So many founders pay a lot of attention to their products and make sure it is perfect. They spend 100’s of hours interviewing customers and refining every last detail to ensure nothing is overlooked. The product receives strong positive feedback from early adopters and the founders receive anecdotes about how the product is changing lives and people are recommending it to their friends.
Yet, revenue is only growing slowly, and the product isn’t embarking on the exponential growth that the founders expected.
If this sounds familiar, then chances are you are neglecting your marketing.
Here are 5 myths to avoid when marketing your new product.
Myth 1: Marketers don’t understand your product or what you need.
This is more about you than them. Most marketing takes time and this is what your potential marketers will tell you. However, no doubt as a founder you want your growth now and fast. If this is the case then the real situation is you should have started marketing months ago.
Myth 2: Don’t start Marketing your product too soon.
Starting to market your product before it is launched is what you should do. Concerns about what if the product launch is delayed or the product isn’t good enough are more related to your insecurities as a founder than they are to reality.
Myth 3: You don’t need to market your product until after launch.
Marketers do more than just execute a promotion strategy. For this reason, it is beneficial to integrate them well before your product launches. Similar to Myth 1, getting them in earlier means your marketing strategy is fully engaged by the time you launch.
Myth 4: Your product is so good it won’t need marketing.
Almost no product in history has been so good that it hasn’t needed to be marketed to its audience. Your product is no different. No matter how good it is, the world is a crowded place and you will need marketing to be seen.
Myth 5: It takes too long to hire a marketer.
Marketers do not need to know as much about your product as you do so onboarding them won’t take as long as you think. You don’t want them to know as much. A marketer who has the same level of knowledge and understanding as your customers will know how to sell to them.
TAKEAWAY: Product marketing is not a magic bullet that can be applied to growth after your product has been launched. It is a process that needs to be integrated into your product development and initiated early to be successful.