A Marketer’s Point of View on How to Plan for Launching Your Startup

Piece of advice, don’t launch a business that you do not know that much about especially a business that you are reluctant to learn more of because I tell you, that business is going to stagnate and it’s not going to grow. If you truly want your business to last find your passion and build your business from there.

Another thing to keep in mind, which by the way is something a lot of us fail to anticipate is the fact that launching a startup is a long and excruciating process that is if things go well. Besides that, it takes a number of skills sets to really make it work. Only very few people can claim to be experts in operations, product development, sales and marketing and all other areas you will need at the start of your business. This is the reason why a lot of successful companies are founded by teams and/or partnerships. Just ensure that you have clear and distinct roles as well as mutual respect right from the start.

Even if you’ve already planned it out to be discreet for a little while, if you wan to boost your profile and set the scene for your launch you are going to need to create a few messages as well as positions on industry trends. As the date of your launch nears you’ll also need to evaluate and test your value proposition and the overall messaging with industry analysts and beta customers. If the messages you’ve drafted do not resonate with your audience then it means you are still not ready. Give yourself more time before you put yourself out there.

As much as possible recruit talented workers who have the capacity to help you grow and make your launch successful. Find speaking opportunities at conferences or local events where you can discuss about trends in the industry and be mindful of attendees. Or you can choose to get involved with a recruiter who is knowledgeable about your spaces and the best candidates in it.

Like every undertaking it is important to set clear and distinct goals to give you direction. Is hiring A Players the initial goal of your company to help build your product? Or is it building up your customer base? Are you more interested in obtaining venture capital? Before you make any crucial step in the process you have to ensure that you’ve figured out what your goals are because your goals will determine your next move. Don’t go out blindly following your instincts. Have a goal and do all necessary tasks and activities that will lead you towards achieving the goals you’ve set.

Being fashionably late is not good for the business and so is being to early. If you dive into the market even before your prospects are all set and ready then your company will likely fail. And the worse part about this is the possibility that future contenders will have enjoy building their successes on the basis of your failures. That’s the hardest to swallow because you are not going to be the one to take advantage of your hard work. So make sure that you hit your market timing just right. It’s also wise if you watch out on where the competition is in its progress.

It should be your priority to ensure that your website is optimized for analytics. It should also be easy to navigate and it should be applicable to a number of electronic devices. Otherwise, you’re not going to enjoy a successful launch. If your first goals involve building awareness instead of generating leads then you can opt to feature a few calls to action and just keep things simple at the beginning. Save the complicated parts in the end when your goals have already shifted.

As you continuously gather and add contents to your website including product specs, calls to action and sales contacts in addition to having content that supports lead conversion (if and when this has already become one of your priorities) don’t forget to include case studies, assets, e-books and a healthy blog.

A lot of marketers make a common mistake of neglecting social media channels and later on regret that they dismissed this very important aspect of their marketing campaign. If you want a successful launch I suggest you choose three of the most important social media networks for your market and create a strategy for building your audience base on each channel.  Examples of such social media channels include Facebook, Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn and many other social outlets that can help engage your prospects as well as your influencers. These channels help amplify your content and they can help establish yourself as a dependable source of knowledge and information in the industry you are in.

The message you create explaining why your company exists should be so clear that even young kids can be able to grasp it and it should be convincing enough that your venture capital contacts will be thirsty for more. Ensure that you can be able to explain to your client’s greatest struggles and how your company can be able to solve it. Always be ready to identify who your competitors are and be able to explain what sets you apart from them and why you can outshine them. And finally practice your pitch until you get it right and make sure that you perfect your presentation so you won’t make a fool of yourself in front of your prospects and audience base.

Even if you spread word about your launch I tell you, you won’t get that far. If you want to build awareness focus your attention and your resources on creating relationships with your early customers (those who can guarantee for you), analysts (those who can very well explain how you can fit right into the market) and journalists (those who can share your story and your points of view to your prospects and target market).

Congratulations for being able to finish from step one to step eleven. As I’ve said, it isn’t going to be easy. These steps never promised a short and easy journey instead it shows you what you need to do before your launch date. The day of your startup launch means the end of a long and tedious journey but it’s also the beginning of a new one. To ensure that you can survive the entire process you’ll have to start with the first step and find the necessary resources that can help you get through the rough patches of your journey.