Early Adopters can mark the path that will lead your product and brand to success: here's where to find them and how to win their attention and approval.
In the last article I told you about a consumer category that is very important to the success of any of your new products: the Early Adopters, that is, all those people who waste no time in buying the latest hi-tech novelty and precisely because of this anticipate the majority.
I've explained who they are, what characteristics they have, and why their intervention can be so beneficial to you: not only do they pave the way for your offer, acting as social role models to be emulated in purchasing decisions, but they give you initial feedback on quality and perceived value, so as to help you "correct your course" before it's too late.
In short, you must have realized that they play no small role in launching a new product and ensuring that it is successful.
Very good.
Perhaps, however, you are now wondering how you can 1) find them and 2) win them over.
Yeah, because it's true that they love to keep up with the times and are always on the lookout for the latest sensational releases, but it's also true that, as always in marketing, you certainly can't sit back comfortably and wait for them to notice you sooner or later.
And, of course, you also have to make sure that they give you positive publicity, enticing everyone else to follow them and to buy from you.
Would you like to have a trail to follow to be able to do it best?
Read on: you will find some suggestions on Where to find Early Adopters and how to take action to win their attention, selling them more effectively.
Early Adopters: where to find them
The easiest way to find early adopters is to let them find you.
"But Valerio, didn't you just tell me that I should be the one to go find them! And now you tell me that they should be the ones to find me!"
Yes and-yes!
I'll explain right away.
The assumption is that you cannot sit on your hands, sipping coffee with your feet crossed on your desk, waiting and hoping that someone will notice you and how phantasmagorical your offer is.
This will not happen, or at least not if your product remains in the shadows!
This is what I mean by "let them find you": you are the one who has to put yourself on display!
To your advantage you have that Early Adopters are people who are always looking for news and solutions; you, on your part, however, need to make sure that your offer is visible in the right places with the right messages to pique their interest.
What to say or how to do to win them over will be discussed in a moment, in the meantime let's see what are the "right places" to invest in promotion and advertising to attract your early adopters.
Here are some of them:
Communities
Forum&co (Quora e Reddit, just to name a couple) are among the most effective platforms to start engaging your potential early adopters.
You can take action by showing your credibility and authority, publicize your idea and connect with people who may become proud advocates of your product, as well as learn more about the problem your target audience is trying to solve.
Finding the right community for you can be as easy enough as doing a Google search-but remember that becoming an expert user and taking full advantage of all the potential always takes time and a good dose of patience.
So if you haven't tried it yet, don't delay any longer 😉
Social networks
Unlike niche communities, for social networks like Facebook, Instagram or Twitter, my advice is to find the subgroups and target them more selectively and "individually."
Always follow the rules, contribute positively to discussions, and help other participants by noting their needs and problems that your product can solve.
You can also follow hashtags to identify the most informed topics and users you can best approach.
Follower analysis tools can also target your potential Early Adopters, such as. Facebook Insight, which provides data on the number of people reached by posts, shares and likes, but also on the demographic characteristics of users.
Blog
If you offer valuable content (perhaps SEO-optimized), your Web site and blog can become an attractive place for your entire target audience, thus including your early adopters-and all for free. It is obvious that your degree of visibility and conversion rate depends, as I mentioned, on your credibility in the industry, but also from a broader, well-planned marketing strategy.
Email marketing
In that case, you must already have built a good contact list to reach out to and where you can identify people who have what it takes to be your Early Adopters. Via sending dedicated messages, with surveys, requests for feedback or specific calls to action, you may be able to filter addresses to prioritize in the pre-launch of your product, perhaps reserving special offers for them.
Early Adopters: 7 strategies to win them over
To attract your Early Adopters, you must consider three aspects inherent in this group of consumers: they have a problem they are trying to solve, they are well aware of what that problem is, and they are actively seeking a solution for it.
