StartupTalky

Tag: Product Launch

  • Top 7 Ways to Create a Buzz around your Startup

    Remember back in the days of the year 2017. When fidget spinners were new in the market, they took it by storm. Starting right from the kids to the adults’ everyone bought them, spinning and playing with them for hours.

    It does not matter if our parents or the gen Z would not approve, but the craze among the people was such that we did introduce them to those who did not approve. Nevertheless, and said to them, “Here, you should try this”

    Fidget Spinners were available everywhere right from the top websites to be locally available at cheaper rates in the market. Manufacturers made them in bundles, be it original or its copy in all sizes and customized. The focus here is that they were sold and people bought them; the buzz was to an extent that brothers refused to tie the Rakhi’s that their sisters got for them and insisted that they tie what was called back then fidget spinner Rakhi. So, Lets look 7 ways to create a buzz around your startup.

    Why Creating Buzz around your Startups is Important?
    How to Create a Buzz around your Startup?
    FAQ

    Why Creating Buzz around your Startups is Important?

    Launching anything in today’s world is tough with technology and so many marketing strategies. Right from e-mail marketing to affiliate marketing, it is difficult to hold people’s attention as the new researchers give insight that the maximum attention span of people has been reduced to five seconds.

    So, is it enough to when you start a startup or business, be it selling a service or a product to be only launched, letting people know and then forget about it?

    In today’s world, it is equally important to create a buzz around it! Because it not only gets people talking about it, but in the infinite numbers of brands already established out there, it makes the consumers recognize and distinguish your product or service as well as retains your customers, not allowing them to go to your competitors and establishing loyalist consumers.

    Difference between Red Ocean Strategy and Blue Ocean Strategy Explained
    If you are planning to enter the market with your product, it is important to understand the difference between the Blue ocean & Red ocean strategy.
    StartupTalkyAlan Joseph

    How to Create a Buzz around your Startup?

    Build a brand

    What makes you distinguish a Mercedes from a Jaguar?

    As you come to think of it, both the brands sell cars and belong to the same industry. Before aiming to create a buzz around your newly launched startup, your consumers should be able to recognize your brand and distinguish it from the other available competitors in the market.

    What can you do?

    • Create your brands’ name
    • Categorize it, what will it sell? Where? How? To which category does your startup belong? Is your startup going to sell premium goods or services?
    • Have a distinguished logo
    • A good brand color scheme based on the persona of your brand
    • A catchy tagline that your audience will remember

    Take risks, get back up, and have a backup plan

    Being an entrepreneur is showing up every day, being mentally strong, and being able to look for opportunities and solutions to problems. An entrepreneur thinks out of the box, but it also involves risk. A new idea about a product or a service can be brilliant and work wonders or might just bring your startup crumbling down.

    A situation like this will feel challenging, but that does not mean you run away from it. You can take your time off to think over how to tackle the problem in the best way possible, a plan B.

    While launching something new you will face such challenges, but if you already devise a backup plan it will save you time, hassle and make you understand how to do everything better the next time.

    Cannibalization- Why Brands Cannibalize Their Existing Products (With Examples)
    You might have noticed that brands launch a product that succeeds their existing product but, Why do brands cannibalize their products? Let’s find out.
    StartupTalkyAbinaya Arangarajan

    Use influencer marketing

    Did you ever end up going to a restaurant? Because this restaurant was suggested to you by a friend, and they tell you how good the cuisine and ambiance was. The same is the way influencer marketing works.

    Celebrity endorses, influencers on social media make it easy for the consumers to trust your brand because a person who recommends it to you and gives the reviews is someone who already the consumers know and trust.

    Tailor your Brand strategy

    Deciding on the brand strategy that goes together with your target audience is synonyms with Sherlocking.

    But the dynamics of your audience keep changing; a strategy will work for a certain platform but won’t work for another one. Mix and match.

    • Tailor a strategy according to your brand’s needs.
    • Find where your consumers are?
    • And where are you comfortable as a brand to have a presence?

