income and also increasing your expert status! My advice on timing is to focus on ONE launch at a time. The biggest mistake I see many marketers make is trying to do too much at once, and your energy gets diluted. Having a proper LAUNCH for each product you are releasing will ensure maximum response and sales.
What’s a launch? It’s when you release a new product, program, or service for the first time to your mailing list. A launch is a super opportunity to rack up a TON of sales in a short amount of time.
I basically have 5 steps to a launch. In my Product Launch System, I walk through them in great detail and include actual examples and step-by-step formulas. But to get you started, here’s a brief description of each step and how it works. You can do a launch for any service, product, or program, but for the sake of this article, let’s assume we’re talking about a product.
1. Drop hints in your ezine and social media beforehand.
Before your product is even ready, start getting your ezine (email newsletter) readers and Facebook and Twitter followers curious and excited! Drop hints that something big is on the way and what the benefits are. For example, “I’m working on a brand new product that could help you easily double your sales this year. I can’t say anything about it just yet, but you’ll know the full story on October 1!”
2. Create your sales letter and thank-you pages.
Again, you can do these steps even before your product is ready. In fact, many experts recommend you write your sales letter BEFORE you even create the product. After your sales page, you will need a page to send people to once they purchase — the “thank you” page — where they can also download your product if it is digital.
3. Set up the product in your shopping cart.
Log-in to your shopping cart program and set up your new product name, price, and the thank-you page URL. Don’t forget to add on shipping or sales tax if applicable. I hope you use a shopping cart with all these capabilities! (For most business owners, a system like AliBrownCart.com should be fine.) Then stick the product link on your sales page.
4. Send out a solo mailing to your client/customer list, your ezine list, and social media followers.
When everything is ready, it’s time to start your promotions! The first people I alert about any new product are those who have already bought from me. It’s my most responsive list, and this will be your most responsive list, too. Keep this email short and sweet. Your only objective is to drive them to your sales page, where they can get the full story. To make your customers feel special, give them a special discount or bonus that’s just for them. And give them a deadline to respond by.
5. Promote in your ezine on an ongoing basis.
Once your launch is over, don’t let your product wither away and die! Keep the momentum going. Make sure you highlight it on a regular basis in your ezine via ads or articles, and that it’s also easy for visitors to find on your website. What you’re reading right now is a great example… I am answering a great reader question but also letting you all know about my powerful Product Launch System. 🙂 That’s the course you want if you’d like great detail, actual examples, and step-by-step formulas.
BONUS TIP: Give them a reason to buy today!
People are so busy these days that they will put off ANY decision possible. So, you will ALWAYS get more sales when you give people a reason to buy NOW and not later. For example: Put a time limit on your offer or have a limited quantity available.
That should help get you started!”
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