2. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
3. INTRODUCTION
9. CHAPTER 1
The Pre-Launch
26. CHAPTER 2
A/B tests you need to set-up and check
36. CHAPTER 3
The Online Launch
50. CHAPTER 4
The Offline Launch
59. CHAPTER 5
The Post-Launch
64. CONCLUSION
67. APPENDIX
70. YOUR GIFT
4. 4
Welcome to the ultimate guide for successfully launching your videos!
You already have a video business, amazing content, and a growing audience. So what next?
Is it time to launch a new channel, series or extended video?
When you release something special that deserves attention, you want to do so with a BANG. This
guide is created specifically for such occasions.
A full-scale premiere video launch campaign, including both an online and an offline launch, will
take weeks or months of preparation and planning. Our goal is to lead you on a paved road to
success.
In this guide you’ll find step-by-step processes by which you can launch new videos using profit-
maximizing platforms and techniques. You’ll learn how to appropriately promote your premiere and
how to get people involved.
So keep on reading. You’re on your way to launching like a pro!
Introduction
5. 5
Why did we write this guide?
This guide was written to provide you with effective tools and strategies for hosting a rock solid
launch. Our goal at Gbox is to guide you in creating an effective launch that sets up your new
video channel, video, movie or series for great success. We do this because we believe in helping
our content creators build profitable video businesses.
By diligently following the methods in this guide you ensure that your launch is highly unlikely to
fail. We provide you the EXACT steps and methods used by Gbox and our top video creators to
pull off unforgettable, successfull launches again and again.
Who is this guide for?
This guide was created for anyone from an individual video creator to an enterprise entertainment
company. The only requirement entails you or your organization having an initial database of
people (Or the budget to create a very focused marketing campaign and build that following for
several months leading to your launch).
Your current fans will be a big game player when it comes to spreading the word and building hype
around your launch. In addition, you MUST have great content and the fans to prove it. This means
you have a loyal audience who follows your brand.
News and Media:
You are a publication, news channel, or a non-profit organization. The focus of your business is
on the creation of large amounts of content, and turning that content into views. Your
content is watched by loyal fans on a regular basis. You have a large audience and use many
fundraising methods to get in touch and involve them. We want to help you effectively launch
highlighted videos and/or new extensions of your brand.
Introduction
6. 6
Sports Entertainment:
You are an organization with a huge fan base. Your fans want to watch interviews, past and
current games/live-shows/events, athlete profiles, and much more. Gbox is a hub for this.
Gbox allows you to charge your fan base a certain amount to watch the content you release.
Whether the purpose of your launch is to introduce something new or expand your territory,
this guide provides you with the best strategies.
YouTubers:
You have a very successful YouTube channel with a proud number of subscribers and views.
However, your business is ready to grow past constraining rules and regulations. Hence,
you’re interested in launching your videos as a real online business with actual net worth.
When you launch with Gbox, you will be able to see who views your videos so that you can
contact them directly. In addition, you’ll get a pay raise from YouTube’s 60% up to a whopping
91% of your earnings!
Introduction
7. 7
Individual Creators:
Face it, turning your passion into reality isn’t exactly a cake walk. How can you launch your
video business or new video(s) on a large scale? Gbox is here to help. We are here to help you
host and monetize your content. With those two functions in place, you can build a
viable business. Your following loves what you do–it’s time to take it to the next level!
What will you learn from this guide?
Pre Launch
Online
Launch
Offline
Launch
Post Launch
1. 2. 3. 4.
From this guide, you will learn the processes by which the professionals are able to launch
immediately successful new products or videos. We will share examples of successful launches by
both Gbox and one of our top creators. You will be able to follow the patterns that make sense for
your specific launch. As a result, you will be able to launch like a pro...even if this is your very first
launch!
This guide will take you through each of the steps of your launch
Introduction
8. 8
What do you need to know about launches?
Not every product or video needs a full-blown launch. Launches require one of two things:
a substantial following (current viewers) or a substantial marketing campaign budget. If you
have neither, you can still read this guide and learn about earning the attention of an audience.
However, there may be steps that will make more sense for you AFTER you’ve gained some initial
traction via grassroots marketing. Read more about this in the next section of this guide.
√Substantial Following
√Proven brand appeal
READY TO LAUNCH!
Introduction
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The pre launch phase is the most pivotal stage for the entire launch process. During this time you
will set the foundation for your launch and ensure it’s success.
This chapter will help you understand when and how to proceed during your pre launch. You will
learn the step-by-step processes that will set your new video, movie, series or product up for
success!
A. When to pre-launch
Sometimes…Don’t
Pre-launches are not always a good idea. Here are some of the indicators that you should NOT
run an early marketing campaign:
•You are not yet sure your video/product will be a success
•You have not yet developed relationships with influencers
•You have not yet identified the audience of your campaign
•You have not yet built a list and/or following within your target market
Proven Content
Influential
Relationships
in Place
Campaign
Audience
Identified
A Thriving
List
PRE LAUNCH READINESS INDICATORS
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The “wind up” of your pre-launch starts far before you build a launch campaign and waste time
promoting a brand, video or product that has yet to find some sort of footing. Rather, the first
steps are testing, building your list, fostering relationships and gaining traction around your brand.
