How To Launch a B2B SaaS Product

The most disruptive SaaS product ideas take time to emerge to eager markets. At High Alpha, as a leading venture studio, we are in the business of launching the next generation of B2B SaaS companies. Each year, we launch up to 15 new companies, and that work involves a successful startup product launch plan.We know what it takes to go through a successful product launch based on years of experience conceiving, launching, and scaling the 30+ B2B SaaS companies.

Examples of companies we’ve launched previously include Casted, The Juice, Filo, Lessonly, Sigstr, Mandolin, and more. As a result, we are often asked, “How to launch a SaaS Product?” and “What are some SaaS product launch examples that we would deem successful?”

When we get ready to launch a new SaaS product, we always make sure that we have everything in order, including the digital marketing strategy, messaging, website, media outreach, etc. We follow the same set of keys steps that allow us to know how to launch a product online. 

Below we will pull from our product launch marketing plan examples, including the vital information about when and how to launch a SaaS product. This includes steps like knowing your audience and writing out who might benefit from this product as a part of the product launch marketing strategy. 

What Is A Saas Product 

If you’re new to the technology ecosystem, you may have questions like “what is a SaaS product?” or “how to run a SaaS business?”  B2B SaaS startups are defined as an application that serves their target audience over the internet. This typically involves ongoing contracts between businesses. 

The origin of SaaS as a concept is derived from the emergence of Salesforce. Prior to the SaaS model, software typically involved installed applications or hardware. Salesforce led the revolution in offing software on subscription over the internet rather than a required install. 

At High Alpha our mission is to create the best B2B SaaS startups, and to date, we have started 30+ SaaS companies. Some of our companies include Filo, Sigstr, Lessonly, Mandolin, and more.  You can learn more about our complete portfolio of SaaS companies here. 

Saas Startup Guide

If you want to know how to build a SaaS product from scratch, we recommend investigating the venture studio model. The venture studio model is a new model for entrepreneurship, combining company building with venture funding in order to compress time, iterate quickly, and scale faster.

Venture studios will help you understand how to build a SaaS business and the cost of building a SaaS product. Their domain experts know what it takes to build a SaaS product from scratch and you could even consider them SaaS startup guides. 

At High Alpha, we’re always looking for entrepreneurs with ideas who want to start a company inside a venture studio. You can learn more about partnering with us here. 

Product Launch Steps Marketing

When someone is getting ready to launch a new product, it is important to make sure that everything is in order. This includes coming up with a digital marketing strategy for product launch. There are a few steps involved in how to launch a product online. A new product launch marketing plan example must include key information about the target audience. It is important to think about who might benefit from this product as a part of the product launch marketing strategy. Some of the important information to consider about a target audience includes age, gender, socioeconomic background, and customer needs. This will help the marketing team come up with a plan that has been tailored to that target audience.

Next on the list of product launch formula steps includes creating promotional content. This might include information such as TV commercials, radio spots, and newspaper ads; however, a new product launch marketing plan PPT is going to be built around digital marketing. Digital marketing is going to be the cornerstone of any sample marketing plan for new product launch PDF. Some of the most important parts of digital marketing include SEO, social media marketing, and landing pages. These need to be mentioned as a part of any product launching program or product launch formula template.

Finally, it is important to get the team ready. Product launch campaign examples also need to review the new product with not only the marketing team but the sales team as well. When the product is launched, prospective customers are going to have questions about the product. If the company is able to answer these questions in a timely manner, this increases the likelihood of the individual actually buying the product. Therefore, it is important to educate the team before any sale takes place. This will make a difference in the quality of the overall launch itself.

New Product Launch Checklist

Prior to the launch of any product, many people are going to consider using a product launch plan checklist. An Amazon product launch checklist has a number of benefits because it provides people with a short, simple, bulleted list of tasks that people need to accomplish before they launch a new product. Some of the items that might be included on a B2B product launch checklist include a unique selling proposition, which explains how the product is going to target a unique audience. The brand launch checklist might also include information such as a media plan which is going to guide the advertising campaign. A go to market checklist is also going to include information such as the individual roles of every member of the team during the launch. Finally, a medical device product launch checklist or a product development checklist template will also include the right day and time to actually launch the product.

