How To Do A Simple Product Launch

[Adam Carn]

This is a process I personally use to do successful launches. It's no Jeff Walker beater but is still a great way to make a big enough splash.

1) Sales Page:

You will need an "EXCELLENT" sales page, no exceptions. Your sales copy really needs to be a killer. A good sales page will contunue to bring you sales for many many years. So you really need to get this right. It's not neccessary to spend a lot on the sales copy. I'm sure many Warriors do a great job at great prices. BUT you really need to do this properly. If possible test the conversion rate of the copy before you actually do the launch. The quickest way is through PPC. If you don't have much to spend then you may leave this bit out.

TIP: If you're short of cash, you can also come to some sort of an agreement where you pay the copywriter after the launch when you made some money.

2) Affiliate Page:

You will need to setup an affiliate page for your affiliates. Create ready-made ads for your affiliates to use. Create AdWord ads with keywords, email ads (more on these later), blog reviews, social media reviews, articles, signatures and video ads.

Email Ads:

Make at least three email ads, these will come in use in the pre-launch and launch phase. Get your JVs to send out the first two email ads in the pre-launch phase and the third one on launch day. If you're feeling ambitious make an extra post-launch email ad which is sent after launch.

TIPS: The first email ad should just casually mention the new product, the second one should go into more detail of the BENEFITS, the SCARCITY, PROOF OF SUCCESS (e.g. earning proof) and the LAUNCH DAY/TIME of the product. The third email should which goes out at launch should emphasize SCARCITY, BENEFITS, PROOF OF SUCCESS, SOCIAL PROOF and then SCARCITY again. In that order.

Scarcity: If you don't have any limit to the amount you want to sell, you can sell a limited amount for a lower price and then put the price up. E.g. $47 for the first 50 people and then $97 after that.

Proof of Success: This can be earning proof, test results, testimonials from test results etc.

Social Proof: This is what others are saying about the product. It could be testimonials/reviews from testers, comments on your own blog (very effective- more on this next).

3) Blog Page:

Setup a special blog page about your new product. The page should list everything about your product, like benefits, proof, launch day etc. This is the page where you will try and get everyone to comment, creating "Social Proof"

4) Creating Buzz:

a) If you have a Twitter page, great, if not sign up to Twitter and start following other internet marketer. Most will follow you back. To find other internet marketers you can go through the posts on this forum and find the marketers you like, if they have a Twitter button on their posts click that.

Another good way is to use a free service Mr. Tweet -> Your Personal Networking Assistant!

Creating buzz on Twitter can take a few weeks/months so start as soon as possible.

Once you are following a few internet marketers and they're following you back start engaging in conversations with them. Don't shove your product down their throats from the start, you will introduce your product much later.

Engaging in conversation is very important to break the ice. Chat about anything and everything but not your product YET! Be of value, help them out, talk about THEIR products, don't suck up to them, just have fun. Take your time in building a relationship with them.

Once they're comfortable with you, you may introduce your product.

b) Get about 10-20 people to test your product in return for a testimonial or a blog review. Obviously give the product to them free.

5) The Affiliate Program.

a) Offer the highest possible commission, which is 75% on Clickbank. This is important.

b) Introduce your JV/affiliate program on the JV section of the Warrior Forum. Tell them about the your commission, tester testimonials, product benefits, success proof, social proof. and your special affiliate page.

c) Discuss your product with your Twitter IM friends. Tell them about the test results, testimonials/reviews. Believe it or not, they want to hear about these more than the commission rate. Let them test the product. If they like it then tell them about your affiliate program. Tell them about your killer sales page, about your maximum commission, about the special affiliate page loaded with ready-to-use ad material.

6) Launching Your Product:

a) Set a launch date and time.

b) Three weeks before the launch day, create an pre-launch opt-in page. This will build you a list.

c) Get EasyClickMate (I'm not an affiliate) to track your JV/Affiliate clicks weeks before the launch and still allow your JV/affiliates to make their sales on launch day.

d) Get your JV/Affiliates to send traffic to your pre-launch opt-in page starting three weeks before launch. Reassure them they will still make the sales on launch day with the traffic they send now with your special tracking system.

e) Get your jv/affiliates to send your two pre-launch emails to their lists. Something like one five days before and the other one a day before launch day. Email your list too, the one you created from the pre-launch opt-in page. Create unique pre-launch emails for yourself to use, don't use the ones your jv/affiliates are using.

