The Power of the “Rolling Launch”

We continue our Q and A series with a really good question concerning product launches from our Guided Profit System lessons.

Take a look…

CALLER: I’m going to be re-launching my product this week. And in terms of a launch strategy, I guess I don’t even want to try to compete with all these big guys that are doing these massive launches right now.

I’d rather just recruit JVs and affiliates and say, you know, "Here’s everything you need to do this. Just promote it as your schedule permits." Does it make sense to do it that way?

RICH: First of all, I want to commend you on sticking with the product launch strategy in general. I’ve preached time and time again how Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula changed the way I do business (not to mention increasing my bottom line tremendously). So by taking that approach, you’re definitely on the right track to success.

And what you said certainly makes sense. I can understand how daunting it might be to launch against some of the massive promotions out there. You almost get swallowed up in the mix.

But another option you might want to look at is the "rolling launch". This is where you basically go from affiliate to affiliate and construct an individualized launch for their particular list.

For example, you could go to one of your affiliates and set up a free teleseminar, free webinar, or even a video streaming event for their list. You give away some good content so they’ll get to know you better–all while creating a buzz and establishing yourself as an authority on the subject.

Then, you start cranking up the launch engine to build anticipation and scarcity, which finally culminates in a profitable launch for both you and the affiliate. Then you move onto the next affiliate in line.

Another great thing about the rolling launch is that it tends to actually be even more powerful than the "big bang" launches as far as cash flow purposes. Because in the end, you’ll most likely sell more products by hitting your partners individually as opposed to all at once.

The key to making this launch approach work is by generating some interaction with the actual list owner. Because your prospects from that list don’t know who you are, but they definitely know who the list owner is.

So if the list owner is going to be on a call with you or doing something interactively with you, then you’ll get a much higher draw. See how it works?

Now, let’s take another question…

Strategic Profits has been utilizing the "rolling launch" model for some time now with great success.

It’s so much more personable and intimate than the big launches, because you spend more time with specific partners and their lists instead of the normal "hit and run" approach.

And those relationships you build will pay off for you–not only during that launch, but with future launches as well.

To Higher Profits,

Rich

P.S. How’s your launches been working for you these days? Hot or not?

Chime in with your stories and comments below. I’d love to hear your opinions on the rolling launch model as well as any tweaks on the launch process that you’ve found profitable.

Let’s all help each other out!

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Comments:

http://www.OneStopWebSupport.com Jeff Baas

Thanks for sharing this advice with all of us. It’s getting more and more intimidating to see big launch after big launch and wonder how to get much attention for products when I don’t have access to the “inner circle” of big names in my niche.

But I know plenty of smaller operators who would be perfect partners on this kind of rolling launch. And the interaction with them would be beneficial not only for building credibility with their lists, but also just for general networking.
http://www.mtdsalestraining.com/mtdblog/ The Sales Jedi

A rolling launch works really well for several reasons:

1. It reduces the time pressure on you to co-ordinate one big launch – it’s a load of organisation and hassle!

2. Testing – you can test different launch strategies and see which ones are more effective than others. With a “big bang” launch you’re putting all your eggs in one basket

3. Up close and personal – by concentrating on one launch at a time you can add REAL VALUE to your JV partners. Instead of a “one size fits all approach” you can tailor your JV materials and really take time over them. Your JV partner will appreciate the personal touch as opposed to being one of many

4. Relationships are the key – As with #3 the personal approach will lay the foundations for future joint ventures and product launches

To your rolling launch success!

Sean McPheat
“The Sales Jedi – Master Of The Sales Force”
Shawn Casey

Hey Rich – a key concept that I see most people miss is that smart guys don’t build a launch process that is “one and done”.

I think people from the outside perceive that the insiders work to create a new product, do a big launch, and then throw away the product. Even as you read that – you can understand how stupid that concept is when you see it in black and white. You don’t see the Fortune 500 companies spend months and huge resources creating a new product and then just sell it for 5 days.

Instead… you want to create a product and system that lets you keep bringing back the nearly identical (tweaked with what you learned last time) system to re-launch the product every months to your own list and partner lists.

For example, one of our products will shortly launch for the 4th time. We’ve sold over $6MM of the product so far in just over 2 weeks on the market. We’ll use the same system we’ve proven to work already and do very little work other than send emails for the launch.

As you should know from reading Rich’s blog…you want to create systems like that.

Shawn Casey
http://www.prometheusstrategy.com Jim McCarthy

Rich,
Very timely post. That is exactly the strategy I am using with my product. It is important to get your promo area set up with emails, banners, videos, blog posts, etc. so that it becomes “push button” easy for your co-promoters.

I absolutely agree that it is becoming almost impossible to get “heard” these days with a wide-spread product launch because of the dominance of a small number of big players. When you think about, it is pretty much what you predicted in your Manifesto about big players eventually taking over the IM space.

Thanks as always for great posts,
Jim
http://smallbusiness-bigresults.com Janis Pettit

This is such a simple concept but so effective. As a smaller company I’ve used this approach for several years. It allows you to develop a closer, more long term strategic relationship with each partner, and once you have the system in place, it’s plug and play.

