You’ve taken your idea from dream to reality and now it’s time to debut. But don’t leap before you look! Start with a product soft launch and you’ll have a much better experience. We’re talking about everything you need to know about soft launches – let’s begin!

Define Soft Launch - What Is A Product Soft Launch?

A soft launch is a limited release of a product or service (digital or physical) to a restricted audience. It happens after a product has been internally tested and before it’s fully launched to the whole world. Soft launches are also known as a:

• Soft opening

• Limited release

• Beta testing

• Pilot test

• Sneak peak

• Product preview

What are the benefits of a soft launch?

Soft launches allow businesses to test their product on a real audience without huge risks. With soft launches, you can gather meaningful feedback, uncover issues and even find new opportunities to improve your product before an official release.

Plus, soft launches cost less marketing dollars to execute and can even create PR buzz if you capitalize on the exclusivity of this new product.

What are the cons of a soft launch?

While soft launches can provide a starting point to improve your product, there are downsides to consider too.

Your investment dollars are a real consideration. With soft launches, products are typically free or at a reduced price for audiences. So you won’t be getting a immediate revenue stream. If your dollars are already stretched thin, a soft launch may be hard to justify.

Soft launches can also alert your competitors. If you’re new to a market, established competitors have the resources to improve their product before you can pivot. Look at Instagram and Snapchat.

Back in 2015, Snapchat introduced Snapchat Stories. It was doing well until Instagram released its version, Instagram Stories. Using what Snapchat Stories was missing, Instagram’s feature was built better. The result was a huge audience move to IG, leaving Snapchat in the dust.

Source: Social Media Examiner - Instagram Vs. Snapchat

Finally, you’ve got to consider if your product is ready to soft launch. If your audience receives it negatively, that word-of-mouth spreads quickly. Now you’ve got the burden of introducing a new product and convincing people it’s not terrible. This is why internal planning (we’ll get to this) is so important.

What other types of soft launches are there?

Beside products, there are many types of soft launches. Really, anything you’re testing with an limited audience can be considered a soft launch. Like these:

• Service soft launch

• Location soft launch

• Relationship/partnership soft launch

Give Me An Example of A Product Soft Launch

You might remember the launch of Twitter Spaces. About 2 years ago, Twitter launched this feature as a way for people to have live audio conversation within Twitter. Before Spaces became available for every user, Twitter selected a limited group (influencers mostly) to test it out. In other words, Spaces was soft launched before reaching the masses.

Source: Twitter Blog - Spaces Is Here

Where Do I Start? - Stages Of A Product Soft Launch

Stage 1 - Internal Planning

This is where you reach back into your product discovery folder. Review your target audience, their demographics and psychographics and where they “live”.

Determine where your messaging will appear and the campaign execution behind it. This is your soft launch strategy. Remember, with a soft launch you’re not marketing to everybody yet.

1. How do I determine the right time to launch my product?

Soft launch when your product reaches the MVP (minimum viable product) phase. It may not be perfect, but it’s functioning and users can test it out.

2. How do I choose the right target audience for a soft launch?

Look for innovators and early adopters in your niche. These people have a strong interest in your industry and enjoy being the first to try new things. Influencers and bloggers/vloggers are a great group to tap.

Source: Wikipedia - Roger’s Bell Curve

Stage 2 - Product Limited Release

It’s time to launch! You have your audience set, messaging in place and campaign ready to execute.

This is understandably a difficult phase for businesses. It’s hard to release your “baby” into the unforgiving world. But view it as a positive – your product can only get better from here!

Stage 3 - Feedback Gathering

As Stage 2 progresses, feedback gathering should begin and run continuously. Expect feedback and accept it graciously – after all, these users are taking the time to test your product.

1. What are some effective ways to collect feedback from users during a soft launch?

There are plenty of ways to effectively collect user feedback. And you should use more than one method for a holistic view. Methods include:

Focus testing: Gather a group or reach out to individuals for their experience with your product. Tools like Zoom make this especially easy to do.