Here, then, in your promotional messages, you'd better not talk too long about the technological features of your offering, but rather aim to highlight all its benefits and its ability to meet that particular need or necessity (actually, this is a basic rule of any successful copy, I told you about it in this article).
The connection between their problem and the use of technology to solve it is what will generate interest from the people you are looking for.
That said, because of their unique characteristics, Early Adopters respond well to targeted marketing techniques that capture their attention and make them proud supporters of your brand.
If you wouldn't know where to start, here are some suggestions 🙂 🙂
#1 Aims for their needs
One of the surest ways to convince Early Adopters to invest in your product is to show them how the solution can help them overcome some of their obstacles. One of the main reasons why certain startups are so successful is that they create solutions that people need-if you want to do the same, you need to make sure you are meeting a need of your target audience. Early Adopters love the thrill of being among the first to use a new product, but only if it is useful to them.
Ps. If you want to learn about and leverage a cool tool for creating an offer that meets the needs of your target audience, read my article on the Value Proposition Canvas 😉
#2 Offer added value
Early Adopters take the risk of trying your product (even if it is all calculated), in the sense that they are well aware of some potential "drawbacks": your offering may become cheaper over time, it may not yet be top notch, or it may not meet their expectations in terms of value.
This means you need to show them that you appreciate them, that you are ready to challenge them, and help them as much as possible to make their experience one that is "worth it." Therefore, take time to listen to them and clarify any doubts they may have, offer effective customer service, suggest discounts or other incentives.
#3 Provide (r)assurance.
You can minimize Early Adopters' investment risk by providing them with useful information during the decision-making process. For example, you can report testimonials, case studies, insights, and opinions from innovators, developers, and other experts. Just remember that early adopters expect you to deliver on your promises and assurances, so it is important to always be honest if you want them to remain loyal long-term customers.
#4 Treat them as VIPs
Early Adopters want to be the first people to try the product, but also to brag about it to the world 😉 Which obviously suits you, because it also gives the product the right publicity. Therefore, you can organize a pre-release dedicated to them and reward them for choosing your product before its actual launch by offering additional services or features at the time of booking.
For example, in 2020 Samsung provided its wireless earbuds free of charge to those who pre-ordered the Samsung S20 Plus before its launch.
#5 Use referral marketing
Consider the creation of a referral program, in which your early adopters are rewarded or rewarded after referring a new potential customer to your offer. It is a win-win formula: for Early Adopters, because it gives them a chance to establish their social status as influencers and pioneers; for you, because you thereby broaden your customer base, attracting people who will be well-disposed toward you from the start.
As I have already explained to you in this article, in fact, word of mouth is one of the most powerful forms of advertising you could ever harness 😉
#6 Build a relationship
Create a list of your first users and try to establish a relationship with them, with the goal of making them feel in a "privileged" position compared to others. By staying in touch and listening to their suggestions, you show that you take the feedback they give you seriously; get to know them and understand their expectations, so that you can also take advantage of any stimuli or innovative ideas.
#7 Facilitates interaction and sharing
After identifying them, try to bring Early Adopters as close as possible to your product: show a video, demo or the like to gauge their level of engagement-their reaction will also let you know if you are on the right track.
After that, once they inuate testing, you need to open the door to conversation and sharing: make your forum or email address easily identifiable, create a hashtag through which you can communicate in real time, make sure the comments section of your site is open, and ask for feedback regularly, making sure they are always listening and leaving obvious notes of appreciation.
Finally, remember to share your success with them as well: after all, they have good responsibility for it!
Conclusion
So what do you think?
As you can see, there is nothing too complicated: you always need good will, mixed, of course, with a good (indeed, let's say very good) understanding of your target market and audience.
For the rest, don't forget that the starting point is the value you are able to offer-no use investing time and resources to find your Early Adopters if the chances of them being disappointed by your product are too high.
So be sure to make sure that your offer is really amazing and only then try to win their attention by experimenting with the various strategies I have suggested.