Social Media

• As of the beginning of the 21st century, user adoption of social media has grown rapidly. According to Mashable, the number of social networking users in the United States has grown from 15 percent in 2007 to roughly over 33 percent in 2009. Conducting a social media campaign is tantamount to maximizing the exposure of your product at a relatively minimal cost. Consider building a social media page for your brand or product and consistently provide updates leading to launch. Additionally, use social media pages of others in your industry to keep in touch and generate potential leads and partnerships. (See Reference 1.)
  
  

Email Blasts

• Email blasting is another relatively inexpensive way to reach a wide audience. Email lists are considered highly valuable in marketing because these represent how many customers already have a vested interest in your product prior to launch. In creating an email campaign, it is vital to maintain an ongoing relationship with your subscribers up to launch. A good practice is to provide regular and clean emails which are customized and proofread to email standards. (See Reference 2.)
  
  

Live Demonstrations

• Depending on the nature of your product, you can choose to attend industry events to conduct a live demonstration of its capabilities. This practice is standard in many industries; for example, many technology companies showcase their products in trade shows. A successful live demonstration builds buzz around your product not only among the people who have seen your product, but any online news receivers as well. An alternative to doing a live demonstration is to create a teaser video to hint the launch of your product, briefly touching upon its key benefits.
  
  

Press Release

• A well-timed press release just before the launch of your product allows your release to be picked up by multiple news syndication entities right after launch. After reposting your news, these sites become effective advocates of the existence of your product and increase the marketing reach of your product drastically. Depending on the situation, company and product, press releases can be informative, compelling or both.
  
  

Insight: Track Conversions

• With most pre-launch marketing methods, one of the most important steps is to track conversions within each campaign. Conversions are the number of people who actually buy your product from the number of people whom you had successfully reached out to. For example, if 1,000 people bought your product from an email list of 10,000 subscribers, your email campaign had a conversion rate of ten percent. Obtaining accurate conversion data allows you to monitor and improve upon the success of your campaigns.