6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before You Launch Your New Offer
It’s no surprise that we LOVE launching. It’s kind of in our name.
The thought of making money? Increasing brand recognition? Crushing goals? Launching something new just has so much potential.
Because of all that, we totally understand why you can't wait to get your offer out of your head and into the real world! But…is that offer really ready? Or are you just putting it out there because you’re ready to see if people want it?
No judgment — we totally get it! But because we’re your launch BFFs, it’s our job to make sure you actually have everything you need before you launch. Otherwise, you’re setting yourself up for a frustrating launch (that probably won’t get you the results you want).
Sometimes we know for sure we’re ready to launch, and that’s great! Go you! But if you’re not sure you’ve got all your ducks in a row, let’s take a step back and evaluate your readiness before you dive headfirst into launch mode.
Do you know what you want out of this launch?
The first launch is the hardest. Even with dozens of launches under your belt, any time a new offer goes live, it’s fair to say that you should expect your profit margins to be kind of…low *whomp whomp*.
That doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t have a goal, though! In fact, we’d go so far as to say that you should have a goal other than just “make money.”
And though it’s fun to daydream about hundreds of students enrolling in your course or purchasing your new product, you have to think about whether or not your business has the infrastructure to support a launch outcome like that.
So yes, dream big! But don’t forget to be realistic too. Some great examples of first-round launch goals could look like:
- Growing your social media following
- Growing your email list
- Increasing brand recognition across certain platforms
Do you know your audience well enough to ask them to buy something from you?
We’re not just talking about knowing your overall target audience — we’re talking about whether or not you know if you have a subgroup in your audience that’s interested in your offer. Someone who buys one offer isn’t always the same person who buys another.
Why? You’re meeting them at different points in their customer journey.
So how do you know if you’ve got any interest? Start paying attention to what your audience is doing and saying online:
- What are they saying about your current offer suite?
- What do they complain the most about?
- Do they use any phrases like, “I wish” or “It would be great if…”
When you’ve got interest, you have a higher likelihood of a successful launch.
Do they know YOU well enough?
The relationship businesses have with their audience is called a relationship for a reason! So if it’s always just YOU getting to know THEM, your audience may feel like something is missing. And in a sea of a million and one different ads, Reels, posts, and even offers like yours, you have to form a connection to stand out.
Even if your idea is still in the works, go ahead and start connecting with people now. It’ll benefit your tenfold because they’ll feel ready for your launch and intrigued to buy when it’s time to go live.
Are you planning on building engagement before and during your launch?
How are those ads looking? Reels? Emails?
Have you prepared that launch runway?
If not, stop all launch proceedings until you do. Skipping out on this (or doing it at the last possible second) is one of the worst things you can do during your launch. It may be clear as day to you but think about it from your customer’s perspective…
They know they need something, but they don’t know what. And then they see your post about your new offer, which would be perfect for them, but the one problem? They don’t know they need it because this is the first they’ve heard about it and you just so happened to catch them on a crazy busy day.
Spoiler alert — it’s not going to click and they’ll probably forget about their interest in your offer until the cart closes and it’s too late.
It has nothing to do with your offer, it has everything to do about the hype you did or did not build around your offer. Things like webinars, nurture emails, etc., exist to ease your audience into what you’ll be offering instead of just throwing something new at them with little to no context.
Do you know what kind of support you need?
Once you’ve got your goals and launch plan set, figure out, realistically, whether or not you have time to do it all solo in the timeframe given. If not, you may want to consider pushing out your launch date.
We know that sounds like a bummer, but think about it like this…
If you were a ballerina performing for The Nutcracker at the city’s biggest venue, would you go onstage with just your pointe shoes and leotard just because you were too eager for your part in the show? No! You’d want your full costume, stage makeup, and hair done.
Our point? It’s better to wait than to launch when you aren’t ready or only have time to just throw things together halfheartedly.
If you can, delegate and hire help. You don’t have to onboard a full suite of people, but a few hires may ease the workload if you’re set on your deadline.
How about tools?
Do you have the right platform and technology to sell your offer? This is how people will actually learn about and purchase it, so it’s pretty important to have this in check!
Do you have…
- Your sales page?
- A checkout cart and POS system?
- A way to receive money from said cart?
- The right programs your audience needs to work on (Facebook groups, Kajabi membership portals, etc.)?
We know it sounds obvious, but it’s super important not to forget this!