Expert Guest: Ayelet Noff (Blonde20.com)

Key Learning Point: In this session, you will learn how to create a media launch plan that generate real results!

Free Resource: Media Targeting Planner

The attention of consumers is at an all-time premium. There are so many product launches, marketing campaigns and different media outlets vying for our consideration. So, when it comes to the launch of your first product, how best to stand out, attract the attention of the right people and make a lasting impression?

Ayelet Noff, the founder of award winning global PR agency Blonde 2.0, joins us to share her tips for launching a product in the best way for the maximum impact. Throughout her career, Ayelet has helped startups tell their story to the world, and making an impactful first impression is all about that story.

In order to craft the story that you will tell the rest of the world you need to be very clear on which problem your product or service is solving, who your main competitors will be and what makes your solution better than theirs. Only by clarifying your point of differentiation, and telling your story in a unique and compelling way, will you attract the attention of journalists or influencers who could really help spread the word.

There are some great solutions to really common problems out there, but if the founders haven’t been able to nail down what makes them better than the rest, or they haven’t been able to present their story in an interesting new way, then they won’t have stood out and demanded attention. Getting it right can even get important influencers on your side before launch, or even during development. Doing so can be a great bonus as they can act as evangelists for your product when it is released.

A great example of this is Blonde 2.0’s work with single tap, zero character communication app, Yo!. Ayelet and her team got the app in front of the hugely influential Robert Scoble, whose evangelism, as well as the divisive nature of the app, helped make Yo! a big talking point around its launch. Some thought it was revolutionary, others that it was a bit silly, but all the major tech media outlets were discussing it.

Every niche has its own influencers that, while perhaps not as globally well known as Robert Scoble, command a lot of respect and attention from a particular sector. Getting to know such people and telling them your product’s story can be a great help further down the line. Being open and reciprocal with your time can help build great relationships in your niche.

The best way to grab the attention of such influencers, or journalist covering your sector, is to send them a short, succinct pitch e-mail that sums up your product, its story, the problem it solves and what makes it better than the competition. You can personalise these messages with something that will speak personally to that person or about events taking place in your sector at the time. Most importantly, the message should be simple and in plain English.

If you can start getting some traction with some journalists or big names in your field, then you can start coordinating that with other methods of publicising your product, which fall into different pillars of the PESO PR model. This will help organise your overall PR strategy.

The model breaks down into the following:

* Paid – Any publicity or advertising that is paid for. Google Ads, Facebook Ads, etc.
* Earned – Any publicity that you have earned. For example, you have an influencer on your side because they really like the product,