Planning a Product Launch? Creators, Here’s How to Make it Succeed
You’ve established a following, found your niche, and created fantastic content. You know the importance of diversifying your income stream, and now you’re on to the next big thing: your brand or product launch.
Creator commerce is blowing up around the world as influencers hop aboard the e-commerce train, using their reputations and relationships to launch a product or brand that resonates with their audiences. And guess what? The results are incredible—when the launch is done correctly.
But how exactly do you launch a product to ensure it succeeds? Research your niche, ask your audience, and develop a strong brand identity that’s a seamless extension of your personal brand.
Find out more in this creator commerce guide.
Why a Product Launch?
Why should you launch a product or brand at all? We’ve previously talked about diversifying income streams in relation to TikTok’s looming ban, but ban or not, adding another revenue stream can be incredibly appealing and rewarding.
Here are a few reasons so many creators are adding commerce to their list of achievements:
- Income diversification
- Complete autonomy and brand control
- Enhanced audience connection
- Longevity beyond social
- Establishing credibility and expertise
- Capitalizing on market trends
- Personal passion project
- Cross promotional opportunities
Creators Who Have Launched a Brand or Product
Creators are proving time and time again that the recipe for a perfect product launch is connecting with your audience, finding the right niche, and creating great content. Here are a few examples of those who have done it well.
Emma Chamberlain: Chamberlain Coffee ☕
Launched in 2019, Chamberlain Coffee was founded in by Emma Chamberlain, a relatable, authentic, and interesting YouTuber with a knack for making the mundane seem interesting. Emma often shared her love of coffee with her 12 million+ followers on YouTube, visiting coffee shops around the globe.
Ashley Alexander: Nami Matcha 🌿
A matcha tea lover for years, Ashley used her incredible entrepreneurial skills to launch Nami Matcha. But it’s the way she did it that really amazes us.
Involving her audience every step of the way, she launched Matcha Mob, a community newsletter that served as a direct line of communication with her audience, strengthening it, and allowing others to feel part of her brand.
No wonder she sold out 1,000 starter kits in under 3 minutes and an additional $100,000 in sales of matcha tins in under 45. 🤯
Michelle Phan: IPSY 💄
Michelle Phan is one of the OG creators who has a successful brand launch. Founded in 2011, IPSY is a makeup subscription company brought to life by Michelle’s love and talent for all things beauty.
IPSY was a natural extension of her YouTube channel where she shared makeup tutorials and discussed beauty products.
How to Launch a Brand or Product as a Creator
So many creators have leveraged their influence on social media to have a successful product launch. And, as you can see in the examples above, it’s not done successfully by just picking any old product and running with it.
In all cases, creators with the most successful product launches have chosen something that directly relates to their niche and content. That’s why the first step in launching a brand or product shouldn’t come as a surprise.
1. Identify Your Niche
If you’re a micro influencer, you may still be deciding on a niche. Macro influencers are typically more settled into their personal brand, but there may still be some wiggle room as to the type of commerce brand or product they launch.
So first things first, get serious about your overall niche. Some popular niches include:
- Travel
- Lifestyle
- Beauty
- Fashion
- Tech
- Food
- Gaming
- Outdoor life
- Interior design
However, within each of these categories are even smaller niches. For example, food influencers may decide to focus on coffee while beauty influencers may focus on natural beauty looks and products.
There’s tons of flexibility and options within these overarching themes, and the more specific you get, the better it becomes for product development.
To get specific about your niche (and one that will be the most successful for you), ask yourself the following questions:
- What does your audience care about?
- What are your audience’s buying behaviours?
- What has been a common theme throughout your content?
- What products or services are not adequately addressed by the market?
2. Conceptualize the Product
Now that you’ve identified your overall niche (i.e. coffee) it’s time to come up with product ideas that would likely succeed.
Even within the coffee niche, there are many different options. Will you sell coffee itself, and what kind? Or will you offer coffee-related products like French presses, frothers, or espresso machines?
We recommend taking a page from Ashley Alexander’s playbook and interacting with your audience directly. This can be done by:
- Newsletters
- Instagram polls
- Live Q&As
After you’ve gathered feedback, find out what it will take to bring your product to market, including production costs, resources needed, and market demand.
3. Validate Your Idea
Think you have a solid idea? It’s time to validate it.
Often, this can be the scariest step. What if no one likes it? Experts say it’s much better to get a “no” earlier rather than later. Here’s how to test your idea:
- Conduct further market research
- Keep asking your audience for feedback
- Conduct A/B testing
- Consider prototype testing
4. Develop Your Brand
At this point, you’re probably feeling fairly confident in your product launch. However, there’s still a lot of work to be done.
With a loyal following, you’re already ahead of the majority of those who launch a product or brand, but you should invest in building your product’s:
- Brand Identity: Develop a logo, color scheme, and a consistent messaging strategy that aligns with your existing influencer brand yet stands out as its own entity.
- Storytelling: Craft a compelling narrative around your product that highlights your unique perspective and values as an influencer.
5. Plan Your Marketing Strategy
The great thing about launching a product as a creator is that, by the time you reach the launch stage, your audience will already be excited about it.
The way you’ve included your community of followers is a market strategy in itself, but don’t forget to generate more buzz about your product launch through your social media channels, website, or newsletter.
If you want to expand your reach further, team up with other brands or influencers in your niche to expand your reach.
7. Execute the Launch
With an online store that’s ready to rock, how will you choose to announce your product launch? With the right strategy, you could have people waiting for your products to drop.
Consider a live launch event or online webinar to drum up excitement and offer live demonstrations. Remember to interact actively with your audience, answering questions and showcasing feedback.
Wishing You Success with Your Product Launch!
Launching a product or brand takes time. For some, it takes years. Victory loves preparation, so take it slow with your product launch. If you need assistance along the way from an experienced influencer management agency, MODERNSPEAK can help.
Email hello@modernspeak.co or call 1-403-991-4988 to find out how we can simplify brand partnerships, public relations, and more.
