Startup Launch Marketing
I think there is a lot of confusion over what the word “launch” means and what marketing things a startup should be doing when they launch.
I don’t believe that demoing at an event like TechCrunch Disrupt is equivalent to a launch. Nor do I believe that a launch ends the moment your product/service is generally available to the public. I’ve done a bunch of launches (5 at startups and 2 new businesses inside a larger company) and I’ve seen a lot of things that worked and didn’t work. In my opinion a launch is a multi-phase event that has distinct phases and there are different things you do at each phase.
I was chatting with a startup founder about this last week and sketched this out. Here’s the picture I came up with:
Note that every stage is inclusive of the previous stage – you continue to do what you were doing pre-release, after you have released, you just add a set of new tactics. The same happens when you move from release to post-release.
Some notes on this:
The idea here was to capture the purely marketing tactics that are executed at different phases of a launch. That doesn’t mean that these are the only things marketing is working on. For example, I would expect marketing to be involved in product development and definition (particularly pre-launch), pricing, channel strategy, etc. That said, I’m sure I’m missing tons of thing that should be on this graphic so please add them in the comments.
I have some big catch-all categories in the graphic such as “outbound lead generation”, and “retention programs” that include multiple tactics (for Outbound that would be things like advertising and tele-prospecting, for retention programs that would include things like User events and rewards programs). Tactics in those categories vary so much from business to business that I thought it made sense to lump them in categories. That doesn’t mean those categories have the same weight as other individual tactics – often they require a huge effort.
There are a bunch of terms on here that might not make sense to people but rather than defining each of them I thought I would just wait and see which ones people don’t understand (sorry, I’m lazy like that). If it’s confusing, ask.
This was inspired in part by Eloqua’s excellent Content Grid which maps content types to a buyer progression. I thought to myself “Hey I should map that for launch marketing activities over the different stages of a launch and make it look way uglier!” and here we are.
I also enjoyed Josh Duncan’s post – A Product Launch is like? that talks about different types of product launches and clearly illustrates the multi-phase nature of a launch.
Category: Startups
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Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/rcwFp6z
Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/iJsxj3H
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/sZY1K5j
Launch is a multi-phase process not a moment in time – #Startup #Launch Marketing: http://t.co/q85Noh6
Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
RT @rodpaolucci: Startup Launch Marketing | Rocket Watcher: Product Marketing for Startups http://bit.ly/puxvfV
RT @Pitch_Doctor: Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/iOwDee By @aprildunford
Startup Launch Marketing http://www.rocketwatcher.com/blog/2011/06/startup-launch-marketing.html
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/cidpcQw
What does it mean to "launch" your startup when it comes to marketing? @aprildunford maps out a few ideas: http://t.co/pUXASAv
Thanks April for another great one. Unless your Apple and you have a highly anticipated product launch, it’s definitely critical to not think about a product launch as an end-all, be-all. It’s a continuous process.
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/zSTVjgU
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/IiuBalu
Great post from @AprilDunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://bit.ly/qkMaPt
RT @centercode @aprildunford: blog post – #Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/i8YkhEp 3 stages and what you do at each #prodmgmt
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://rocke.tw/jYAmnW
Excellent April! Read this – RT @tones810 RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://rocke.tw/jYAmnW
Startup Launch Marketing | Rocket Watcher: Product Marketing for Startups http://htl.li/5F19h
A very clear infographic on the time timing of product launch tactics. http://lnkd.in/u4DNBk
RT @centercode @aprildunford: blog post – #Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/i8YkhEp 3 stages and what you do at each #prodmgmt
RT @aipmmMX @centercode @aprildunford blog post – #Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/i8YkhEp 3 stages and what you do at each #prodmgmt
RT @centercode @aprildunford: blog post – #Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/i8YkhEp 3 stages and what you do at each #prodmgmt
RT @cindyfsolomon: RT @aprildunford blog post – #Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/i8YkhEp 3 stages and what you do at each #prodmgmt
[...] You may have a live campaign, brand/product release, or upcoming event that you are working hard to launch. You are creating awareness, converting calls to action, and locking customers in. There is no time [...]
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Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/AEZsfeX by @aprildunford
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/LMhq9RT
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/LMhq9RT
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/LMhq9RT
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/PusmAFs
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/LMhq9RT
Great piece with great ideas for launching a company. I have a lot of work ahead of me. http://t.co/PVOQAhu
Product Marketing for Startups http://t.co/LMhq9RT
Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/94Tg6aIb #PMBlog
Great April! I think it would be interesting to come up and coin some terms in these phases and then you will be credited like Eric Ries! Awesome infographic and thought provoking insight on the launch(multi-faceted) process.
LOL! Thanks for the comment.
Eric Ries wants to write books and give lectures.
I want to do marketing. When I get sick of doing marketing I will also write books and give lectures but I am not done being a marketer yet!
April
Understanding the Startup marketing. Thank you @asadaftabiqbal http://t.co/1PONgewL
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/aqiKoj1j
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/2buHlIe4
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/smy1tl9V
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/2Mnb0ubF
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/t7wSoOma
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/xeZ43yIa
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/xeZ43yIa #startups
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/2Mnb0ubF #startups
RT @aprildunford: Startup Launch Marketing http://t.co/t7wSoOma #marketing