Lean Launches
Your guide to launching something without money or followers.
A number of years ago, my brother sent out an email with a funny Atlanta Braves rap video he created in anticipation of the beginning of the season. He asked us to watch and share once he sent us the live link.
Well, the video went viral, the Braves played it on the Jumbotron on Opening Day, and he’s since been hired to create additional content for the franchise—including a ridiculous video with his childhood hero Javy Lopez.
Sure, he had something worth sharing (the necessary precursor!), but he also nailed the launch. And for those of you already making excuses as to why this can’t happen for you: he had no social following at the time and put no money behind the video’s debut. He just asked the right people the right thing at the right time.
With intentional strategy, a launch (for a new biz, product, event, fundraiser, campaign, release...) can shift from an announcement to an invitation. It can become an experience to share rather than a message to hear.
A launch is an opportunity. And you don’t need a celebrity or big investment or giant social following. You just need the right ask.
How do you develop the right ask?
There are five main questions to *ask about your ask*. I invite you to take the time to answer these thoughtfully. I’ll use my personal experience launching groundsweller as an example to bring the questions to life. I’ve then included a step-by-step checklist for what I’m calling a “lean launch”, sharing how to get something out there using what ya got.
Q1: Why are you making this ask?
What is the goal you are trying to accomplish? Are you looking to create awareness, to sell a product, to create an email list, to book a client? Answer it this way: At the end of this launch, I hope that … ?
Example: When I was ready to launch my new business groundsweller, I decided that I wanted people to know what I was up to and what type of work I was focusing on. I wanted there to be high engagement, and I wanted someone to be able to quickly understand what groundsweller offered and if it was a fit for them or someone they knew. Overall, I wanted to create awareness, knowing it would eventually drive the right sales.
Q2: What is the specific ask?
What is the main thing you want people to do, based on your why above? For awareness, should they tag someone or forward an email? Do you want them to buy a product? Do you need a testimony or review? And for the select few that want to know how to really really help, what is the all-star status ask? Could they connect you to a potential client? Could they create their own post?Most importantly, how can you make this ask as clear and easy-to-complete as possible?
Example: Because I wanted awareness and visible high engagement, I asked people to comment on three Instagram posts, following the prompts. One asked people to tag a “groundsweller” (which helped me attract potential future contractors) while another post asked people to tag their favorite businesses (connecting me to potential future clients!). My all-star ask: share one of these posts with a note as to why their followers should follow @groundsweller.
Q3: Who are you asking?
Who do you know … in all of the world? (Just kidding but kind of serious.) Create a list of people you know who might have some sort of interest or connection to your ask. Consider three main tiers of contacts:
Round One: The A Team (your close family and friends who get excited about whatever you do)
Round Two: Casual Contacts (people you might find in your email, text, or DM history)
Round Three: Interested Parties (people who may have some sort of connection or particular interest in what you’re doing)
Example: I created a spreadsheet listing basically everyone I knew. I then went through my emails, text messages, and recent Instagram comments and added people I had forgotten about. Then during the days following, I added other names that came to mind. I then categorized each name as Round One, Round Two, and Round Three.
Q4: Where are you making this ask?
Understand that sending a newsletter or posting on social media does not count as making an ask. Personal emails, phone calls, text messages, DMs, or anything that involves direct contact with an individual counts. No cheating.
Example: I sent personalized emails, but I also sent text messages to a number of people telling them I was going to send an email. For a few folks that I knew spent more time in their DMs than their email inbox, I sent them the post via DM and asked them to comment.
Q5: When are you making the ask?
A launch is not a one-time event but rather a series of strategic interconnected smaller events. Creating early momentum leads to this interesting social proof phenomenon. What is the sequence of events? And like my brother’s example of launching days before the beginning of the season, have you thought about the timing of your launch in the context of the world around it?
Example: I set an official launch day. I then worked backwards to decide when I was going to send my Round One Emails, when I was going to warn the Round One folks I was going to ask them something, when I was going to post on my social, etc. I used these dates as deadlines to get my act together.
The Lean Launch Checklist
If and only if you have legit answered the questions above in a journal or google doc or whiteboard (in your head doesn’t count), you’re ready for the lean launch checklist:
1. Finalize your contact list spreadsheet. I suggest using a Google Sheet (more on this in a sec) and the following columns: First Name / Last Name / Company / Email / Phone / Notes / Round 1, 2, 3 (you can then use this column to sort)
2. Put your launch day in your calendar. Work backwards and schedule your warning ask, your round one ask, your round two/three asks, and your public posts. Use these as deadlines to ensure that the thing you’re launching is ready in time.
3. Craft your email draft. Here’s an example of the body I sent for the groundsweller launch, although I added a personal line to each email for maximum engagement:
My elevator pitch: groundsweller helps businesses grow through accelerated word-of-mouth marketing. We work with teams to develop a strategic plan, implement digital and in-person activations, and empower our network of engaged-in-their-community folks to spread the word in hacky organic ways. (We call them groundswellers.)
I’m claiming today as LaUnCh DaY 😎 and could use your help with any/all of the following:
Follow @groundsweller on Instagram.
Tag someone on this post following the prompt in the comment.
All-star status: Share one of these posts (click the paper airplane under the illustration) to your stories, adding a comment about why your followers should follow me.
4. Send to Round One to create momentum. Consider a mail merge program like YAMM that will let you send and track bulk emails easily to different names, using the Google Sheet you created earlier. Or copy/paste the body, and just commit to a day of switching out names, emails, and personalized beginning/ending sentences.
5. Post your ask publicly now that there is momentum. Post on your social media, Next-door, Facebook groups, group texts … what channels do you have access to that seem appropriate and effective?
6. Send to Round Two (and Three if applicable). Even though you made a list of everyone.you.know.in.the.world, use your discretion as to who you email. Use the personal intro line to create context for why you are reaching out.
7. Engage. Thank. Follow-up. Like or reply to comments. Reshare shares. Send a thank-you email with the good news from the launch. Remember, they are all in it with you!
Now obviously there are nuances to this. Launching a consulting business where you need ten clients who pay thousands of dollars is different than launching a video where you need a million viewers who give you three minutes. A book launch has its own unique best practices. Launches come in different styles & sizes. But the core of the lean launch is the same: strategize your ask, and (I’m saying this for a few of you), make sure you actually ask it.
Put me (callie@calliemurray.com) on your everyone.you.know.in.the.world spreadsheet! We’d love to engage and support. 🚀