3 Ways to Use Social Media for a Product Launch

As some of you might know, I’m currently going through a product launch, and as it’s my 3rd or 4th, I’ve started to pick up some of the tricks that are useful in creating buzz and hype before a launch.

Of course, there are the important things, like making sure the product is good and you have a lot of affiliates ready to help you, but there’s much more to it than that. And now, thanks to social media, it’s become much easier to make it happen.

1. Twitter – This one is obvious, which is why I had to mention it first. There are so many ways that you can use Twitter for launches that it’s almost sickening. Here are some of the most effective:

• RT buttons and banners: If you look at our contest page, you’ll see that we created a contest to get people to help us promote the product. Using a simple banner, we can provide people with an easy option to Tweet a specific hashtag and URL, which makes it easy to track and helps us create a standard hashtag for future use.
• Using Twitter comments to provide social proof, like Trident did with a recent ad.
• Using real time tracking on a sales page or information page to provide social proof. Tweetizen is awesome for this because you can create custom searches and easily embed them on any Web page.

2. Facebook Fan Pages – I’m a huge fan of Facebook for business, and I think we’re right on the cusp of  seeing Facebook transform the way people do business online. Not only does Facebook allow you to create a fan page for any business or product, but they are also poised to try and create an e-commerce system based on the Facebook points system.

I use Facebook to build communities so that I can funnel the traffic to other Web properties, but you can also use it just to build brand loyalty or trust.

3. Email and Autoresponders – If you aren’t using email systems to manage leads and affiliates, then you are missing out on a HUGE opportunity. My company uses AWeber to collect leads, build customer lists, and keep affiliates informed.

We provide training, handle basic customer service issues, and send surveys on new and old products, all using a simple email system. Email is old school, but it works. And if you learn how to segment your lists into different categories and interest levels, then you will have much more success than you would using a single list.

Social media isn’t new, but there are still so few people using it successfully for both product launches and product management. None of the methods listed here cost very much, and each of them can dramatically increase your influence, and the buzz and hype around your product.

There’s no reason NOT to use them.

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