This advice can seem counterintuitive if you’re considering a brand new startup and looking for
a way to do all of the above. Nevertheless, it is true. Sometimes companies never do an actual
marketing launch. Instead, they simply launch silently after beta and build up organically.
So if that’s you, should you skip this section? The answer is no. The information in this guide is
relevant to you even if you decide a pre-launch is not right for you. Many of the tasks you will
need to do for a full on pre-launch are the same as the ones you should be doing anyway. The only
difference is that, with a pre-launch, these tasks are all completed in a short amount of time and
surrounding one particular campaign.
When the Shoe Fits
If you have already been in the trenches building a list, earning loyal fans, relationshipping with
leaders in your industry, and proving your brand is capable of finding customers, your next big
move might be something you want to build a pre-launch around.
Gbox recently launched a new book, Video Profits, and succeeded in selling it internationally as
an Amazon Best Seller. In this guide, you will find out how we, and our top video creators, build
successful launches.
Gbox launches its Amazon Best Selling book, Video Profits!
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B. How To Build Your Pre-Launch
After finding a following of a few thousand on YouTube, budding travel show host Teagan Chang
decided to build a business out of her passion. Her time using popular online platforms as her
primary means of earning views proved her videos were worthy of a large audience. However, she
had not yet monetized that audience.
Choose Your Strategy
Having already done a lot of the initial work to become known and involved with her target
audience, Teagan had the connections and the traction needed to spring her business forward. It
was time to get her audience pumped up about a brand new, better way to consume her videos.
Trip.0’s launch would consist of a brand new website, videos hosted by Gbox (for maximum
opportunity to earn revenue) and a swanky premiere party.
She created a Gbox Channel, bought a web domain name and began using a landing page
specifically designed to inform her fans about the upcoming launch of her new site and the special
content they could look forward to. The landing page allowed her to collect the email addresses of
her loyal followers.
1. Teagan prepares her fans for a change in platform using a landing page
2. She drives all traffic here, where she is able to collect email addresses for her launch campaign.
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Not every pre-launch looks the same. You will have to decide what makes sense depending on
what you are launching.
Make It Fun and Interesting
You’ll want to consider how you will get your community excited about your launch. What
activities will happen before, during, and after the launch? Will there be contests? Special pricing?
Coupons? Surveys? Giveaways? What other exclusive items will get your customers excited about
your launch? We will talk more about these items as this guide continues.
Make a Pre Launch Video
Your pre-launch video can reside on your landing page as well as being pushed out online on
multiple platforms. Make it catchy yet informative. It should drive curiosity and encourage viewers
to opt in. Once they’re a part of your list, you can keep them involved during your launch.
Make a pre-launch video for your landing page and promotional outlets. This video needs to be a high quality
representation of your brand.
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Your Marketing Army Starts with Your Current Fans
Teagan of Trip.0 began using her current platforms to drive traffic to her campaign page. From
there they could opt in, giving Teagan their email addresses. She then contacted them directly
with campaign emails and launch invites.
1. Trip.0 started with grassroots marketing and gained thousands of views organically!
2. Teagan used top performing videos to push her loyal audience over to her launch’s landing page
Depending on the current platform of your videos, you will need to creatively decide how to send
current fans over to your landing page. YouTube ads, social posts, links on all of your home pages
are just a few examples of how you can spread the word. Don’t forget to verbally mention your
upcoming launch and provide a link in any and all videos from here on out!
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Teagan used invites on her Social Media accounts as well as her current video channels to
incentivize fans to share her Gbox channel with others.
In addition, Teagan built hype by encouraging her travel-loving followers and fellow travel-related
video creators to enter a contest. By uploading a video and tagging her new platform, they could
win an all-exclusive trip to Cabo.
Build a pre-launch page
Purchase a web domain name, if applicable
Tell your fans about the upcoming launch
Incentivize your current audience to opt in and share
with friends
Building Your Pre-Launch
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C. Grow the Launch Community
Build a List
Aside from creating amazing content on a community based platform, finding an audience is the
most prominent determining factor of your success as a video business.
The pre-launch phase will include several tasks that can effectively create a snowball effect, gaining
momentum for your brand and continuing it until the moment of your launch. Many of these tasks
will be related to one goal: Building a Targeting List.
In order to set up a successful launch, build a targeting list consisting of email addresses for your fans, followers,
and prospects.
Pre-launches are community driven—and having a well-established community will, no doubt,
help you build a powerful pre-launch. Bringing a community together is a lot easier than you
might think.
Before creating her Gbox, Teagan had a community but no list allowing her to reach out to her
followers. The pre-campaign enabled her to transfer many of her followers and their friends to
her landing page and Gbox channel. These two tools allowed her to collect the emails she needed
in order to create a successful campaign that jump-started her brand as an actual online business.
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Why Gbox
If you’re not familiar, Gbox is the premier video hosting platform for selling your videos online.
Registering at Gbox is an easy, fast and free way to host your videos and instantly become a part
of a community.
REGISTER FOR A FREE ACOUNT NOW!
Upon sign-up you’ll find plenty of resources and guides (like this one) to help you set up your
video channel. You will also find information on best practices for uploading, pricing, selling, and
marketing your videos.
Your community can live across multiple platforms, including social media outlets and email lists.
You will want to use the tools and platforms that your customers are familiar with and where you
can share your content with them. Your community should be your best referral system!
