launches, seo, adwords, twitter, blog, search engine, keyword research
DESCRIPTION
- Embarrassing Mistakes I've Made In Launches - Things I've Learned - Detailed Launch Plan for SpyFu SEO RECON Files (Agency Ready White Label SEO Reporting). See the presentation here: http://vimeo.com/14965166TRANSCRIPT
How I Do Launches: (Painful) Lessons Learned Bringing
My Own Products to Market
Mike Roberts
President, SpyFu, Inc.
@mrspy
What I’m Gonna Cover
• Embarrassing Mistakes I’ve Made.
• Cool Stuff I’ve Learned Lately
• Detailed Launch Plan for RECON Files
Spring, 2002 : Skills Assessment
• 6 months into dev of first
product
• Average developer
• Above average at interviewing
(for a geek)
• ZERO marketing experience
Why Does This Matter?
• Reasonably smart at times.
• Totally stupid at times.
• (Still am.)
• 2002: Pre-a-lot-of-things.
Spring 2002: My Finances
• No savings.
This Can’t Possibly Matter.
• Spending $100 means
it *better* f’ing work.
– Or else I gotta get a job.
On Track: My Very First Launch
• 14 months of work (nights and weekends)
• Put up a website.
• Posted the product to Download.com.
• …
• Waited for the sales to roll in.
Lesson 1: Kevin Costner is a Lying Douchebag
How’d That Work Out?
• 5 sales of $849 in 6 months.
• Had to get a job – actually a
couple – ugh.
Lesson 2: Never Do Your Own Creatives
Local Designer: ~$1000
Excuse: I can’t afford a designer
Excuse: I don’t suck like you, Mike.
• Shut up.
• Design is one of the cheapest skills you
have to replace.
– you have a product to launch.
• Spend your time on:
– User experience (UX) design, development,
conversion tactics, strategic marketing…
Resources:
• Vworker.com (aka Rentacoder) – cheap.
• Guru.com – good.
• Elance, oDesk – heard good things.
Lesson 3: Don’t Name Your Product Something
That Sounds Like a Venereal Disease
Providus
Lesson 3 Restated: Choose a Name That…
• Is as descriptive as possible.
– Gets a lot of searches
• Providus vs. Web Scraper Plus
You Don’t Necessarily Need the
Domain Name.
“Cool” Names are Overrated
• Unless you can afford to build a brand
– Then, cool = more memorable
• Suggestion: CoolCompanyName.com +
Descriptive Product Name
Descriptive Name = Good SEO
• Also, good communication
• Elevator Pitch Bullet Point Product
Name
I try to follow this advice:
How’d All That Work Out?
• 3 Employees.
• Solutions business = Product + Consulting
• No need for me to work “in” the business.
GoogSpy SpyFu
• Learning Adwords
• GoogSpy.com
Lesson 4: It Really Helps a Launch
if You Tell Someone About It
• This is embarrassing…
• It’s not complicated.
Lesson 4 Restated: People Want to Hear
About Your New Thing
• Bloggers need something to write about.
• Everybody wants to be first.
• People actually care.
Big Follows Small
• Tweet Blog Trade Pub WSJ
15 Months Later…
Late 2006: My Biggest Launch Ever (until now):
• 3-month Free Beta Period
• Tell a few bloggers a couple days in advance
• Issue a press release the day of the launch
(PRNewswire)
• Send out an email on the day of the launch
• Onsite promotion (subscribe now button)
• Went to happy hour…
My Hype Cycle: Equivalent of Cult
Movie DVD Sales
*Real* Launches Last Weeks,
Months, or Years
Why did we succeed?
• Partially free.
• Latent need.
• Innovative.
Lesson 5: Make Something that is Free
• Nobody writes / speaks
about paid stuff.
Why did we succeed?
• Partially free.
• Latent need.
• Innovative.
Non-Lesson: My One Saving
Grace as a Human…
• Finding the Latent Need
Easier Ways to Make Money
• Extreeemely Risky
• Very Hard to Predict
My Advice:
if (competitors = 0) then
RUN AWAY!!!
My Actions:
…Like Kevin Garnett, Anything is Possible…
Record:
If You Get Off on This Sort of Thing…
• Trust your instinct
• Choose projects that:
– You can test quickly
– Scale well
Why did we succeed?
• Partially free.
• Latent need.
• Innovative.
Innovative
• Hire and Grow Brilliant People.
• Tolerate Failure.
Latent + Innovative + Free =
Blogger Love
• Blogger Love = Pretty Good
SEO = Strong Brand
Blogger Love = SpyFu Success
Today…
Student of the Launch
Good vs. Bad Launches
Good • Apple
• Movies (Blair Witch)
• Star Craft 2
• Clickbank IM
Launches
• Politicians (AZIMA
9/14)
Bad • Google
• Banks
• Microsoft
Internet Launch in Action
Back to the Hype Cycle
Tease
Core Audience
• Existing Customers
• Twitter, LinkedIn,
Facebook Followers
• Tradeshow Visitors
Tools
• Teasers
• Sneak Peaks
• “Leaks”
• Secret Demos
Pre-Launch
Visitors
• Everybody in our
email list
• All website visitors
• Personal Twitter
Accounts
Tools • Launch Story
• Free Stuff
• Demo Videos
• Marketing Copy
• Feature Emails and Autoresponders
• Webinars
Pre-Launch: Telling the Story
Identify (I’m a lot like you)
• Persona.
• Identity implied – be
real.
• JIF
• Old Spice
Common Frustrations
• Clients can’t understand value proposition
of SEO.
• Very high “baseline” and research cost
when onboarding a client.
• Month-end reports are tedious and time
consuming.
Pre-Launch: Telling the Story
What If?
• Make it as easy for clients to understand
SEO as it is PPC?
• Eliminate baselining?
• Automatically create month-end reports
that make clients want to buy more
services?
Pre-Launch: Telling the Story
How I Found the Solution
• Top 50 organic positions, 20M keywords, 3
years.
• No more page load times.
• Answer real questions.
• Sizzle sells.
And now it’s ready to share…
Well, not really.
To be continued…
Our Launch Plan: Tease
Our Launch Plan: Pre-Launch
On to the Launch…
Launch
Targeted Universe
• Other Peoples’ Email
Lists
• Industry Website
Visitors
• Demographically
Targeted Web Users
Tools
• Banner Ads
• Text Ads
• Emails
• Interviews
Retention
Customers
• People who bought
• People in the
conversion funnel
Tools
• Instructional Content
(Videos and Articles)
• Auto-Responders
• Webinars
• Support