Surveys: Send out surveys before and after users test your product to gauge their reception. Learn what they expected vs. what they received. Ask how they’d improve the product or messaging to better reflect what you’re selling

In-product feedback: if you’re launching a website or app, use a feedback plugin to get user opinions in real-time as they use your product.

2. How can I balance the need to gather feedback with the desire to maintain secrecy around my product during a soft launch?

Always consult your lawyer to button up your copyrights and trademarks. And remember, your product will launch to the masses eventually. There’s always a risk of copycats – it’s the nature of the game.

It’s important to keep a healthy perspective. You’ve built this product, don’t let fear stop you from success.

3. Should I offer incentives or rewards to users who provide feedback during a soft launch?

Feedback incentives are common, but balance them with user objectivity. You want to compel users to test your product, but critical feedback is still key. Don’t make users feel like they owe you five stars or worse, feel like they’re being bribed. Keep rewards simple, relevant and fair.

Stage 4 - Post-Mortem Evaluation

How can you measure the success of a soft launch? This is where data shines. After gathering feedback, it’s time to synthesize everything. Start by dividing what you collected between quantitative feedback (numerical data) and qualitative feedback (descriptive data).

Here are a few examples. Qualitative feedback could be include:

• How many times the app crashed

• How many glitches occurred

• How many people contacted customer support

Quantitative feedback may include:

• What words did people use to describe your product

• How did your product make people feel

• Where there trends in negative feedback

From there, you can evaluate what technical issues can be improved and how to improve your product’s perception (better design, clearer messaging, different audience, etc.)

You have to be realistic in measuring the success of a soft launch. Expecting everyone to love your product isn’t realistic. Neither is expecting zero negative feedback.

Remember, your product is always in progress. Soft launches propel you to the next level so all feedback is important.

Determine the success of your soft launch by how insightful it proved to be. If you learned something new and if you have a clear direction to go, then you’ve succeeded.

By The Way...

How long should my product soft launch last?

The length of your product’s soft launch depends on how much time you need to gather feedback. For complex products or many test users, the launch can last several months. Otherwise, a few weeks is normal.

What are some common mistakes that entrepreneurs make during a soft launch?

A soft launch is all about learning, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be prepared. The most common mistakes that entrepreneurs make are planning ones.

DON’T: Jump in with no objectives.

DO: Decide what you information you’re hoping to gain from the soft launch.

DON’T: Have an ego.

DO: Approach this soft launch with a growth mindset. Expect feedback and appreciate it.

DON’T: Assume everyone wants your product immediately.

DO: Plan a marketing strategy to reach your target audience with a message that resonates.

DON’T: Get tunnel vision.

DO: Maintain a holistic view of your product and the soft launch. Things are bound to break and you’ll likely receive feedback that stings. But don’t let that get you off track. Improve where you can and keep moving forward.

What’s The Difference Between A Product Soft Launch vs Hard Launch?

We now know that a product soft launch is a limited release of your MVP. A product hard launch is a mainstream release of a more developed product. They come after soft launches, when the product has a few iterations under its belt.

Think of hard launches like the big leagues. Your marketing strategy is clear and comprehensive. You have a sales and customer support engine in place. You’re ready to hit your entire target audience with a product that’s tested, vetted and approved.

Next Steps - How Do I Evolve a Product Soft Launch To A Hard Launch?

After the soft launch period, it’s all hands on deck. First, take what you learned and improve your product. Key tip: reach back out to a few willing test users for another round of feedback. Then, build upon your initial marketing strategy to create a comprehensive one including all relevant channels and creative.

Consider these questions:

• Do I have a customer support plan?

• Are my analytics set up?

• Do I have the right positions on my team (sales, dev, finance, etc.)?

Once everything is prepared, set an official launch date and go. Good luck!