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D. Getting Noticed
Get Early Press
Your goal during the pre-launch phase is to create a growing buzz around what is about to happen.
Find out which platforms your target market goes to for information; places where they read and engage.
Contact the organizers and offer to write guest blogs. If appropriate, ask if you can put out a press
release through their site and/or include information about your launch in their next e-blast.
Seek out press attention for your launch. Go to the influencers you have relationships with and/or the ones that
have a similar target audience.
When choosing which platforms to work with, find out how large their audience is by utilizing tools
like Similarweb or Compete.
Utilize the Power of Influencers in Your Market
Hopefully you are regularly following and conversing with leaders in the communities you want to
influence. We call this “relationshipping.”
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If you are not, now is the time to start. Social Media is the number one way to communicate with
influencers, but you can also involve yourself on public forums and post blog comments, as well.
Reach out to influencers who share your target market. Social media is a great place to reach them.
Keep track of anyone you have contacted and where you are at in your conversations.
Connect with as many influential people and brands as possible. Tell them about your launch and
ask to share it with their communities.
Perhaps they will mention you on their Social Media posts or to their email list. Make sure you
have a great channel to link to where the audience can find out more.Keep track of those you
reach out to and what stage you are at in your communications. A simple Google Doc like the one
below can help you organize your efforts and remember the specifics of each influencer or outlet
that you have approached.
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Pull a Stunt
A great way to gain publicity for your launch is to pull a stunt! Generally, publicity stunts are
performed in real time, but you should be careful to capture it/them on video and spread them
around the web.
You and your team can put together a surprise street performance, flash mob or simply give out
some sort of gifts while wearing and talking about your brand.
Teagan took a few dancers on a tour of famous tourist cities around the world. In each city the
crew would perform an impromptu flash dance and then share Trip.0 branded merchandise with
the crowds.
Live, impromptu stunts go a long way to grab the attention of press! Get creative and get your brand out on
the streets!
While Teagan is not a dancer, she got the attention of her target market (travelers) and peaked
their curiosity. The videos of the street dances got tons of publicity (and the video views to show
for it!).
In addition, she took her fans on the journey with her using her social media outlets and used her
time wisely by filming tons of footage for her upcoming season while on the trip. Talk about an
effective use of time and resources!
The sky is the limit here – just make sure it is all in good taste.
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Utilize the Call to Action
Spread the word to your personal community by adding a call to action in your email signature,
Twitter headline and any other personal pages that you have.
If you’re working with a team, you can ask your co-workers to do the same.
You can email launch invitations and information to those you have access to via your LinkedIn,
Usergroups, Meetups and etc.
The first people to look at your landing page will be your personal community. Add links to all your personal pages
as well as your signatures.
Tip: As much as you can, frame these emails personally before prompting them with a call to action.
Use Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding initiatives like those on Kickstarter are more than just ways to fund your idea
without having to use personal savings. They are also opportunities to leverage a huge audience
and raise awareness!
In addition, the faster you build revenue, the faster you can validate your business.
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Research the best crowdfunding outlets and take the time to create an engaging, passionate video
that will encourage viewers to get on board. Use this as a tool to invite people “to your launch”
(whether that launch is happening online only or in real time).
Another benefit of crowdfunding platforms is that they help you gauge the popularity of your idea
before the launch and prepare your brand based on the results.
Tip: You can incentivize backers to give you more money with scaled reward.
Post your content on crowdfunding initiatives to find funding and interested sponsers.
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D. Tools and Tips
The Press Kit
As you are building your pre-launch movement, it can be useful to have a previously created press
kit ready to go. You can use this press kit as you reach out to influencers and outlets. This can
include physical items that you send out or you can simply create an “online press kit.”
Here are some items to include in your kit:
•Overview
•Video Samples, Commercial or Reel
•Founder Bios
•Founder High-res Images
•Company Background
•Industry Expert Quotes
•Product Screenshots
•Logos
•Case Studies
Run a contest
Internal contests can have a major impact on a launch. When Gbox released it’s newest book,
Video Profits, we offered a prize for the employee who brought the most buyers to the launch
party. The contest served dual purposes. First off, it raised the stakes and ensured that more
people would show up to the launch. Secondly, it helped Video Profits reach the requirements
needed to become an Amazon best seller!
Gbox used an attractive prize to incentivize employees to get competitive about bringing the most friends to the
launch party!
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External contests have incredible power to utilize grassroots marketing tactics that reach far
beyond your following. Give your current fans a reason to invite their friends to your launch (or
visit your landing page, etc). Common offers are a free subscription or prize for the person who
refers the most friends.
External contests can be blasted across all of your social media channels and online platforms.
Tip: Make sure you have a plan set in place for measuring and keeping track of who invited/referred
who. If there is a check out page, you can simply create a box on the site that asks, “how did you
hear about…”
Leverage Timing to be in Your Favor
Before you ever plan your launch, you should consider timing. Holidays, seasons, and anything
related to your brand can be utilized for advantage or disadvantage. Be intentional in your decisions
to avoid or deliberately utilize holidays or seasons.
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Map out a strategy
Purchase a web domain name (if necessary)
Produce your pre launch video
Create your Gbox channel
Build a landing page
Place CTAs on all social profiles and in email signatures
Prepare contests and giveaways
Invite friends, fans and social followers to your landing page
Build a targeting list out of landing page opt-ins
Craft a press kit
Get press for your upcoming launch
Pull a stunt!
