Stand Out From The Product Launch Crowd
debbiIn the previous article, Email Copy Cats, I mentioned the importance of scripting your own message when promoting affiliate products by email.
Today, let me move a little further into the product launch topic and examine a few of the pros and cons of being part of the crowd and how to incorporate your email marketing efforts into these launches.
What is a Product Launch?
John Doe has created a new, big-ticket product and wants to introduce it to the marketplace with a lot of buzz and a big bang, ensuring a lot of attention and (hopefully) many sales. He’s going to utilize his stable of affiliates to help him quickly get the word out to potential customers.
In addition to large commissions, John is offering prizes for the top affiliates. In the past, these have ranged from a one-year of a Hummer - to a $10,000 bonus - to a one week cruise - and more.. John knows that if he can create a feeding frenzy among his affiliates, it will spill over and create that same buzz and excitement amongst their readers.
The launch is generally preceded by a report, some emails, or even a free teleseminar designed to create a launch presale opt-in list, tied to the affiliates’ links. The launch itself is designed to create an atmosphere no different than that created at the Black Friday sales. Long lines of cyber-squatters hoping to be the first one in the door to get all the bonuses and special limited-time deals.
Pros and Cons of Product Launches
If you are an affiliate planning an email product launch promotion, there are a few things you may wish to consider. Let me preface this by saying that there is no right or wrong answer.
Advantages
Fast, Quick Sales
You can “get them while they’re hot”. If your list has been dripped on, they may be eager to buy as soon as the curtain drops. If you aren’t there with an offer, they may buy through another affiliate’s link.
Piggyback off the Main Product
If your area of expertise is similar to the launch product, you can provide a bonus that “fills in the gaps” and provides a more comprehensive experience for your customer. Instead of being seen as only an affiliate, you can play off the launch marketer’s expertise to showcase your knowledge.
Provide an Honest Review
Many marketers provide their launch partners with a review copy of their product prior to the launch date.
This provides you with a unique opportunity to provide your list with an assessment of the product’s value. For a credible overview, you should always include what you liked and disliked. It’s also important to advise your list of the experience level required to make the best use of the product in question. (This is one of the biggest complaints I hear from those unhappy with product purchases.)
Not everyone will buy, but you will increase your stature among those who read your review as someone who is fair, balanced, and has their subscribers top-of-mind.
Disadvantages
You Can Get Lost in the Crowd
I’m one of those “find the best deal” kinda gals. If there’s a product launching that I know I’m going to buy, I will take the time to shop for the best bonus package.
If you can’t bring anything to the table in the way of bonuses, you may wish to wait until a week or so after the launch. There is much less competition at that time and many people get so aggravated with being bombarded with emails that they don’t even read them.
If you wait a bit, you could be the only game in town and take advantage of all the reviews and forum chat out there. That might be the perfect time to mail to your list.
People Will Unsubscribe
Opening their email client, only to find 15 messages with the same subject line, touting the same product, causes many people to simply unsubscribe from all of them. This is especially true if there are pre-launch, launch, and post-launch emails which have been cut and pasted and sent off to “all my personal friends”.
In this scenario, people aren’t unsubscribing specifically from your newsletter. They are fed up with everyone and deleting themselves from all of them. By not being a part of the launch day fray, it’s less likely it will happen to you.
Whether you decide to promote during or after the official launch, I can’t stress enough that your promotion should be in YOUR voice with YOUR thoughts and YOUR personality. Don’t simply copy and paste the suggested emails provided by the marketer.
If in doubt, put yourself in your customers’ shoes!
Debbi Bressler
Email Marketing Specialist
GetResponse