It also allows you to identify individual partners who might be a better match for your product or niche, rather than trying the mass affiliates approach.

And finally, it avoids the annoying multiple e-mails in your inbox that occurs when you’re on the several lists who are all promoting the same product at once–what we gals refer to as the “attack of the old boys network”.

I think the idea of the rolling launch will become more and more prevalent, especially outside of the Internet marketing niche.

Thanks Rich,

Janis Pettit
http://www.companiesnow.com.au Rich Muir

Great post and love Shawn’s comments. I have to agree that it does seem a little daunting and have a couple of failed launches based on didnt follow sequence correctly.

Next time certainly will.

Rich
http://www.TheInfoProfitSystem.Com Ruddy Ortiz

Hi Rich

Between your great post and the value adding comments of most others that have chimed in, it should be clear to all that a Rolling Launch will definitely kick the pants off of a traditional “All In” launch almost every time.

You can almost argue the point: “Why do it any other way?”

Apart from a ginormous (or slightly bigger, depending if done right) payday and customer list, I personally don’t see any advantages of doing a launch any other way, do you?

In my experience, the Rolling launch seems to lend itself more to a methodical and more controlled process than any other type of launch and it truly serves for long term continued success.

And as some others have already pointed out here, the quality of all of the relationships built thru it is superior by far.

Thanks for reminding all of us of it’s power,

Make it a GREAT Day!

Ruddy Ortiz
http://jasonstanleymarshall.com Jason Stanley Marshall

Thanks Rich (and commenters)! I think I’ll do the “rolling launch” for my next launch in March. Love the personable side to it.

Jason
http://www.experienceseekerstravelclub.com Anne

Hi Rich

Thankyou so much for posting this. I am a really new small piece of the internet community and not in the internet marketing niche. I had planned this year to work with some partners using teleseminar, webinar etc(still working out which is best to do and any suggestions would be appreciated)interview them, they promote their stuff and I promote mine. So now after reading your post I realised I have actually created a rolling launch.
Again I would really appreciate any suggestions to make sure it is really successful.

Many thanks
Anne
http://www.quemedmedia.com Oritseyemi

@Shawn Casey,

You have the mindset of a good publisher. I think a lot of marketers only see themselves as marketers and not as publishers. Once we start seeing things from publishing perspective, it becomes a whole new game.

And what is the mindset of a good publisher?

A good information publisher learn how to use and re-use the same information over and over again. You can take the same information from an ebook you just sold, reposition it and use it for a membership site, then reposition it again and use it for a blog, and so on.

But you have to be good at it such that your audience have not clue what just hit them though.

This way, you want use the same product in more than 10 ways. Once you perfect the skill, the sky is the limit.

@Rich,
Now I see why your company name is called “STRATEGIC … ” You are able to view a business and strategically position it- thereby seeing a lot ways that things can be done such that the company can start enjoying exponentially higher sales.

Guess what?

More than 100 folks must have see the same business but never saw it the way you position it. Not that they are not smart, I think it is more of an art which takes time to perfect! [now that is my own opinion!]

I think when you go from one person to another. You tend to learn from whatever mistake you make in that process, fix it, move to the next, fix whatever you need to fix and so on.

I think the beauty of this process is that once all those stages are completed. You can then re position the same product, and start all over again.

I understand the concept of launching a product. I just did not really see it from the way you just positioned it.

Another hall of fame post.
http://www.IwillFIGHT.com Anik Singal

Hey Rich,

I just wanted to chime in and say that I agree with you. To the “caller” – doing a launch and asking affiliates to “promote whenever they want” will never work.

Other promoters are far more aggressive and they will command the affiliate’s schedule by being persistent and consistent.

Affiliates get distracted easily, you have to be ON TOP of them.

Rolling launches are especially great if you’re still a “small shop” – it allows you to manage things easier.

BIG launches (believe it or not) take a LOT out of you and your team (yes, you need a team for these). There are MANY moving parts, etc…

I like rolling launches and I agree – I think everyone would be amazed at how well they work.

Great post!

Anik
http://www.androidcontrolpanel.com/vip/thank-you-so-much.html Justin Brooke

I’m with you Rich…

I have a launch tomorrow (4th) and yeah I FINALLY got a lot of big namers on board but man I been working my butt off for it. The multiple emails, the JV process, the everything.

I can’t voice my actual feelings but I know you know what I mean. It’s just getting sooo hard to do a big launch these days. There is a new launch literally 2-3 times per week now.

I even told all my JV partners that I will most likely never do a “launch” again. It’s just sooo much easier to do the individual roll outs and buy my own traffic/SEO.

I’m really digging what you’re up to these days Rich. You ROCK
Judd (Militant Marketing)

Thanks for sharing Rich.

Why the ‘Rolling Launch’ would be so popular, and profitable, has to do with the Number 1 Biggest Barrier To Doing Business – Proof That What You Say Is True.

Working with a JV/Affiliate has everything to do with their RELATIONSHIP with their list, and then secondly with the size of that list. When you work with one JV/Affiliate partner at a time and the interaction with the list is personalised and appropriate then the people on that list will feel that the list owner has their best interests at heart, continue to give their trust and then transfer that trust on to you.