    Be it multi-branding, co-branding, or any other brand strategy that you use. Try till you get the best results most efficiently.

    Know your Target Audience. Focus on the problems

    People are looking for solutions and mind you, they are looking for the best for themselves. Most of the adverts use this appeal in their ad campaigns and it works. Research and collect data about your target audience and their psychographics.

    • Who are they?
    • Why do they use your product?
    • What are their demographics, psychographics?
    • What do they expect from you?
    • How can you solve their problems in the best possible ways?

    Eventually, your consumers are the kings, serve them right, serve them best. They are the key to solving your puzzle.

    Innovate your Product

    What if your startup sells just what everyone else in the market is? You will then end up allowing your consumers to go and buy from the competitor’s brand.

    Take you are selling a packet of chips. Will that be sufficient for all consumer segments that exist in your market? Every consumer is different, and their wants, needs will be different.

    A variety in the flavor, size, shape of the chips or the packaging can make a difference. New things appeal to people and if it sounds convincing enough, they do try it.

    A normal rubber band is okay. But a flexible, sustainable product made from eco-friendly raw material that can be used for various purposes, along with adjustable buckles made from recycled plastic.

    Well, that sounds like a plan! Do not stick to one thing; try different ideas, work on what suits your consumers best, and be innovative, people like different things.

    Ad campaigns

    A good ad campaign can work wonders. Be the campaign giving a social message or making the world a better place. Acting towards a good cause, giving back to society also helps to steer your startup.

    Top Ad Jingles of all time – A powerful marketing tool
    Do you remember your last ads jingle? Many people tend to remember ad jingle more than the ad. So, lets look at the Top Ad Jingles of all time.
    StartupTalkyPratyusha Srivastava

    FAQ

    How to create a buzz around your startup?

    Tailor you brand strategy, Use influencer marketing, and Understand you target audience. These are some of the ways to create a buzz around your startup.

    Why creating a buzz around your startup is important?

    Creating a buzz around your startup is important because its differentiates you from your competitors.

    What is the best day to launch a business?

    Tuesday is considered as the best day to launch a startup or business, as consumers are too focused on Mondays.

  • How did PUBG mobile India got Approved to Relaunch

    PUBG mobile India was banned by the Government of India last year. However, there have been talks over the social media that the game would have a comeback in the country and there were recently some videos circulated through the social media about the relaunch of PUBG in the country. Let’s look at how PUBG mobile got permission to launch in India again.

    PUBG Relaunch in India
    About the Past Ban
    Approval by the Govt.
    FAQ

    PUBG Relaunch in India

    The popular battle royale game PUBG mobile India is said to relaunch in India but with a new game and a new title name. According to the teasers which were released on the social media by the developers of the game the new version of the game could be called as Battlegrounds Mobile India.

    Battlegrounds Mobile India
    Battlegrounds Mobile India

    This will be an exclusive version of the game which will be launched for Indians. It is seen that the names of PUBG mobile India on YouTube and Facebook have already been changed to Battlegrounds Mobile India. This makes it more likely for the name to be changed. The official launch date of PUBG is still not yet out, but according to a theory there are speculations that it will be released on 10 June.

    About the Past Ban

    In September 2020 the popular battle royale game PUBG mobile was banned in the country, it was because the license for running the game was held by a Chinese company named Tencent. The reason for the ban was because of the high tension between India and China.

    Along with hundreds of Chinese Apps, the Government of India has banned PUBG mobile regarding certain concerns such as prejudicial to sovereignty and integrity of India, security of the state and public order and defense of India.

    Since the ban, the developers of PUBG Krafton Inc. have cancelled the license of Tencent and had decided to launch the game under the own name of PUBG Corporation instead of Tencent.

    PUBG Guidelines
    New Guidelines

    Approval by the Govt.

    PUBG Mobile India has not got any approval to relaunch in India but it is seen that they wouldn’t require any permission to relaunch in the country. It is to be noted that the Government of India has not yet approved the launch of the game in India yet.