7) Launch Day:

a) Make sure your affiliates are eager and ready for the launch. They should be prepared for this day a long time before.

b) Broadcast on Twitter the time remaining for the launch, 2 or 3 times a day, then every hour when there are only a few hours remaining.

c) When launch time comes, change the pre-launch page to your sales page then blast an exciting email to your list and wait for the money to roll in. Hopefully your jv/affiliates will also have done the same.

Hmm I'm sure I left out a few details but that's all I can think of right now.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Adam

[digitalproductreporter]

really great stuff here, one question

a) Offer the highest possible commission, which is 75% on Clickbank. This is important.

ouch, doesn't it hurt when you are busting your but making a product just to make your affiliates most of the profit?

I've run at 75% before and didn't find it worth it and was much happier at 50% or lower I made slightly less sales but more money in my pocket.

[vagabondette]

Great information, thanks for this!

[Jason James]

Dude.. great post... a great simplififaction of a sometimes complicated process. Of course theres more you can do... but a great starting blueprint... Kudos!

[AnnaHamer]

Just book marked this post. Thanks. Going to start my own ebooks after I get this new site up and running. It all seems so daunting.

[Desmond Ong]

One more important tip to add in:

Reciprocity aka. give something of value for free during pre-launch.

[winebuddy]

good post Adam - and I like your site.

[Adam Carn]

Thank you guys for your kind words.

Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter

I've run at 75% before and didn't find it worth it and was much happier at 50% or lower I made slightly less sales but more money in my pocket.

Well to attract the most JVs/Affiliates you need to offer maximum commission. Here's another tip, if you want to offer 50% then initially offer 75% in the launch week and then reduce it to 50% after a week. Make this clear to your affiliates and JVs, this can even work well in getting affiliates and JVs.

Originally Posted by Desmond Ong

One more important tip to add in:

Reciprocity aka. give something of value for free during pre-launch.

Yep, forgot to add that, thanks.

Adam

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by winebuddy

good post Adam - and I like your site.

Hey thanks Mike, I'm getting good feedback from many other Warriors too about my site (signature). I'm glad they're finding it useful.

Adam

[winebuddy]

I am bookmarking this thread for future reference! Thanks Adam - good stuff. I actually have a new product coming out in a few weeks and think that your detailed explanation exceeds most that I have seen.

[Adam Carn]

To make even more money on launch day and after, setup an upsell of some sort to go with your product. The upsell has to compliment/enhance your product in some way. Don't hesitate to give it an equal or a higher price than your main product. If your main product is, let's say $47, your upsell product can be $$67 or even $97. But this all depends on the quailty and how much of an enhancement it is.

An upsell can almost double your earnings on launch day and beyond. With an upsell you keep 100% of the profit, you don't pay anything to your affiliates. That's how I do it anyway.

Thanks,
Adam

[EndGame]

That upsell could even be a continuity program Adam.

And if you want to motivate some good affiliates to push hard for you, it may some time be an idea to include the back-end packages as part of that deal.

Of course you can build an email opt-in list of buyers, and like you say, sell them on more products later on with no obligation to pay out to affiliates. A customer has (on average) a life time value of 100-500% of their initial spend with you, which is something tastey to keep in mind!

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by EndGame

That upsell could even be a continuity program Adam.

And if you want to motivate some good affiliates to push hard for you, it may some time be an idea to include the back-end packages as part of that deal.

Yes commission on an upsell can motivate some affiliates but from my experience, it doesn't make all that much difference. Good affiliates look at your main product and if they like it they promote it, commission on the backend is just a bonus which they won't mind but don't necessarily require. So I like to keep the whole backend to myself (err ok that didn't sound right).

Thanks,
Adam

[Paula S]

Adam, thank you for this detailed explanation of how to launch a product. I'm going to bookmark this thread to refer back to when I have a product ready.

Thanks again!

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Paula S

Adam, thank you for this detailed explanation of how to launch a product. I'm going to bookmark this thread to refer back to when I have a product ready.

Thanks again!

You're welcome. I hope it works for you.

Adam

[Yuds]

Adam,

This is really great stuff. As someone who is planning on releasing my first product shortly this is a great checklist for me to use.

Thank you!

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Yuds

Adam,

This is really great stuff. As someone who is planning on releasing my first product shortly this is a great checklist for me to use.

Thank you!