Utilize crowdfunding
Perform and promote your contests and giveaways
CHAPTER 1 CHECKLIST
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The pre launch time period is about more than building momentum: it is a time for you to test out
your methods before implementing them.
Whether your next big move is to launch a new show or a brand new Gbox Channel, video tutorial
or book, this chapter will teach you everything you need to check before successfully carrying out
your launch.
Usually, the best place to begin testing is at the top of your funnel where there are the most users.
Your website performance and user behavior are great items to analyze before creating your
landing page and determining how to go about A/B testing it. A/B testing is simply creating two
versions of something (an email, landing page, ad, etc) and testing which one works better.
Any aspect of your campaign can be A/B tested. We highly suggest testing key items within your
campaign videos, landing pages, e-blasts and ads. Check out Gbox’s previous guides to go over
step-by-step processes for performing any particular type of A/B test.
Most tools have built-in A/B testing tools. Use online tutorials and Gbox’s previous guides to learn how to utilize
A/B testing.
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Performing and Reading A/B Tests
What to Test
Within the many factors previously discussed, there are all kinds things you can A/B test. You will
want to test the items you sense will make the biggest difference.
LAUNCH
CAMPAIGN
A/B TESTING
Video
Subscription
Pricing
Video
on Landing
Page
Call-to
Action
Buttons
Images
Website
Navigation
Content
Length on
Page
Video
Title
When Gbox is testing landing pages, we will often create one with a video and one without to see
which is more effective. Headlines, subject lines, colors and images are also key test items.
In this A/B test, Trip.0 tests how including a video on the page affects conversions.
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The actual step-by-step process for performing A/B tests will vary depending on your test and
the platforms you are using to carry out each variant. Most CRM systems, email hosting sites and
landing page builders have built in options for you to utilize A/B testing. If you don’t know where to
begin, spend some time reading specific tutorials related to your test.
Where to Start
If you have all of the critical information you need when it comes to any current website analytics
and user behavior for your audience, you are ready to create your test and optimize it for the best
results. The following checklists are full of best practices that will help you do so.
Items to “Check Off” Prior to Launching A/B Tests
Checklist #1: Before Creating the Test
Define a goal (Views? Subscriptions? Email opt-ins?
Define KPI’s – what will you track?
Choose the best platform for your test (Gbox page? Email?
Social Media?)
Decipher whether this test may conflict with the ongoing/
planned tests?
Consider how long it will take to gain significant information
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ONE CALL TO ACTION (CTA)
Your call to action should be visible (above the fold), simple and
clear. It is usually one or two words that prompt your viewers to
take the desired step.
COLORS
Choose no more than two main colors for your landing page or
ad. These colors should be thoughtfully chosen to compliment
your brand and your USP (unique selling point).
IMAGES
When used correctly, images can increase revenue outcomes.
Sometimes, these images will be of your new video or product.
Research how images influence your target audience and how
to use them effectively.
VIDEO
Landing page videos should generally be short and focused.
Make sure to always optimize videos for SEO.
TEXT
Use ONE clear, easy to read font for your text. There may be
exceptions to this if you’re creating a very creative, professional
ad. However, make sure you get plenty of feedback from
experienced designers and marketing experts before breaking
this “rule”.
MOBILE FRIENDLY
Every leg of your campaign needs to be optimized for mobile, as
many of your viewers will likely find your ads, visit your video,
and view your landing page from a phone or tablet.
Checklist #2: Creative Visual “Must-Haves”
The following are a list of best practices as you create the visual story on your campaign video,
landing page, ads and more. Go through each and decipher which are relevant for your video
launch campaign.
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Here are some examples of Gbox lead pages and how they incorporate the above best practices.
This Landing page has a clear CTA, uses only 2 bright colors, focuses on the video, and has consistent typography.
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Checklist #3: The Content
You will likely be A/B testing aspects of your “copy,” which includes any written text on your video
launch campaign emails, ads, landing pages and more. Even the titles and headlines of your videos
can and likely SHOULD be tested. Here is a checklist of best practices as you create your content.
HEADLINE
The text in your headline should match that of your ads so those
who enter via the ad will know immediately that they ahve come
to the right place.
TITLE
The title is actionable and tells your visitors what to do.
BODY
Focuses on Value (rather than features). All text should be
HTML for proper search engine optimization. Similarly, you
should infuse (albeit naturally and sincerely) keywords that are
relevant to your SEO needs.
LINKS
Use minimal or none. Keep them there–the only purpose of the
landing page is to drive traffic to the desired action, so the CTA
button should provide the only next step for them to select.
Once you’re sure you’ve created rock solid content, you can be sure your A/B testing in relation to
these items will be effective.
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TEXT
Much like a call to action, the text at the top of the registration
form should be simple and clear. It should highlight your USP.
THE FORM
Create a form with a minimum amount of fields. The easier it is
to fill out, the more likely your viewers will do so.
REQUIRED FIELDS
Make sure any “required fields” are easy to distinguish with a red
asterisk or similar visible prompts.
CONFIRMATION PAGE
This page/layer is a MUST. Let your subscribers know that their
selection to opt in was successful.
CONFIRMATION EMAIL
All sign ups should receive a thank you/welcome email after
signing up.
