Launching a new product is an exciting milestone for any business, but it also comes with a lot of challenges and risks. How do you get people to notice your product, care about it, and buy it? How do you stand out from the crowd and beat the competition?
One of the most effective ways to launch a new product is to create a buzz worthy campaign on social media. Social media platforms are where your potential customers hang out, discover new things, and share their opinions. By leveraging the power of social media, you can reach a large and engaged audience, generate interest and excitement, and drive traffic and conversions.
But creating a buzz worthy product launch campaign on social media is not as easy as it sounds. It requires careful planning, creativity, and execution. In this article, we will share some tips and best practices on how to create a buzz worthy product launch campaign on social media that will make your product launch a success.
1. Start early and build anticipation
One of the biggest mistakes you can make when launching a new product is to wait until the last minute to announce it on social media. If you want to create a buzz around your product, you need to start early and build anticipation.
You can do this by teasing your product with sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes videos, countdowns, or mystery posts. The goal is to pique your audience’s curiosity and make them eager to learn more about your product.
For example, Apple is known for creating hype around its new products by sending out cryptic invitations to its launch events. The invitations often contain hints or clues about the product, which spark speculation and discussion among fans and media.
2. Create a unique hashtag and encourage user-generated content
Another way to create a buzz around your product launch is to create a unique hashtag and encourage user-generated content (UGC). A hashtag is a great way to organize and amplify your campaign, as well as to track its performance and reach. UGC is a great way to boost your social proof, engagement, and word-of-mouth.
Encourage your audience to employ your designated hashtag when sharing their thoughts, feedback, or experiences regarding your product. Starbucks introduced its Unicorn Frappuccino, accompanied by the hashtag #unicornfrappuccino. This beverage was available for a limited time, instilling a feeling of urgency and exclusivity. Additionally, its vibrant and visually appealing nature prompted customers to share captivating images on social media. The hashtag alone amassed over 150,000 Instagram posts, leading to a viral phenomenon.
3. Team up with influencers and brand advocates
Influencers and brand advocates are people who have a large and loyal following on social media, and who can influence their followers’ opinions and behaviors. By teaming up with influencers and brand advocates who are relevant to your niche and target audience, you can leverage their credibility, reach, and engagement to create a buzz around your product launch.
You can collaborate with influencers and brand advocates in various ways, such as sending them free samples of your product, inviting them to exclusive events or webinars, asking them to review or endorse your product, or co-creating content with them.
For example, Walmart partnered with influencers to promote its Trolls World Tour watch party on Twitter. The influencers invited their followers to join the watch party using the hashtag #WalmartWatchParty. The campaign generated over 28 million impressions and over 1 million engagements on Twitter.
4. Run ads on Facebook or LinkedIn
You can also use paid advertising to create a buzz around your product launch on social media. Paid ads can help you reach a wider and more targeted audience than organic posts alone. You can use ads to generate leads, drive traffic, or increase conversions for your product launch.
You can leverage LinkedIn or Facebook ads to create buzz around your product launch. LinkedIn is a great platform for B2B products, as it allows you to target professionals based on their industry, job title, company size, and more. Facebook is a great platform for B2C products, as it allows you to target consumers based on their interests, behaviours, demographics, and more.
You can create different types of ads for your product launch, such as video ads, carousel ads, lead ads, or dynamic ads. You can also use different ad formats, such as stories, messenger, or audience network. The key is to create ads that are relevant, engaging, and compelling for your target audience.
For example, Later used Facebook lead ads to promote its Instagram Stories scheduling feature. The ads offered a free trial of the feature in exchange for filling out a simple form. The campaign generated over 11,000 leads and over 1,000 conversions.
5. Create educational and informational videos
Videos are one of the most popular and effective types of content on social media. Videos can help you showcase your product features and benefits, demonstrate how to use your product, answer frequently asked questions, or share customer testimonials. Videos can also help you capture your audience’s attention, increase their retention, and inspire them to take action.
For your product launch, you have the flexibility to produce a variety of video content, including explanatory videos, instructional videos, demonstration videos, or testimonial videos. Moreover, you can leverage diverse video formats like live videos, stories, reels, or IGTV. The crucial aspect is to ensure that your videos are informative, engaging, and genuine, catering to the needs and interests of your audience.
For example, Slack created a series of videos to introduce its new features and updates. The videos were short and simple, but they clearly explained how the new features worked and how they could help users work better together.
Conclusion
Creating a buzzworthy product launch campaign on social media can be a daunting task, but it can also be a rewarding one. By following the tips and best practices we shared in this article, you can create a product launch campaign that will generate interest and excitement, drive traffic and conversions, and make your product launch a success.
Remember to start early and build anticipation, create a unique hashtag and encourage user-generated content, team up with influencers and brand advocates, run ads on Facebook or LinkedIn, and create educational and informational videos.