No problemo, glad to be of help.

Adam

[AndyBlackSEO]

Yes, I too have bookmarked this thread. Some great information. I will be following a similar plan when I launch my forthcoming product and re-launch one of my existing products. Thanks Adam!

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by AndyBlackSEO

Yes, I too have bookmarked this thread. Some great information. I will be following a similar plan when I launch my forthcoming product and re-launch one of my existing products. Thanks Adam!

My pleasure, good luck with the launches.

Adam

[cage73]

Excellent post! I'm gearing up to launch my first product and this was exactly what I needed! Thank you!

[mspiva1]

Thanks Adam for a great step plan.

Question: getting started as a newbie, is it totally out of the question to try to do a product launch before doing JVs for others?

Just starting out but have a product in the works. Just started affiliate marketing and now looking to build my list and do some JVs to get my feet wet. Just wondering if I could dare do a product launch now.

Thanks!

[Maria Gudelis]

Adam, tis a great post..a great checklist! The get or hire for the ad copy is so right on...we sometimes spend sooo much time on the product and forgot the 'microsoft effect' - that it is all about the marketing!

[desmond11]

Thanks for the post Adam. I haven't done any product lauches yet, but this definately helps!

[MikeHumphreys]

Great thread and advice Adam. It's quality posts like this that make the Warrior Forum a virtual priceless resource for online marketers.

[kevinpotts]

This is INFACT a great explanation on how to start.

This is a simple way of saying "There are no excuses! DO IT NOW!"

Even thought it is well explained and simplyfied it also shows that it requieres hard work. It requires to take the first step and keep on walking, not stay sit and wait for results to fall on your lap.

I must say again great explanation!

K.

[Adam Carn]

Thank you all for your compliments. I'm really chuffed!

Originally Posted by mspiva1

Thanks Adam for a great step plan.

Question: getting started as a newbie, is it totally out of the question to try to do a product launch before doing JVs for others?

Just starting out but have a product in the works. Just started affiliate marketing and now looking to build my list and do some JVs to get my feet wet. Just wondering if I could dare do a product launch now.

Thanks!

YES! Of course you can. You can be the newbiest of the newbies and still do a product launch. Just follow the steps above and you'll do great.

Thanks,
Adam

[Adam Carn]

Another good tip is to take contact details of your affiliates and JVs. You can do this via an opt-in box on the affiliate page but if you use EasyClickMate it will do that automatically for you.

When you have a list of affiliates and JVs you can contact them in the future to motivate them to keep promoting your product. You can do this by running affiliate contest with prizes. E.g. first affiliate to make 10/50/100 sales and email you with proof wins blah blah blah. Then you can put the results on the affiliate page for others to see etc.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Adam

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Maria Gudelis

Adam, tis a great post..a great checklist! The get or hire for the ad copy is so right on...we sometimes spend sooo much time on the product and forgot the 'microsoft effect' - that it is all about the marketing!

Yes a good ad copy is crucial. You may have the best product in the world but if you fail to convince people that your product IS in fact the best then you just won't get any buyers. Simple.

Thanks,
Adam

[mpeters7]

Priceless...bookmarked as well! Thanks!

[Lance K]

Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter

really great stuff here, one question



ouch, doesn't it hurt when you are busting your but making a product just to make your affiliates most of the profit?

I've run at 75% before and didn't find it worth it and was much happier at 50% or lower I made slightly less sales but more money in my pocket.

It depends on the purpose of your launch.

If it's customer acquisition, you want to land as many new customers as possible. In this case, you're counting on the lifetime value of your customers to account for your profit. So giving higher % commission is appropriate since you want to maximize the number of new customers acquired.

If it's a profit center, you want to maximize your profit. In this case, fewer sales but more money in your pocket is acceptable.

[WillDL]

This thread was really great, I bookmarked it.

[Tomwood]

An interesting comment by digitalproductreporter but everyone seems to be offering more commission than they were a year or so back I think you need to compete.

You need a good sales funnel to help soften the blow.

Remember you have far fewer expenses to take out of your share, the affiliate has advertising costs (if he's using free methods time is still money) you must leave him enough profit all he won't continue to market your product.

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Tomwood

Remember you have far fewer expenses to take out of your share, the affiliate has advertising costs (if he's using free methods time is still money) you must leave him enough profit all he won't continue to market your product.

That's a very good point.