    The Indian Government had said that it has not provided any permission in order to start a website or mobile apps or any service in the country. They conveyed this information in a reply towards a Right to Information (RTI) query which was enquired by information technology policy portal Medianama.

    The above sentence means that the battle royale game PUBG has not received any permission from the Indian Government but it also conveys that the game does not require any prior permission from the Government of India according to the response by the Indian Government.

    They wouldn’t require the permission from the government if the game is launched under the new entity and in this case PUBG mobile is planning to launch the game under PUBG Corporation instead of Tencent Games.

    None of this has discouraged the company. The company has conveyed that it has plans to set up and start a new subsidiary company in India. The company is expected to have a local office, around 100 employees and is expected to have an investment of USD 100 million.

    The registration of the company is a step taken by the company to ensure the government that the information collected by the users of the mobile application will remain inside the borders of the country. The company is said to have signed a deal with Microsoft for Azure cloud since they have two functional data servers in the country.

    FAQ

    Why was PUBG banned in India?

    The reason that PUBG Mobile India was banned was India-China standoff at Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the presence of the Chinese entity – Tencent.

    When was PUBG banned in India?

    PUBG was banned in India on September 2, 2020, along with another 117 Chinese apps.

    Is PUBG relaunching in India?

    Yes South Korean gaming company Krafton will relaunch the India version of its popular game – PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG), for mobile users in a new avatar called Battlegrounds Mobile India.

    Conclusion

    The reason why the Government of India has not given permission may be because the version is banned by the Government and giving permission for one company would give hopes for other companies since they would also provide hopes for others.

  • How to Successfully Launch a Product in the Market

    In every 10 minutes almost two products, services, or brands have been launched in the year 2020. Even though the pandemic has hit hard to almost all the economies, the businesses have continued their operations and are continuing their path towards growth.

    Many businesses have launched their products, services, and brands this year and have got either rewards or have already failed. But what is more important is that every business wants to have sustainability.

    Not all products, brands, and services that businesses launch are successful, but you must ensure that your strategies for developing, promoting, and launching the products are strong enough so as to get the attention of the target audience and convert to sales.

    Here in this article, you will find tips that will ensure a successful product launch to help in boosting your business.

    Build and Work with a Committed Team
    Run a Beta Test
    Use the Right Marketing Tactics
    Go all-in on social media
    Make your product launch worth the wait
    Choose the right Influencers
    Having a Post-launch Strategy
    FAQ

    Build and Work with a Committed Team

    Making a committed team for your product launch is a very crucial task. You would require individuals who take the responsibility for the work and complete the tasks that are needed to be done. Help them in strategizing and executing the work that is desired. When we commit to a product, the commitment doesn’t end with the end of the product launch, but it carries over the course of the product life cycle.

    Committed Team
    Committed Team

    Such commitment is of great importance for the future of the product, considering its successes, downfalls, and competition in the market. Product launch is a challenging and stressful task but having a strong and supportive team can help you to pay attention to the key areas of satisfying the customers for the product they didn’t know they were waiting for.

    Run a Beta Test

    Even when you have done enough research and have made the perfect plan for your product launch, it is important that you have a beta test for the product. You can ensure this by letting a few people know about your product to get feedback.

    Also by doing so, you can work upon the last-minute changes that you need to do for your product launch and also precisely aim for the audience that you have been looking for as this beta test might build a little excitement and buzz in the market.  

    Use the Right Marketing Tactics

    Product launch is one of the biggest marketing strategies that determine your product reception in the market. Therefore it is vital that every marketing plan is detailed and measured. Your marketing strategies for the product launch should have specific and quantifiable goals. Channels, and a message that you want to convey to the masses.

    Go all-in on social media

    Today social media is one of the greatest tools to interact with the masses and the audience. While you plan to launch your product, do not forget to go all-in on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, etc. Create contests, polls, or other such activities that can help you in engaging the audience. By conducting such activities the audience may feel like they are a part of the process and this guarantees their presence at your product launch.