JV’s and Affiliates during a Big Launch run the very real risk of appearing to their list as though they are just jumping on the bandwagon for the next cash-cow. If they’re not careful they can seriously damage their relationship with their list.

“Tis far easier to gain trust, than to lose it and gain it back”
Judd Leverton – 2009 ;O)
Linky Van Der Merwe IVirtualpm)

The idea of a “Rolling Launch” appeals to me as I am a new online business owner just starting out. I am so overwhelmed by all the advice, tactics and offers that I receive daily.

However, I plan to launch within the next week into the entrepreneur and small business owner market with a Project Management related product and services. I am wondering where I would find willing affiliates to assist me with this launch?!

Thanks for the opportunity to share,
Your Virtual Project Manager
http://www.reviewfaq.com Chris

I’ve seen the concept of the ‘Rolling Launch’ shown in two different forms before – one is the kind you’ve described here Rich, where you fine tune each launch to the individual JV partner and his client base, and the other is where you put each of your list subscribers through the same sequence from the moment they subscribe.

In any market bar the IM niche, either approach would almost certainly be successful, but IM customers are so promiscuous (tending to be on everyone’s mailing list) and so ADHD (“What, it’s 6am and there’s no WSO yet!?!”) that pretty well everyone is going to know about a major launch even if it’s just with a single JV partner. Anyone coming after that tends to look like a ‘follow up’ unless the time gaps are large, and then you risk the product becoming outdated.

Just my thoughts, but the Individual JV Rolling Launch for the IM market seems to be a great way of reviving a product – I’m just not sure whether it’s the best way to introduce a new product in the first place.
http://mynetmarketingland.com/blog1/ Franck Silvestre

This is what I’ve been doing with one of my seo products. I found it easier this way, and the money generated is constant.

It’s the model I’ll be following this year for my new products.

Now, I’m not sure if this way will make more profits than the full PLF launch, but I like the way.

Franck
http://kenttee.com Kent

Thanks Rich!

Your post info just gave me much more confident on the product launch strategy.

Look at those big launches this days, it’s really hard to reach on that status especially for niche product players.

I believe your “Rolling Launch” concept will bring much more reality to niche market players.

Thanks again.

Kent
Pingback: Alex Jeffreys, Glenn Dietzel, Last Night’s Call
http://www.AsktheLaunchexpert.com Chris Brisson

The beautiful thing about a rolling launch is the snowball effect. As your affiliates and jv partners results start coming in this becomes fodder and leverage for you to find new partners.

It’s a very simple process…

1. Do a deal with one jv partner… get results.
2. Find another partner and prove your results from your previous jv partner.
3. Leverage your results from #1 & #2 and as the hair shampoo’s say…

“Wash, rinse, repeat”

Great post Rich!

Chris
http://LoriArriaga.com Lori

Thanks for the great post. With all the big launches that seem to be out there it can be quite intimidating to try and do a launch of your own and this rolling launch is a great idea and definitely more personable for relationship building.
http://www.constantconversation.com Colin “Google” McDougall

Rich has shared something I have known for a LONG time..

Yes! Jeff Walkers Product Launch Formula is very powerful…

But all the JV stuff may not be working for you right now

So…

The solution for those confused about how to market their products online comes down to have an arsenal of marketing tools and tactics in your pocket to use.

The key to success comes down to personal relationships and a “Just Do It” mindset.

If JV deals are alluding you right now then take action to sell your own stuff on your own

Attend industry events, make friends

At those events talk openly open your successes and your failures.

Be real

When you are real you will make friends and of course those friendships lead to JV opportunities.

OK… There’s my 2 cents

Now get busy and get back to work right now :)

Colin
http://www.jpmaroney.net JP Maroney

Rich,

Spot-on!

Savvy marketers will do this more and more. We’ve begun perfecting a way to put this “rolling” process on auto-pilot — which gives you the best of all worlds … a product launch you don’t have to manage.

Again, good post.

JP Maroney
aka “Mr. Monetizer”
http://www.instantlinkbuilder.com Instant Link Builder

Thanks Rich for the post and comments. I absolutely AGREE with Shawn’s comment. What we need is a system that lets us keep bringing back the nearly identical product or service to re-launch every month.

Regards,
Jenny.
http://www.dustinmathews.com Dustin Mathews

In the Real Estate space there have been a ton of launches. Definitely a great thing…but for the little guy it can be hard to recruit big time JVs all at once.

Kinda like herding cats. The rolling launch is awesome because once you establish that relationship then you can just add them to the launch.

And with the rolling launch, you can come to JVs with stats which should win a few over (providing you have some good stats)
http://Davidbeking.com David King

jeff Walker is amazing! I don’t own his products but I will in the future! you can tell he know’s what he’s talking about!
plus he’s from michigan so… that makes him even cooler!
http://www.danbriffa.com Dan Briffa

Hey Rich

Thanks for sharing that. I was thinking about doing an all out launch for a product im currently developing but after reading this i’m deffo re-evaluating my plans, i think the rolling launch will probably be more effective.

Thanks Rich! You Da Man!

Dan Briffa