Final Tasks
Now that your visuals, written content and forms are all set and ready to go, there are just a
few more items to go over before you can move on and carry out your A/B test. Check off the
following and be on your way!
Checklist #4: The Registration Form
The registration form will likely only exist on your landing page and website. Your other marketing
efforts should lead your consumers right to the landing page, where they can opt in. If you’re
skipping the landing page and directing your audience straight to your Gbox, your form will exist as
part of the process to subscribe or purchase the video(s).
Here is a checklist of things to pay attention to as you create your registration form.
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Your goals are set up in
Google Analytics
Your goals are set up in
AdWords (if relevant)
Your Google Analytics
tracking code has been
implemented
Images and video are
rendering correctly
Any Google Analytics
events have been set
Adwords account is
connected to analytics
(if relevant)
Ecommerce tracking is
enabled (if relevant)
Goals are firing within
Google Analytics
Segmentation is correct:
your experiment is appearing
to the right audience
Page load time is at minimum
(use Google’s speed test tool
to check)
All links open in new tab
Variation is compatible
with all browsers (use
BrowserStack to find out)
Demographics and Interest
reports are enabled on
Google Analytics
CTA buttons/links work
(and send to the right page)
Links have anchor text
Image size is at minimum
Variation is compatible
with mobile
You’ve QA’d the entire
funnel of your variation
(not just the page you’re
working on)
Heatmaps are working well
You’ve located any 404 non
existing pages
Lead box is working correctly
Your main title is in H1
Experiment parameters are
setup
Phew! If you can put a checkmark next to each of these items, you are ready for takeoff!
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The Aftermath
Your test will be considered “complete” once you have reached conclusions, analyzed the results
and created a plan for next steps. Most tests need to run for a minimum of 14 days to be sure
there are no changes related to special occasions or unknown factors.
If your test is not bringing in enough information for statistical significance, be patient. Let it run
to its full extent (until you’ve reached significant validity).
Once the test has been pulled, analyze the data and draw conclusions based on the original goals
and KPI’s you selected at the beginning of this process.
Once you see a significant difference in the conversion rates, you can decipher which option is better.
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How to Prepare For an Online Launch
The new video or series that you are about to launch is ready to go. You are likely eager to get to
this part – the actual premiere, events and/or online launch.
You’ve done a lot of work preparing your campaign and now it is time to implement on a large
scale. Your launch will likely exist both offline in an actual premiere as well as online, which is the
focus of this section of this guide.
There is a lot of weight on your online launch; it will both fuel the success of your physical launch
and allow your campaign to reach around the world.
The Home of Your Launch
The above sections of this guide provided detailed information on how to create effective landing
pages and how to test them. If your landing page goal was to push people over to purchase content
from a new gbox channel or website on launch day, now is the time to push it out EVERYWHERE.
Make sure your landing page allows traffic to join the video launch or pre-purchase videos and
subscriptions.
Chapter 3
The phrase “online launch” refers to the activities of the launch that occur on the Internet. Usually,
your efforts in your pre launch are to drive people to your landing page or website.
Then, on launch day, your new series, movie, video or product is released! Your audience is now able
to watch and/or make purchases.
In this chapter, you will learn the step-by step processes for preparing the “home” of your online
launch, drawing people to it, and successfully converting leads into customers.
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Your landing page will likely be the “home” of your launch until you have launched your new Gbox channel,
site, or series.
Start by Inviting People
Your current subscribers and audiences across social media should receive invitations to your online
launch.
Fans should be given multiple opportunities via email, ads and social posts to opt in for information
about your new series or video. You can possibly even offer a discount for those who purchase
subscriptions before the actual release.
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Send Out Your Effective Autoresponder Sequence
While this item is only showing up now, your autoresponder series is a collection of emails that will
need to be written prior to your campaign.
Each time someone opts in to your launch or launch party, they should receive an immediate email
response as well as follow-ups in the coming days and weeks preceding the launch.
Use a graphic invitation to capture the attention of your fans and email lists and involve them in your
offline launch.
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While marketing emails have a bad rap for being annoying, they are still the most effective
(statistically) of all your outreach efforts. Why? Well, partly because while only the most obsessive
Social Media users will scroll through pages and pages to make sure they’ve seen every post, most
people will scroll through every email (at least to see who it is from and what the subject line is).
Your timely, consistent emails have the power to foster a relationship with your subscribers. These
loyal readers become accustomed to habitually opening your emails.
Subscribers generally open your emails for one of two reasons:
1. Your credibility and their loyalty: They are excited about your new series or video and want
to stay involved for the premiere
2. Curiosity: You’ve written an enticing subject line that sparks their curiosity
Make decisions about your content and subject lines with the above in mind.
A catchy subject line that hints at the content of your email can increase the open rate.
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Emails can be used to create more curiosity and share information. Don’t be afraid to leave your audience
wanting more!
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Pack Your Emails with Video Content
One great way to build hype and keep your opt-ins opening your emails is to provide special
content like series trailers or sneak peak videos.
This teaches readers to open your emails, because they can expect to find goodies inside! It also
creates value for the subscribers. They feel like VIPs if the content they receive is exclusive (not
available anywhere else).
Offering “goodies” in your emails will give readers a reason to stay on your email list and continue opening
your messages.
