The Art of Building Anticipation


Building anticipation for a new product is arguably the most important aspect of launching a new product. How can you get someone so excited about your new product that they're literally waiting for the doors to open so they can whip out their credit card? These are the five phases of building anticipation in a new product.

=> Phase 1: The "Mysterious Hint"

Drop a hint that you're working on something new. Perhaps hint that you've been thinking about a specific problem for some time now and are ready to do something about it.

Be vague. This phase should start before the product is actually finished, but once the product is far enough along that its completion is guaranteed - perhaps when it's in the final editing phase.

The goal here is to just get people curious about what you're up to.

=> Phase 2: Confirmation and a Highlight

Confirm that the product is going to exist. Don't spend too much time one it; just briefly mention it at the bottom of a blog post or two. Maybe put out a tweet or Facebook post about it. But don't make a big deal of it yet.

Drop a highlight of the product. For example, "I've found a really unique method to do X, I'm so excited to share it with you all. More on this soon."

Continue dropping these little "breadcrumbs" throughout the launch process.

=> Phase 3: Selling the Problem

Start writing emails that explain the problem, while delivering value. The idea here is to build up and amplify desire, while still keeping a great relationship with your list by giving them great content.

The best way to do this is to explain the problem, while educating them about the problem and telling them things they didn't know.

=> Phase 4: "The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread" (Excitement)

This is when the cloak is dropped, the mask removed and the product finally revealed. At this point, you should already have people curious about your new product; as well as being highly aware of a specific issue that they'd like to solve.

Now you announce that the product exists and will be launched shortly. The tone of the emails switches from informational to "This is the Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread."

Of course, not every email should be hype-ish, just the parts of the email that talk about the new product. If you normally have a 90% content to 10% sales ratio, give yourself permission to move that up briefly to 30% or 40% for the sales process. But be sure you're still delivering 60% to 70% of rock-solid content.

=> Phase 5: Launch - The One and Only Hard Sell

In the five days or so leading up to the actual launch date is the only time when your list should have the experience of being "sold to."

This is the time to bring out the one-time offer (OTO) - to remind them of scarcity, to bring out the benefits of the product, etc.

This should also be the time when your readers are at the height of their excitement. They should desperately want your product and be almost at the point where they're willing to commit. At this point, you need to give them a strong final push to make the buying decision.

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