On the other hand, there are a few cons to a product launch checklist template as well. First, a product commercialization checklist is typically standardized across all products; however, not every product is going to be the same. Therefore, a product release checklist template might be right for one product but not for others. Second, a project launch checklist is often overly general. This means that some of the details might be overlooked when a product is actually launched. Therefore, it might be better to consider an alternative to a SaaS product launch checklist or a software product release checklist.

For example, people might be able to find a new product launch strategy PDF that has a few more details that typical product launch examples PDF. It is always better for someone to go with a product launch plan example PDF that has been tailored to their unique product. This can still be a brief list of bullet points; however, it has been tailored to meet the individual needs of the product that is actually being launched. This is going to make a difference in the quality of the product launch on the day it actually takes place.

New Product Launch Strategy

When someone is coming up with a product launch plan, it is important to come up with a product launch strategy. There are numerous benefits that come with launching a new product. For example, new product launch examples are going to create a lot of excitement and anticipation among the general public. For example, new product launch ideas for students might make it easier for them to complete their homework, research information, or study for tests. The suspense that is associated with a new product launch is enough to get people interested. The next step is to take this interest and translate it into sales. This is where the new product launch PPT is going to be critical.

Prior to the day of the launch, one of the most important parts of the new product launch strategy template is going to be testing. This is where the company reaches out to a small group of people and asks them to try out the product. Then, the company will collect the pros and cons of the product from this test group. Finally, the company will be able to tweak the product and make minor improvements that are going to help it sell better with the general public on the day it is actually released.

Another part of the key product launch strategy examples involves creating an exciting event. This event is meant to generate more buzz surrounding the release of a new product. This event might take place in the middle of a large city with plenty of fanfare and example products that people can come and try out. This might even be a place where the company solicits pre-orders that only contribute to the excitement around the product launch. This is one of the most creative product launch event ideas. Consider providing free food and drinks as well. This is a great way to get more people to come out.

Of course, a product launch strategy framework also needs to have important stakeholders when it comes to the launch of a product. These stakeholders are going to play a critical role in the backing of any new product launch. For this reason, during the product launch strategy, it is important to keep in touch with these stakeholders.
New Products 2019

There were several new product launches 2019 that took place following new products in development 2019. One of the top new products on the market 2019 involved the tech industry. There were numerous successful product launches 2019 that followed in the footsteps of successful product launches 2018. Successful product launch examples are planned appropriately. The date is chosen carefully and there is plenty of anticipation surrounding new product releases 2019. New products launched in 2018 went on to be successful as long as there was plenty of brand awareness surrounding these new products.

On the other hand, there were also a few cons to some of the recent product launches. Companies need to think carefully about when and how they are going to release new products. For example, some companies end up releasing a new product at the same time as another company. As a result, these two products end up competing for attention and neither one of them reaches their sales goals. Sometimes, companies also don’t do enough in the buildup to the release date. For example, they might not have an event where people can try out the product. If there isn’t enough fanfare surrounding the release, this makes it hard to put the product in a spotlight where people are going to buy it. This is one of the most important parts of how to launch a product successfully.

Product Launch Strategy

As new ventures manage their product, engineering, design, talent, sales, marketing, finance, and more, they must work through a sequential checklist for launching their new platform. Consider this page your SaaS product launch plan checklist. Here are a few items to consider in your B2B product launch checklist:

Test Your Product Thoroughly

In the technology ecosystem, bugs are as memorable as features. It is always an essential element of any brand launch checklist to impress your target audience with a solid version of even your product. Start by testing your product with your team to tie up any loose ends.