Tip: Whatever you do, DO NOT flood your new opt-ins with emails. No more than one per day, or
you will likely get a high rate of opt-OUTs.
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Engage Viewers in Your Written Content
Humans love stories. Your video viewing audience especially LOVES stories. Utilize storytelling
techniques in your emails and you will be more likely to convert video fans into readers who not
only follow your videos, but your written content as well.
Storytelling techniques to infuse in email blasts and written content:
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Create a Facebook Event Page
Create a Facebook event page to spread the word about your launch.
Creating a public Facebook event page is a given, and you probably already know exactly how to do
it. The most important thing to remember is that you want to create hype and stay consistent with
the other aspects of your campaign.
Encourage all of your team members/employees to invite all of their friends! (Hint: this is a great
place to run an internal contest! Offer a prize to the person who invites the most friends or who
gets the most RSVPs).
Send the invite out over other social platforms, as well.
Invitees and viewers can “join” the premiere and RSVP via Facebook, but make sure you also
provide links to your landing page and any other relevant places.
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Teagan used her facebook event invite to initiate a fun contest and provide links to her landing page and website
Host a Twitter Party to continue spreading the word about your launch
Social Action
Your Social Media posts should be set up to support your other efforts. They will promote your
ads, contests, stunts and more. In addition, here are a couple of ides:
Create a Hashtag – Hashtags are effective for keeping things organized and allowing anyone who
is researching you to easily find out more. You can take your hashtag to another level by adding a
giveaway to it. Incentivize people to use it in a way that is fun and makes sense!
Throw a Twitter Party – For those whoa re not familiar, a Twitter Party is a live chat that invites
people to join a conversation around a specific topic (in this case, your series or launch!). How do
they join the conversation? By using the proposed hashtag!
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The Hard Sell
Stay away from “hard sell” statements. In general, they don’t work very well with this generation
of over-fed consumers.
When it comes to social ads, make an extra effort to blend in with the content your audience is
there for. For example, Facebook users expect a laid back environment, so publicity stunts and
comedic commercials that play like (very) short films work well on that platform.
Choose promotions that make sense by considering the platform before making a decision.
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Create a Pre-Order List of People Who Are Ready For Your Videos
Those who have gone as far as to pre-order or pre-subscribe are now your customers. After the
autoresponder series is over, these people should continue to receive newlsetters and offers more
so than the rest of your list.
Make sure you have a separate list of these people within your email deploying system
Create separate lists for leads versus customers so that you can send each the appropriate information.
Paid Advertising to the Pre-Launch Campaign
This guide has touched on the idea that you will be using ads for your campaign.
Here are three great ad spaces to consider.
Facebook Ads – Facebook has a massive
audience and offers free pages and groups for
you to use while promoting your launch. Paid ads
have the power to take those items to reach your
target audience on a larger scale.
Since Facebook sessions tend to last longer
than Google search sessions, it has become the
preferred ad space for building brand awareness
or sending a specific message. Facebook gets
more traffic than Google+, but that doesn’t
mean it drives more traffic to your business.
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Google Ads – Like Facebook, Google gets major
traffic that can benefit your launch promotions
greatly. It offers free tools like Google Business
pages and a Google+ site. We suggest utilizing
these options from Google in addition to your
Facebook ads. Research shows that Google
has the added benefit for display advertising
(advertising that relies on video, audio or images
to communicate the message). Hence, Google
should not be ignored for a launch like yours!
YouTube Ads – As a video creator, it is not new
news to you that YouTube is on of the largest
search engines online. It is second only to Google
itself. Viral videos are hot ad space, and you
should claim some of it to promote your launch
campaign!
YouTube offers two major ad options: display ads
and video ads.
Display ads allow your ad to pop up near related videos. This is a sure way to reach your target
audience (and video consumers, at that!).
Video ads are basically video commercials. When creating a YouTube commercial, it is important to
remember that no one comes to YouTube to watch daytime infomercials. Your video ad should be
quick, personal, funny or all three.
We encourage you to use both types of YouTube ads as well as Facebook and Google Ads!
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Create online invitation
Create an enticing, content-packed autoresponder series
Send invitation to all subscribers, followers and friends
Create a Facebook event page and invite all
Create and test landing pages with options to
pre-purchase/subscribe
Create hype on Social Media and the web with contests,
graphics, ads and promotional posts
Create a pre-order list of people who are ready for your videos
Set up paid advertising
The above are our “must-have” items for an online launch. Take some time to brainstorm ideas on
how to make these ideas work for your video launch.
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Your video premiere launch party is more than an opportunity to celebrate with friends. This is
where your physical community and local fans can come and intimately involve themselves in
your brand.
It is the OFFICIAL birthday of your startup show, series or product. The first impressions made
here will be long lasting. Further, you have an opportunity to find potential subscribers, interested
investors and brand advocates.
The following steps will help you plan and implement a successful offline launch.
Step 1: Plan the Perfect Launch
In order to be a success, your launch needs to result in a substantial amount of purchases/
subscriptions. Every choice you make in your planning should keep this in mind.
Here is the must-have checklist for your key event planner. Keep reading below for more details
on checklist items and more.