    Also, social media will help you cater to a large chunk of the audience from where you can get a well established lead base for your business even before the product launch.

    Make your product launch worth the wait

    Launching a product requires a lot of hard work and effort. It is indeed not a day’s task and after putting in loads of sweats into the product launch your efforts shouldn’t go in vain. You along with your team have to ensure that the launch of your product is worth the wait and worth the hype.

    Having confidence in your plan is very important and persistently working towards what needs to be accomplished will mark the success of your product launch. It is necessary that you take care of all the small things that might matter to the success of your launch.

    Choose the right Influencers

    You need to collaborate with influencers that can impact your target masses. While collaboration can be done in various ways, encourage these influencers to share a review about your product and post it on their social media handles. Over the last few years, the popularity of online influencers have gained the attention of the audience and has helped many businesses to flourish.

    Influencer marketing
    Influencer marketing

    Having a Post-launch Strategy

    Having a feedback mechanism is what will help you in improving the health and growth of your product in the market. One of the best ways to test whether the product vision and customer expectation are in line or not is to take feedback in the best suitable method and channel and then take corrective actions.

    Also, positive reviews and recommendations will help you build the trust of customers and potential target audiences on social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Google Reviews, and so on.

    FAQ

    How long does a product launch last?

    A product launch should last atleast 4 to 7 days. Try  to avoid ending your launch on a weekend.

    What is the most important step before a new product launch?

    The most important step before a new product launch is Research and testing.

    Why is Product launch important?

    A product launch is as important as the product. A poor product launch will leave customers confused, whereas a successful product launch will result in more sales.

    Conclusion

    Preparation is always regarded as the key to success. If you are well prepared for your product launch and you follow these basic tips for your product launch, you will achieve success in what you aimed for. A good product launch will help you break into new markets or gain access to new clients, as well as boost sales with current and potential customers.

  • How to Launch your SaaS Business?

    Launching a SaaS business takes a lot of hard work and determination. Many entrepreneurs feel that it is about getting the product out the door. Unless you’re an experienced entrepreneur, this approach can be quite disappointing. You launch your SaaS product and hope to get a few signups every day. Days turn into weeks, and you don’t find anyone coming. Why? Because your product is only part of the puzzle. There are quite a few things to sort out before you take your product to market.

    Here are 9 things to take care of before you launch a SaaS business.

    Validate business idea early

    You don’t want to end up spending thousands of dollars to realize it’s just you and your best friend using the app you’ve built. Reach out to relevant communities on social media, forums, put together a survey and ask as many people as you can. Make sure there are people who not only need your product, but are also ready to pay money for it.

    Chanty business idea validation survey
    Chanty business idea validation survey

    Also read:

    Learn about your target market

    Getting to know your buyer persona is extremely important while running a business. Never stop learning about your target audience as their needs evolve and so should your product. When you are just starting out, put a survey with several questions to find out the biggest pain point. Apart from doing a survey, make sure you communicate with your potential clients directly. The more you talk to your customers, the better (and faster) market fit you’ll get.

    Have customer onboarding

    No matter how simple your SaaS product, you need to have an automated process to onboard new users to your app. This will make it easier for people to use your product and quickly turn them into paying customers. At the minimum, it should allow users to sign up and sign in, display a welcome screen and give a quick product tour of your top 3 features that help them get started. Don’t walk them through all the features as it will only confuse them. You can use free plugins like Intro.js to provide a step-by-step guide to your application. Also, have automated lifecycle emails (after signup, after activation, end of trial).

    For example, Slack has an awesome new user onboarding which uses a combination of tooltips, animations, static screens, and in-app examples.

