What should happen before, during and after a live launch?
Are you planning one of your first live launches? You may have already seen for yourself how the whole thing works during the stream. But as you plan, many other questions come to mind: How do you prepare for a live launch and what happens afterwards? Another interesting question: What should you pay attention to in addition to the actual launch? We'll enlighten you in our mini-guide.
Everything stands and falls with the preparation
Of course, a general corporate strategy is always the basis and also the first point of reference for any action. After all, it's not for nothing that the very first question you usually have to ask yourself is: "Does the action fit my company's values and guiding principles?" If this question is clarified, there are now two main as well as combinable possibilities to win viewers:inside.
Find brand ambassadors: If there is enough time until the launch event, you can recruit brand ambassadors that match your company in order to increase the awareness of your brand. The result is logical: the more people who know the brand, the larger the potential audience for your launch. Brand ambassadors at this point can be influencers, journalists and anyone with a large network.
Pre-launch campaigns: Pre-launch activities are also a good vehicle for bringing your live launch into the field of vision of your target group and anchoring it in their minds. For example, run entire pre-launch campaigns that create an excitement curve. Here you can also accept registrations for participation and thus generate leads in an uncomplicated way. To make it worthwhile for viewers to sign up, offer early bird discounts at best. If it's a sought-after product anyway and the initial production is low volume, you can also use guaranteed pre-orders as a driver to sign up.
Especially important: Don't forget the press. With distribution in (trade) magazines, online media and newspapers, you build up even more reach. Before the actual launch, create a pre-launch press kit that you can send to influencers and all relevant outlets.
Not just gossip, but seize opportunities along the way
During the live launch, always remind yourself that this event is a big one. That's exactly why you should think big: It's the launch of your product - potential material for the cover of any magazine. To make this relevance clear to the media, include the boss in the live launch, for example. To ensure you reach all viewers equally well, choose the right platform and tailor your message to maximize the reach and impact of your live stream. For example, hashtags used during and exclusively for the live stream are one possible tool to encourage viewer interaction. Additional opportunities you can take during the live launch include the following:
VIP access: Before the actual live launch, you can offer a pre-program to which only special and hand-picked viewers have access. This way you show influencers, selected customers and the media that you are important to them and promote loyalty.
Discounts and gifts: You can increase the engagement of your target group and viewers with discount codes or small goodies. For example, offer coupon codes for taking part in a small live survey or randomly raffle off the live product among viewers who use your hashtag on social media.
Keep making noise even though the spotlight goes out
After the live launch, a lot of tension is released for many event organizers. That's only natural, after all, you've been working on this event for a long time. But to make sure that the tension in your campaign doesn't simply drop to zero, we'll conclude with a few ideas for maintaining the relevance of your product:
Video of the live launch: For all those who missed your event, it's not too late. Offer your event as a VoD and embed it on your website, for example. Alternatively, you can also distribute the video via social media. This way, you can still reach people from your target group who were unable to attend the live launch.
Upselling campaigns: The classic way to do something good for your customers. For example, offer a matching cover for your new smartphone or a useful add-on for your new software.
Retain and strengthen customer loyalty: If you have opted for a prior registration for the live launch, don't wait too long to activate your leads. Here you can, for example, send a remarketing campaign, the opportunity to participate in bonus programs or even a newsletter that keeps the participants up to date. In addition, you should also take into account the feedback of your (potential) customers, because this is the only way you can learn directly from the source for future offers.
As you can see, planning a live launch event is not just about the appearance and timing of your launch. Rather, a live launch belongs in the toolbox that represents the marketing mix with all its facets. Let yourself be inspired and use the learnings of your competitors, for example, to perfectly prepare and execute your live launch and then make it even more relevant.