Adam

[worcaz]

Great post and useful check list.Thanks

[kimperino1985]

Hi Adam,

Your article is very useful... I appreciate it.

-Kim

[daedalus1]

Hi Adam, thanks for this.

Its great to see how others do things, and I like how concise your writing is.

Gavin

[Amir.S]

This is a great post, thanks Adam.

It's like a bullit point version of mass control, and other high end products.

[MarshallWayne]

Originally Posted by digitalproductreporter

really great stuff here, one question



ouch, doesn't it hurt when you are busting your but making a product just to make your affiliates most of the profit?

I've run at 75% before and didn't find it worth it and was much happier at 50% or lower I made slightly less sales but more money in my pocket.

It's not so bad to give up the commissions because you may not have made the commissions if you're rate wasn't up to 75%. The affiliates may have chose to market someone else.

[genuineseller]

Great synopsis. Thanks Adam.

[Adam Carn]

Thanks guys, I'm happy you find the post useful.

Originally Posted by Amir.S

This is a great post, thanks Adam.

It's like a bullit point version of mass control, and other high end products.

Really? I never read Mass Control or any of Frank's products.

Adam

[Aljiro]

What a generous offering of information.

Thank you.

[Alminc]

Thanks Adam, really useful post.

What JV site do you find best for
acquiring JV partners?

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by Alminc

Thanks Adam, really useful post.

What JV site do you find best for
acquiring JV partners?

Thanks Almin,

The best thing to do is spend time on the Warrior forum and Twitter and build a relationship with other marketers. You do this by just hanging out with them for a few weeks without talking about your product and then tell them about your product a few weeks before the launch. More info in my original post.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Adam

[mywebwork]

Hi Adam

I found this to be a really useful post as I am planning a major launch as soon as possible (hopefully before the New Year).

Many Thanks for posting this

Bill

[mywebwork]

Adam, one more question:

Do you think that the 75% commission also would apply to a recurring billing product? My launch will be for a subscription-based service and I had intended to give my affiliates a 50% recurring commission.

If I did give them 75% do you think I could just make it for the first month, then drop it to 50? Or is that a turn-off to affiliates?

Your wisdom is appreciated!

Bll

[August_F]

Adam,

Great post! Thank you for the information. Two questions; you mention proof of success. How does a person get proof of success when the product has not been launched yet? and second; in your section on affiliate pages: is there a place you recommend to find out exactly what should be included in an affiliate page? ex; banner ads-how many, sizes etc.

Thank you for all the great information!

Cheers,
August_F

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by mywebwork

Adam, one more question:

Do you think that the 75% commission also would apply to a recurring billing product? My launch will be for a subscription-based service and I had intended to give my affiliates a 50% recurring commission.

If I did give them 75% do you think I could just make it for the first month, then drop it to 50? Or is that a turn-off to affiliates?

Your wisdom is appreciated!

Bll

50% and above is a good commission rate. It's a good idea to launch at 75% to attract JVs and affiliates. You can later reduce it to 50% if you want. It's your right. 50% commission on recurring payment is still very attractive for affiliates.

Hope that helps and thank you for your kind compliments.

Thanks,
Adam

[Adam Carn]

Originally Posted by August_F

Adam,

Great post! Thank you for the information. Two questions; you mention proof of success. How does a person get proof of success when the product has not been launched yet? and second; in your section on affiliate pages: is there a place you recommend to find out exactly what should be included in an affiliate page? ex; banner ads-how many, sizes etc.

Thank you for all the great information!

Cheers,
August_F

It's a good idea to test your product before launch. You can do this by giving out review copies of your product to about 10-20 people. Let them test it and get them to write you an honest review. You can easily get eager testers right here on this forum.

Once you got some reviews, put them on your blog and use that as "proof of success."

It's all about people power!

For added credibility. Ask your reviewers for their picture, name, town, website (if they have one) to go with their reviews.

I'm not sure if I'm allowed to point to any product affiliate pages but if you go to Clickbank marketplace, many product vendors will have their affiliate page URL in their listings. Check out any of them to get an idea. Some great ones there.

Hope that helps.

Thanks,
Adam

[August_F]

Adam,

Wow, thank you for your quick and detailed response.
I've been working on a software bundle relating to list building. Almost done but still need details on product launches and affiliates.

Thank you for your post.
Cheers,
August

[majidmaskat]

hey where do find JV partners from and where do you get the affilaite system etc