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THE PERFECT LOCATION
Choose a location that matches the vibe and voice of your brand
MARKETING
E-blast invitations, Social Media posts, blogs, press releases…do
whatever it takes to get the word out about your premiere
THE GUEST LIST
In addition to your personal community, make sure potential investors,
local celebrities related to your brand, your target audience and media
personnel will all be present
CREATE A VIP EXPERIENCE
Consider how you will make special guests feel honored and/or
“treated.”
ENTERTAINMENT & CONTENT
Keep people engaged in the party as well as your series. Make
sure to pack the night with trailers, sneak peaks, and fun entertainment
that supports your brand
SWAG
Pamphlets and giveaways should be designed to keep guests thinking
about the launch for days to come
GENEROUS SPONSORS
Get in touch with influential businesses and people who might be
interested in sponsoring your launch party
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Step 2: Design the Invitations
The invitation deserves to be talked about. After all, it is your primary opportunity to get people to
show up!
Make your invitation more than exciting – make it enticing! If you have a hot venue or well-known
entertainment, brag about it! Tease a free prize and incentivize people to come. Perhaps you can
offer the first thirty to arrive or the first thirty to RSVP a 30-day subscription to your series for free.
Showcase exciting features of your event in the invite and incentivize people to come.
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Step 3: Create a Conditional Offer
Remember your main goal of the launch? Get a substantial amount of subscriptions/purchases.
Your launch party should offer a deal like no other – one the attendees will likely never see again.
Make sure they can see how much of a deal it really is compared to normal price.
Attendees can be given a ticket as they enter the door, and that ticket can be used to take
advantage of the killer offer you make during the party.
Tonight is your night to prove the brand - so make sure you bring in those sales!
Your launch party is all about validating your new site, product or series with sales. Offer prices that your attendees
can’t pass up!
Step 4: Make it Exclusive
Your invite to the offline launch should not make it out to all of the subscribers on your list. For
example, you might only invite those who have been loyal subscribers to your other video series.
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An exclusive event is a more attractive event – and something your attendees will be more likely
to brag about to their friends.
After the event, make an intentional effort to push out your acquired media attention and photos
from the premiere to your entire list and online communities. By doing so, your launch will come
off like a big Hollywood event and your credibility as a high caliber show will continue to grow.
A special invite graphic can be sent via email to your hot leads and those lucky enough to be included in your
physical launch party
Step 5: Offer Special Vouchers to Niche Audience
Find local Meetup groups related to your target audience and offer free vouchers to the event for
Meetup members.
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Launching a cooking show? Find culinary Meetups. Debuting a comedy series? Check out comedy
club members and groups containing comedy fans. These niche audiences will likely be interested
in your content, so they are great potential buyers to invite.
Step 6: Foster a Networking Atmosphere
Invite Influencers – Remember those high net worth and well-known social people who you have
been building relationships with during your pre-launch? Get as many of these people out to the
launch as possible, and let them bring their friends!
Give VIP status to these special guests and place them near and around one another if there is
seating or a special VIP area. This will offer them to network with one another as well as allow you
to make sure you meet each one personally.
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Another idea is to collect business cards for a raffle. This is a great way to encourage people to
bring business cards and network with others at the event.
Give VIP attention to the following people:
•Sponsors
•Potential Sponsors
•Media Personnel
•Influencers
•Cast
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STEP 1:
PLAN THE PERFECT LAUNCH
STEP 2:
DESIGN THE INVITATIONS
STEP 3:
INVITE THE RIGHT PEOPLE
STEP 4:
CREATE A CONDITIONAL OFFER
STEP 5:
KEEP IT EXCLUSIVE
STEP 6:
OFFER SPECIAL VOUCHERS TO NICHE AUDIENCE
STEP 7:
FOSTER A NETWORKING ATMOSPHERE
As you complete these steps, you will be well on your way to implementing a solid, successful
offline video launch!
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Step 1: Send a Thank You
Send an email blast to each of the attendees. Thank them for taking part in your epic video launch,
and invite them to take the next step.
For those who have already purchased, this can be as simple as getting them involved in your
community by inviting them to like your Facebook page and follow you on Twitter.
We suggest that a video and/or photos from your event be the visual focus of your email. A
slideshow or video collage will work perfectly.
Also, if your series is getting great press around your premiere event, include links!
Chapter 5
You’ve built a ton of momentum during the phases of your launch…now your mission is to keep it
going as long as possible!
In this chapter you will find out how to embrace your new converts and how to follow up with the
hot leads you’ve acquired. Get ready for a hat full of tricks as we share valuable insight into keeping
the ball rolling via emails, special offers and proven community-building strategies!
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This email from Teagan thanks the people that attended her launch, provides a slideshow of images from the event,
promotes her sponsors and encourages her attendees to take further steps.
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Step 2: Create a Post Offer
What next step would you like your new leads to take? Whatever deal you offered pre-launch
should end…but you can extend the momentum by offering a new incentive.
A Post-Launch Special can offer “30% off subscription price” or a bonus free video during the
show’s “Birthday month.”
Complimentary offers may also make sense. T-Shirt, bonus product…
Begin promoting a new post-launch offer in emails, social posts and more
Create a starter kit that makes sense for your brand. Physical and downloadable items are all acceptable elements
to say “thank you’ to your subscribers.
Step 3: Create a Starter Kit
Creating a starter kit for those who subscribe is a great way to earn their loyalty.
