I will be the first person to tell you that I hyped up a product or service in my head for it to fail with my audience completely. One day, I remember telling a client that we need to see failures differently from negative connotations. Failing is a stepping stone on your path to success. Today, I want to share how to handle your product launch failure and what to do next.
Mental Health After Failing
When something doesn’t go right, it’s essential to take a step back and breathe. Society tells us to move on immediately and get over it. No, you put some equity into this launch, and it didn’t go right at all. Take a day or two to realize that failure is a part of life, but you will take these life lessons and learn from them. I wrote an ebook that I just knew would pop because I was giving all the information and at a great price. Bloop bloop, and it was nowhere near my original launch sales goal. I took the day off the following day to think about it and remember what I have done. This one product didn’t go right, but that doesn’t negate the other products that have successful launched in the past. My mental health day includes a massage, coffee trip, and stroll down the Target aisle.
We are fragile humans, and it’s okay to take a step back to breathe. I’m never going to forget my mentor telling me to breathe. I yelled back. I was breathing, and he was like, no focus on your breath when you’re overwhelmed and center yourself back—one of the best tips that has helped me so much over the several years.
Did You Have A Product Launch Plan
A launch plan is not posting on social media about a new product or service the day it’s available. There are only a select few international brands that can do this and sell out the same day. Building buzz around your next product launch excites your audience base into paying XYZ. Almost five years ago, I would say 90 days of building buzz around the launch is a fantastic way to ensure sales on the first day. However, I would say 14 to 30 days is a great time, and you can do it seven days if it need be. It’s about creating a plan around the launch of said product or service to garner your audience’s attention. Here are some tips below:
- Email Marketing Campaign: Three to four emails leading up to launch that educate the customer. Include social proof if it’s a product or service that changes the way people do a certain thing in your industry.
- Video Content: Showing XYZ item BTS process or a video you sharing how you came up with the concept.
- Social Media: Mix video content and educational posts over a period of time. Remember to speak to your audience directly for how each platform is created.
What Data & Research Did You Have
Often, we feel that launching something on-trend is going to work with our audience. I am good at looking at the numbers on my business, social media, and email marketing dashboards. Data does not lie and will tell you what is working. In addition to that, it is effortless to host surveys on social media, on your website, and through email marketing. An influencer that I follow on social media recently surveyed on Instagram and immediately rewarded them with Starbucks cards as a thank you. Ask your audience and look at the data. What are your popular items or services?
In addition to that, look at the numbers to see the products and services that are not serving your business and costing you money.
Product Launch Beta Tester Within Your Audience
If you’re in a service-based business, this is a great way to test your product before launch to make sure it resonates with your audience. You can get real-time feedback from your audience members to know if something will work or if you need to tweak it. Beta Testers can come from your existing audience by sending out a newsletter asking, and they can ask several questions in google form to make sure they are the ideal beta tester. You utilize your newsletter subscribers vs. a call for action on social media because these people have already opt-in to your brand.
When you do another product launch, you will have social proof to show XYZ works, and these people are raving about it.
Utilize This Lesson To Move You Further
If you refuse to learn from this product launch failure, you’re destined to repeat that same mistake over and over. Take notes on all of the things that did and didn’t work during this launch and use it to pivot that product or your next launch. Over the last decade or so, I had some failures, which have helped me position my business better. Furthermore, it’s allowed me to share with my audience, so they do not go through the same mistakes along their journey.