How do you make a product launch go viral?

There are three components to making a product launch go viral: your pre-launch strategy, launch strategy, and post-launch strategy. 🧠

Now, this works better when you have an existing audience — but there’s no need to have one to test it out. I’m figuring it out as I go along. For anyone here, each time you iterate on your system, you can make it better for the next launch.

Through this, I want to help you become the best product builder, entrepreneur, or startup advisor you can be (without any prior experience needed) to help build the most transformative companies, products, and services. The framework below can be helpful. 🎉

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The Three Components of How to Make a Product go Viral

Pre-Launch Strategy: 📦

1. Pre-Launch Strategy: this is the marketing you do before your product launch.

   1. Use any platform (low and high engagement) to capture your initial 100-200 leads: Create a short pitch and link to your waitlist or email list.

      1. Create a waitlist for free: GetWaitlist.

      2. Create a landing page: Framer.

      3. Create an email list: Beehiiv, Substack, ConvertKit, etc.

      4. Use every channel you can to “launch” your waitlist: Facebook Groups, Slack Groups, LinkedIn Groups, Online Forums, Instagram Stories, etc.

   2. Implement a referral program: you can tell your customers — “if you refer X people, you can get Y for free.” The more value you provide on your referral, the more people you can get to sign-up through word of mouth.

      1. Platform for creating a waitlist and referrals for free: https://getwaitlist.com/ 

   3. You need to think critically about how your product or service solves a problem for people and can have a large impact.

      1. You need to create your transformation statement: _(product name)_ helps you go from _(before)__ to _(after)__ in order to _(achieve goal)_ without _(having X Y Z)_.

   4. You need to be open to trying new ideas.

      1. The three previous recommendations I listed above for the pre-launch strategy are tried and true ways many creators have helped a product launch go viral.

      2. On the other hand, there are of course more ways to go viral. You need to test anything and methodically try new ideas. In every new post I share for this newsletter, I am trying something new and measuring the outcomes of each idea. If it works, you can double down on it. If it does not work, you can always try something new.

Launch Strategy: 🚀

1. Launch Strategy: this is the marketing you do for your product launch.

   1. Use high engagement platforms: Instagram, LinkedIn, etc.

      1. You will want to share with your network that you have launched your product. Your earliest supporters can be friends, family, or other professionals.

   2. Use product launch platforms: Product Hunt.

      1. This is optional, but if you are especially launching a software product it can be helpful.

   3. Partner with creators and influencers: podcasts, YouTube videos, webinars, events, etc.

      1. You can partner with other creators to go on their platforms to talk about your expertise and provide value to their listeners/customers for free. If you can do that, you can advertise your product or service as well through these partnerships and gain access to a new customer base.

      2. Influencers can also be partners or affiliates for your product.

Post-Launch Strategy: ⭐

1. Post-Launch Strategy: this is the on-going marketing you do after your product launch.

   1. Create an email list and then nurture the audience over time: continue providing free value. Give as much content as you can away for free. Giving away your best content can often be the spark for your continued growth over time, organically.

   2. Create email sequences for your product (welcome email and follow-up emails): If a customer signs up, you can continue providing value through emails and eventually convert a few for free.

   3. Create a strong offer: offer as much value as you can up front with the product through your email list. These customers are high intent and want to be transformed by your product. Once you can convey that, it makes it easier to get more customers in the future.

   4. Referrals: this is one way you can get more customers. you can give away your product for free or other products if they refer a certain amount of customers. Your goal is to create an on-going growth loop.

   5. Paid acquisition: you can run Facebook ads to acquire more customers. You present them an offer and give them a free preview of your product (or adjacent offer) to encourage them to sign up.

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