    SaaS customer onboarding
    SaaS customer onboarding

    Relevant read:

    Get the tool kit ready

    There are certain software tools your team will need to operate. For example:

    • CRM to track your tasks
    • GitLab for coding, testing and deployment collaboration
    • Confluence for company wiki and meeting notes
    • G Suite for a corporate email, storage and documents collaboration
    • MailChimp, Mailgun and Amazon SES to send out emails to our customers
    • Team communication tool like Slack
    • InVision app for prototyping
    • Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, SEMrush, SimilarWeb for keyword, traffic and backlinks research
    • Google Analytics, Hotjar, Yandex Metrica for site analytics, heatmaps and more
    • Buzzsumo for content research
    • Canva, Hootsuite, TweetDeck, Manageflitter, Hashtagify to manage and design  social media accounts
    • LinkedIn Sales Navigator to outreach potential clients in LinkedIn

    Wow, I didn’t realize there were so many. You’ll probably have the kit of your own, however, this list should at least help you receive an approximate idea of what you’ll need. These are just examples of software that do the task, there are plenty of good alternatives for each one of them. So, choose accordingly.

    Don’t charge your customers initially

    When you launch a SaaS startup, it might be tempting to charge your customers. After all, paying customers are the best way to validate your product. Here’s why it’s not a good idea. If you need to charge your customers, you need to add a payment gateway such as Stripe or 2Checkout to your website, which will cost you integration time. You also need to apply for a bank account and run around for additional procedures such as incorporation. The whole process can take months and delay your launch unnecessarily.

    Instead, release your SaaS product as a beta version, and mention that it will be free during the beta period (3-4 months). This will give you enough time to validate your idea, as well as set up the payment module.

    Must read:

    Don’t forget the social media

    While social media is not the primary traffic source, it’s still important to keep your customers updated. Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook serve this purpose pretty well. Even if you don’t plan any social media activity yet, it’s still a good idea to reserve your brand name at all the major social platforms.

    Social Media
    Social Media

    Start a blog

    Content marketing is a big thing. If you choose to attract organic traffic with your articles, I advise you to write in-depth articles that bring value. This task can be given to freelance writers but sometimes their articles don’t reflect the personal experience, the passion for what you are doing, their words are not filled with excitement. Don’t expect instant results. Running a blog is a lot of time and effort. In fact, according to HubSpot, B2B companies that blog generate 67% more leads than the ones that don’t.

    Start a blog
    Start a blog

    Plan A Media Stunt

    Motivate those who already signed up to share your startup with their friends. You can offer an early access to those who invite a number of friends (usually 3-5) by providing a unique url to share. You can also move them up in a waiting queue of beta testers or offer other rewards your audience would be interested in.

    Earning press coverage requires being the subject of a news story. Avoid stunts that will ring as desperate or cynical and focus instead of events or actions closely related to your brand’s mission. Put the focus on the most newsworthy element of the SaaS itself and how it is relevant to conversations about current events

    Set up Analytics

    As you’ve seen, there are quite a few things you need to do, to get your SaaS product off the ground. However, they’ll be fruitless if you’re unable to measure, analyze and improve their performance. Luckily, Google provides two amazing free tools that will make your life easier.

    The first one is the Google Analytics (GA), that helps you analyze website traffic and understand user behavior. Add a piece of code to your website and GA will do the rest. It provides tons of informative reports out-of-the-box that help you understand the most visited pages, how much time people spend on your site, their location, device, browser and a lot more. You can even set up goals and events to track clicks. This will help you understand how users interact with your product and which features they use the most.

    The second one is the Google Tag Manager (GTM), designed to simplify both developers’ and marketers’ lives. Once you add the GTM code to your site, marketers can add or delete any further piece of marketing code such as Hotjar Analytics, or the Facebook Pixel on their own, without distracting developers.

    Once you start tracking the right metrics, you’ll know what to improve and see if your activities are moving the needle. It also allows you to set growth objectives and review your progress regularly. Here’s a sample Google Analytics dashboard that shows you detailed information about your website visitors

    Google analytics dashboard
    Google analytics dashboard

    Conclusion

    Starting a SaaS business is a formidable task, but if you implement it carefully, you will surely be able to launch a SaaS product that gains traction quickly. We hope the experience we’ve shared helps you during your SaaS product pre-launch. If you have any questions, feel free to reach us in the comments below. We’ll be happy to help. Meanwhile, good luck pre-launching your product!