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If your videos are entertainment based then these items might consist of “swag” items like
T-Shirts, sunglasses, or downloadable versions of your content. If your brand is educational, start
up kits will likely include other types of media that supplement your videos. E-Books, WhitePapers
and Downloadable Guides/Manuals are all items to consider.
Teagan’s subscribers receive a free downloadable travel guide in the first autoresponder email after
their purchase.
Step 4: Promote Your Partners
If you have received sponsors or your brand has received promotional efforts by influencers, it’s
time to give back! Make sure you mention sponsors and partners in your post-launch emails.
Another way to say thank you to generous partners is to feature their products in your videos and/
or offer to sell their products alongside yours. Long lasting relationships are built by mutual respect
and selfless promotion (who ever heard of such a thing!?).
Linking to your sponsors will give them traffic as a thank you for their efforts.
Personalized gifts are another way to say thank you to loyal
fans. Imagine their surprise when they find an engraved
t-shirt from you in the mail!
Step 6: Put people in the spotlight (feature them in all the collateral)
A fan that is made to feel like a VIP will likely stay loyal forever. Make a point of spotlighting loyal
fans in emails and Social Media. Send them a personalized gift like a personally engraved T-Shirt to
show your appreciation.
During your post-launch, you can continuously thank different launch participants for their various
involvements.
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Running a solid launch is certainly a lot of work. Make sure you have a team of dedicated people
who are committed to the task. Choose highly creative people and be intentional in how you utilize
their strengths for the benefit of the launch.
Whether you are launching a new channel, series, movie or product, the above steps will put you
well on your way to extreme success. Make sure to print and use each of the detailed checklists
included in this guide.
As a final round-up, here are three “big item” checklists for each phase of your launch.
Conclusion
FINAL CHECKLIST
Map out a launch strategy
Purchase a web domain
Produce your pre-launch video
Create your Gbox channel
Build your launch ”home” (landing page)
Place CTA’s leading to your landing page on social profiles and email
signatures
Craft a press kit
Seek out press for your launch
Prepare contests and giveaways
Set up paid advertising
THE
“BIG ITEM”
CHECKLIST
66. 66Conclusion
Seek out press for your launch
Prepare contests and giveaways
Set up paid advertising
Invite friends, fans and social followers to landing page
Build a targeting list out of landing page opt-ins
Pull a stunt!
Set up crowdfunding
Perform and promote your contests and giveaways
Prepare A/B tests
Use A/B test results to continually increase pre-launch effectiveness
Set up and check Google analytics, ad words and etc.
Create an online invitation
Create an enticing, content–packed autoresponder series
Send invites to all subscribers, followers and friends
Create a Facebook event page and invite all
Create and test landing pages with options to pre-purchase/subscribe
Create hype on Social media and the web with contests, graphics, ads and
promotional posts
Create a pre-order list of people who are ready for your videos
Begin planning details for the online launch (use checklists from Ch.4)
Design invitations
Invite the right people
Create a conditional offer
Keep it exclusive
Offer special vouchers to niche audience
Foster a networking atmosphere
Continue with a follow up autoresponder series
Offer a post-launch deal
68. 68Appendix
A/B Testing: A/B testing (sometimes called split testing) is comparing two versions of something
to see which one performs better. You compare two web pages by showing the two variants (let’s
call them A and B) to similar visitors at the same time. The one that gives a better conversion
rate, wins!
Autoresponder Series: An autoresponder e-mail utility automatically replies to actions (i.e.
purchases or opt ins) with prewritten responses.
Landing Page: Landing pages refer to the section of a website accessed by clicking a hyperlink on
another web page.
Launch: To launch something is to begin, start or set it in motion. This often refers to a video
series, product, activity or enterprise.
Marketing Campaign: A marketing campaign is a coordinated series of steps that can include
promotion of a new series or product through different mediums (television, radio, print, online)
using a variety of different types of advertisements.
Niche Market: A niche market is the subset of the market on which a brand is focused. The
market niche defines the features aimed at satisfying specific market needs, as well as the price
range, production quality and the demographics that it intends to impact.
Offline Launch: The offline launch consists of a real-time, physical party or premiere that supports
the launch.
Online Launch: The term “online launch” refers to the activities of a launch that occur on the
Internet; often consisting of drawing visitors to a new website or online space to opt in, join or
make purchases.
Premiere: the first showing or performance of a series or movie. The premiere party often consists
of a viewing and/or sneak peak of a new release as well as a chance to meet the creators and cast.
Organic Traffic: Organic traffic is traffic that comes to your website or video channel as a result of
unpaid search results.
Press kit: A press kit is a package of promotional material provided to members of the press to
brief them, especially about a series, product, service, or person.
69. 69
Sales Funnel: The term “sales funnel” refers to the buying process that leads customers towards
purchasing your products or services. A sales funnel is divided into several steps, which differ
depending on the particular sales model.
Social Media: refers to websites and applications that enable users to create and share content
with their friends and networks, or to participate in social networking.
Social Reach: Social reach can be defined as the total number of people you are able to reach
across all various social media networks.
Target Market: The specific group of consumers at which a product or service is aimed.
Traffic: Web traffic is most simply defined as the number of visitors to your website or landing pages.
Web Series: a series of scripted videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet or also
by mobile or cellular phone, and part of the newly emerging medium called web television.
Appendix
70. 70
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