There’s an old saying that has stood the test of time: Product launches are like belly buttons – everyone has one.

I added the “product launches” part, of course. But you get my meaning.

Each year, companies launch an estimated 30,000 new products. That means companies throughout various industries make tens of thousands of announcements looking to break through the noise in efforts to get their product in front of the right audiences.

Let’s be real for a second – we’re all not Apple or Samsung. It’s going to take some work and the right strategies to stand out from the crowd.

If you’re new to product announcements, looking for a refresher or figuring out a way to elevate your strategy for future practice, then congratulations! You’re in the right place.

This blog will explore why we should do product announcements, what makes them successful, and how to plan success from beginning to end.

Do a product announcement

Bringing awareness to your product is crucial for any goals you may have, whether it’s to drive sales, increase website traffic or drum up interest from reporters in your respective industry.

It’s also important to be able to establish credibility for your company by having an announcement of your product distributed either via press release wire service, on the company website or both.

Adding in quotes from investors, customer testimonials and analyst commentary can elevate a press release and make it easier for reporters to find the announcement, establishing further third-party validation that journalists find appealing for a story. If a reporter is interested in your company, they will likely sift through the internet to ensure you are indeed legitimate.

Plan your new announcement

After you’ve brought in your public relations team, the real work begins.

As the popular singer Tems once said on an iconic song, “time is of the essence.” Yet clients frequently sign on with a PR agency and want to issue a product launch announcement in one to two weeks. This may not be enough time to do everything that is needed to ensure success.

Ideally, provide at least one week for your PR firm to understand your products and craft a compelling press release that includes key messages and makes it digestible for media outlets.

Avoid using too much technical language and industry jargon, which can leave reporters confused instead of intrigued and may lead them to ignore the product instead or covering it.

If you’re launching multiple products within a short period of time, develop an overarching theme that ties everything together.

Another integral part of the plan is to pick the right date and time for the announcement to go live. We find that Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the most effective days to go out with news because reporters are coming back from the weekend to full inboxes on Mondays, and they may be beginning to wind down for the week on Thursdays and Fridays.

It’s also important to avoid issuing your news announcements on major holidays, political events or major industry gatherings that can overshadow your news. For example, we recently counseled a client to avoid putting out a release the week of Apple’s Glowtime Event and the presidential debate – events that ended up dominating the headlines for the week.

With the holiday season coming up, it’s worth noting that it’s crucial to work around Thanksgiving and Christmas, when reporters may be on PTO and readership is typically lower.

Take a before, during and after approach

Implementing strategies before, day of and after the announcement will help ensure your team is constantly in communication with reporters and that you are maximizing the news cycle, which is continuing to get shorter with every passing day.

Before the launch, give yourself at least two weeks to pitch reporters under embargo. This means that they agree to honor the release date and will not publish any articles before the launch date. Newsrooms are continuing to shrink, leaving journalists with less time to cover everything in their beat. Providing them ample time to review the release, ask questions, meet with an executive and write the story can increase your chances of earning coverage.

On the day of the product announcement, a winning PR team will go out to a wider list of media targets with a pitch that is punchy, concise and to the point in order to grab media interest. Make sure your team and spokesperson are available for interviews in the coming days.

After the launch, your PR team shouldn’t stop working. To quote the late, great Kobe Bryant, “job’s not finished.” Keeping a finger on the pulse of the news and implementing a newsjacking initiative will ensure that the launch continues to live on as the news cycle continues to change.

Do’s and Don’ts for your upcoming product launch

In summary, here are some do’s and don’t when it comes to a product launch release.

DO:

• Partner with a PR agency
• Be strategic with the day and time you choose to make the announcement
• Give your PR agency at least a couple of weeks to pitch the announcement beforehand

DON’T:

• Use too much technical/industry jargon within the release itself
• Give yourself only a week to pitch the announcement under embargo
• Issue the announcement during major holidays, industry events or national news

That being said, all products are not created equal. While every product should have some form of a launch, get counsel from your public relations team to ensure you have the right strategies in place to manage expectations and create the level of success that the launch deserves.

Start the conversation now

Preparing to launch a product? Start a conversation with a public relations firm as soon as you can so that they can get started developing and executing a PR plan to set you up for success.

Your internal communications team likely has a lot on its plate prior to a new launch. Bospar can help lighten that load and be your go-to public relations partner for all your media needs.

Our PR experts draft press releases for clients’ review and approval, provide strategic counsel, craft winning media strategies, and have strong journalist connections and understanding of what reporters care about most to improve your chances of getting needle-moving coverage.