The communications assets your startup needs before a launch that no one talks about

By Robin Anderson

As a startup founder, communicating what your startup does, who it’s for, and why your solution is the best available on the market isn’t the easiest thing in the world to do. Getting this piece right takes time and practice. However, it is essential to setting the stage for when you are ready to launch your product. 

Essentially, a start-up’s success depends a lot on how it communicates its value, passion, and uniqueness to the people within and the world outside. 

Through pre-launch marketing, you will have been testing your messaging so that when you create communications assets at the time of launch you will know what you say is working. You will also have been testing various channels to determine the right place to reach your audience to effectively communicate your offerings. And all along the way, you will have had customers as a part of your product development process to help you know what messaging resonates and what does not. 

Through pre-launch market planning, you will have confirmed:

Messaging + Communications Channel + Customers - > Ready at the time of launch

Pre-launch is where you perfected your messaging, refined your channels and developed basic communications assets in preparation for your launch. The goal is to develop sustainable communications for when you launch your product. 

In addition to your core messaging, there are additional communications assets that are important to have available at the time of launch.

First and foremost, it’s important to have established your messaging. This is the foundation for all your communications. The biggest benefit of having this messaging is that it ensures you and your team share the same words about what you do with others. Start this process early. Why? Putting a stake in the ground early, helps you to fine tune your messaging as you build your product. At the time of your launch you will be able to concisely communicate what your audience wants, needs, and why they will need to buy your product. 

Next is your company story. The purpose of writing a company story is that it is one of the best ways to grab the attention of your prospective customers. Why you started the company, how your product solves their problem, how you are different from the competition, and your company values and goals. Your company story humanizes your brand. It gets people to trust you. And it will be highly valued when you start working with the press.

In addition to your messaging and company story, other assets that are essential include:

• Prominent Assets

  • Press Kit

• High Quality Content Assets

  • Data Sheets

  • White Papers/Thought Leadership Paper

• Basic Content Assets

  • Newsletters

  • Podcasts

  • Videos

  • Blogs

Prominent Assets

Prominent assets are promotional in nature. A press kit is designed to provide fundamental information about your company to reporters. It consists of marketing materials, high resolution images, and even video clips. Include this as a separate web page on your website for easy access. This enables reporters to get the basic information they need to write about you and your product. The goal is to make it easy for a reporter to understand what you do, and why, while giving them the tools to properly promote your brand.

A basic press kit consists of a 

1. Company Backgrounder

   1. Who - Founders of the company.

   2. When - When the company was started.

   3. What - A description of your product.

   4. Why - The problem your product solves.

2. Product Data Sheet or Fact Sheet

   1. Features

   2. Benefits

   3. Statistics (speed tests, etc.), if relevant

   4. Pricing

3. Images - High resolution images of your product and logo

4. Press Release for launching your product along with past coverage you have received

5. Contact - Who journalists can contact for additional information

High Quality Content Assets

These are assets designed to help your customers understand your product or service at a much deeper level. It’s designed to educate them about a challenging issue, provide a solution with the goal of helping move them along the journey to purchase.

Data Sheet: The purpose of a data sheet is to provide in depth information about a product. It includes the features of the product in technical terms, performance information (stats) along with the benefits and pricing. 

White Paper/Thought Leadership Paper: A white paper provides an indepth look with more detailed information about a topic. It is a persuasive piece that presents a problem along with a solution. The purpose of a white paper is to educate and explain about a complex issue and the methodology to solving the problem. A Thought Leadership piece is designed to establish credibility to the author based on their expertise and knowledge surrounding the complex problem and a recommended solution.

Communications Assets

Communications Assets are designed to reach and engage your audience. These assets are simply extensions of content you have already created. These include:

• Newsletters

• Podcasts

• Videos

• Blog Posts

It’s important to establish baseline communications prior to a product launch. This enables you to pursue outreach efforts which can help maximize your opportunity for exposure. Having communications assets available makes it easier for others to share your company and products, extending your voice to the world. The best part, once you create the basic pieces, you can leverage that content in the creation of additional communications assets such as your pitch deck, new blog posts, along with a multitude of social media posts.   

Preparation is not only key, it is necessary. A missed opportunity for free promotion can be huge. Take the time to create the communications assets your company needs before you launch your product.

Need help getting your communications assets on track? Contact Us for a free 30-minute consultation!

FunFact Friday

A product launch that grabbed attention: 

Towards the end of the calendar year, families in the United States tend to focus their holiday dinner purchases on turkey and ham, not chicken. To help drive demand for their fried chicken during this time of year, KFC created and launched a new product - the KFC 11 Herbs and Spices Firelog. When lit, the firelong made the space or room smell like fried chicken. This generated a ton of press - and they sold out in three hours.