It is done. After months of testing, you and your team are finally ready to launch the product you’ve been working so hard on. Seeing the final result and celebrating with your coworkers is a joyful experience, and you can’t wait to set a definitive launch date. However, it would be best if you had more than a willingness to organize a successful product launch.

There are many aspects to be taken care of regarding the product launch process. You must set a proper target audience, do market research, and strictly cooperate with your sales team when planning marketing campaigns. Your product may be the best in its particular use case, but without a proper product launch plan checklist, you won’t convince anyone to buy it. In this article, we’ll explain what a product launch checklist is, how to plan it, and include a proper product launch checklist template for reference.

What is a Product Launch Plan?

In short, a product launch plan consists of every step that must be completed to release the final product in a given time. A good plan should include an entire launch strategy, so the product team knows what to deliver, when, and why it matters.

Why is a Product Launch Plan so Important?

There are at least four reasons for not overseeing product launch checklists.

• You won’t forget anything. With proper product launch planning, you won’t forget any important steps required for a successful launch. It isn’t hard to overlook details when working on a specific project, and with a launch checklist, you will easily do both and won’t expose yourself to criticism from the team.
• It prevents unforeseen situations (mostly). You probably won’t avoid mistakes entirely, but following a strict plan will allow you to catch on errors faster. Moreover, you’ll know exactly what you did wrong, which will prevent you from doing the same in the future.
• It’s beneficial for teamwork. As we stated earlier, a new product launch checklist ensures that the marketing team, customer support team, product managers, and others working on the project have the same goals in mind. If everyone has access to the product launch plan, each member will see what they are responsible for and their teammates’ tasks. This way, you will prevent any duplicate errors.
• Better management. Some tasks regarding product release can be daunting, but cutting them into smaller checklist sections makes them more manageable for the team.

Product Launch Checklist Templates

Breaking down all the work into specific tasks using a checklist is a major convenience. However, to keep it clean and consistent, you need a good template. With a proper template, you will easily track and coordinate every aspect of your product without wasting time on creating everything from scratch. We’ve included a few perfectly suitable templates for most product launch plans.

They are either in xlsx. or docx. format to use with MS Office. If you don’t own MS Office, you can buy one on RoyalCDKeys. We offer Microsoft Office 2021 Professional Plus Key Retail Global for less than $12, which is only a fraction of the retail price! We’ve also included pdf files to preview the templates.

Template #1

This basic and straightforward template includes universal activities that will fit with most projects. You can freely edit each task described here and prepare everything for future launches. Each member can mark their task if it’s done or in progress or ask for help if needed. Each category is divided into subtasks; for example, you can assign a product development team to the section of your choice.

Download:

• Microsoft Excel document
• Microsoft Word document
• PDF

Template #2

This template was created with a software product launch in mind. It provides an example list of tasks to complete before release. Since it’s a software product, the template consists of market analysis, software testing, and customer surveys. Obviously, you’ll have to edit it according to your needs. Here, you will easily assign owners, set deadlines, and check everything that’s in progress or completed already.

Download:

• Microsoft Excel document

Template #3

This template is perfect for a marketing plan, understanding the entire process before your product launches. The entire template is centered around product positioning, website, social media, and PR. Assign coworkers, completion status, the time frame, and control the marketing channel. You can also add or remove template columns according to the information you want to keep track of.

Download:

• Microsoft Excel document

Template #4

This one is for you if you want a plain, simple, and easily editable template. You need to fill everything out yourself, but you can still prioritize any activity and keep track of completion dates. Use checkboxes to track what’s completed, and add comments for your teammates if you need clarification. It can’t get simpler than that.

Download:

• Microsoft Excel
• PDF

Template #5

Product launch template as a PowerPoint presentation? Yes, it is possible and perfectly usable. It has all the features from previous templates, but each category is on a separate page. If you don’t want to distract yourself and compare your progress with other team members, this template is perfect for that. Also, a graphical presentation of your tasks looks clean and eye-candy. You can also combine this presentation with a product launch roadmap and timeline to see what the whole strategy looks like.

Download:

• Microsoft PowerPoint

Template #6

A successful launch day event requires thorough preparation. With this template, you’ll be able to plan everything several weeks beforehand. Decide how many weeks you need to schedule each task and ensure everything goes as planned. You can edit it however you please, but it covers every important aspect when planning an event, from establishing event goals to analyzing attendee data.

Download:

• Microsoft Word
• PDF
• Smartsheet

What Else to Include in a Product Launch Checklist?

The templates shown above are a great reference on what to include in a product launch checklist. However, if you still find it complicated, here are some examples of what you can include in the list:

• Conduct market research based on your target audience.
• The competition analysis and unique selling proposition plan.
• Written positioning statement.
• Pricing structure and package design.
• Go-to-market strategy plan.
• Product launch goals and how you will measure performance.
• Create promotional content, like social media content and online marketing.
• Technical data sheets and product support documentation.
• Sales and customer service teams.
• Collecting feedback from customers.

Product Launch Tips

Creating a product launch checklist is not a set-and-forget task. Here are a few tips to help increase your chances for a successful product launch.

• Communicate regularly with your team. Don't expect that checklist will solve all your problems. Organize meetings, and discuss any problems or doubts to boost your team’s morale.
• Make your template accessible to others. After successfully launching your product, share your template with other coworkers so they can follow the same standards.
• Manage your marketing materials. Provide future customers with useful data, performance charts, and real-life usage scenarios. Follow your marketing strategy, create a mood of anticipation with hints and teasers using social channels, and reveal your cards during presentation day.
• Make customers desire your product. Think about why your product stands out among others and how it will benefit your target audience. Your planning process of product positioning should consist of something more than naming new features. Give them clear reasons why they should be your current and prospective customers.
• Prepare for contingencies. When planning a product launch, include a list of possible contingencies that may happen. Usually, support teams are a good source of feedback when it comes to foreshadowing any issues that may arise. Even if something bad comes up eventually, you’re more likely to stay on course, and your support team will update existing materials to prevent it.
• Write a press release. Do it yourself or hire someone competent to write a compelling article about your product. Make sure it’s available on relevant media outlets, which will ultimately translate into growing success metrics. Remember that journalists receive press releases regularly, so make yours original. It’s not the cheapest form of promotion, but it will definitely create buzz around your product and attract potential customers.  
• Launch internally. Internal testing is the best way to spot any imperfections and fix them before release. Make sure everything is included in the release notes. 
• Delay a product launch when needed. Sometimes, you can’t win with bigger events happening in the area. It’s better to reschedule the event than compete with big fish and hurt your initial sales.                   

Following these tips will make for a better customer experience and more user feedback, regardless if it’s a digital or physical product. You can also become a part of the customer success team and personally provide support for early adopters.

Conclusion

Any product launch is one of the most important events in any company. Meticulous and insightful planning of marketing strategies and preparing an engaging presentation directly translates to the company’s revenue. With a proper product launch checklist, you’ll be able to enhance your coworkers' productivity and have a clear insight into what’s done and left to do.

The provided templates should give you an insight into a proper product launch checklist. Also, study our tips to have a solid foundation for any product release. They require a significant financial investment, but your company’s revenue increase will make up for it. To improve your chances, you can study several marketing strategies, like funnel strategy or flywheel approach.