Then, beta-test your product with a few people who are similar to your target market. Seek honest feedback from people who have a genuine interest in your product.. Your goal here is to get feedback that emulates the kinds of comments you might receive in a broader release. This will also help you refine your messaging and product roadmap as you discover what is essential to your ideal customer. 

While you are testing your product, you should be developing your website. You need to perfect your signup form to do a soft rollout of your product through social media and your email lists. We recommend our companies begin to sell way before the product is finished. To learn more about that, you can read one of our latest article by High Alpha Director of  Go-To-Market Egan Montgomery. 

Automate Onboarding

Every SaaS product, simple or complex, incremental or disruptive, needs an automated process to onboard new customers. Automating the onboarding process makes it easier for new users to start using your product. It makes it easier to convert them into paying customers.

Onboarding has to rank high on your software product release checklist. At a minimum, your onboarding automation should:

  • Allow customers to sign in and sign up.
  • Display a professionally designed welcome screen.
  • Provide a quick product tour or tutorial.
  • Automated emails for every stage of the funnel. 

Set Your Pricing Model

As you are building a community of future customers, you need to consider how much you will charge them. Don’t waste time guessing what the charge and instead, ask potential customers what your product should be work early on. We’ve found that the answers to your most important questions reside with your customers.

Leverage Social Media Pages

It's crucial to integrate social media into your new product release strategy. Spend timing talking to potential customers to understand how to reach them. Selecting the channels you utilize for your B2B SaaS product launch strategy will come from these early conversations.

Gather Early Feedback Often

No new B2B SaaS product is perfect. Enlist customer input to power product improvement. By selling early and talking to people before your launch, you have a higher chance of dialing in your sweet spot and quickly achieving Go-to-Market fit. We consider this a product launch process best practice to give you time to aggregate, analyze, and act on product feedback before you go big. 

Get Ready to Analyze Your Results

All of this sounds like a lot of work, doesn't it? But there's more. Marketing your SaaS product isn't possible unless you analyze the results of all of these previous steps. Fortunately, Google has tools that help.

You are probably familiar with Google Analytics. It will help you analyze website traffic to get a handle on consumer behavior. Add a piece of code to your website and Google Analytics does the rest.

Don't over the possibilities for Google Tag Manager. It can make your developer's life easier by eliminating the need for Facebook Pixel and Hotjar Analytics.

When you focus on the right metrics, you will know how to hone your message to your target audience.

B2B Product Launch Best Practices

When it comes to the best new product launch campaigns, it is important to follow some of the best practices. The best product launches always follow a checklist such as the ones shared by Jeff Walker YouTube. It is critical to follow a best practice document. For example, companies need to take the time to figure out who their target audience is going to be. There needs to be plenty of research on who is going to benefit most from this product. Then, the marketing campaign needs to target this group and create awareness among them that a new product is coming out that is going to address their needs specifically. This can turn into a con if the company speaks in general terms. When the company tries to speak to everyone, the advertising campaign will end up speaking to no one.

Next, it is critical for companies looking to launch a new product to have the backing of their stakeholders. The stakeholders are often forgotten during this process; however, their backing has been critical from day one. Therefore, the company needs to make sure they involve the stakeholders during the product launch process. Make sure to get their input along the way and take them seriously.

Finally, one of the most important best practices is to take advantage of special conferences. This is an opportunity for the company to get a new product in front of the eyes of the general public surrounded by fanfare. Conferences such as LaunchCon 2019 and PLF Live 2019 are a great opportunity to generate more buzz surrounding the product. The more anticipation there is surrounding a new product, the more successful it is going to be. The company’s goal should be to create suspense surrounding a new product. Then, people will want to try it out which is going to translate into improved sales.

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The venture studio model is a new model for entrepreneurship, combining company building with venture funding in order to compress time, iterate quickly, and scale faster.

We’re always looking for entrepreneurs with ideas who want to start a company inside a venture studio. Check out the ideas we're currently exploring, or tell us one of your own.

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