11 Steps to launching a new Aromatherapy Product

 

So when you are thinking about adding a new product to your line of products, you most likely got intrigued by something you saw online or heard about in your community of formulators and Aromatherapists, or maybe customers asked for something repeatedly. Now is the time to create something!

 

From the point of "conception" to finally bringing a product to live, it usually can take anywhere from 4 weeks to 3 months. It depends on how complex your product might be.

A simple lip balm will not take as long as the entire gift kit that includes, for example, a mint lip exfoliation scrub, an outstanding refreshing orange-eucalyptus foaming sugar scrub, a beautiful sensual body oil, and an ever-young facial serum with organic cold-pressed sea buckthorn to give it some beautiful color.

 

Suppose we are serious about selling a new product. In that case, we will need to think about experimentation with the formulation, packaging research, label research, pricing, point of sales analysis, and advertisement strategy. 

 

I always thought more was better in my early years of selling products. After all, people want variety and choices. But I believe that this idea of more is better shifting, especially in the alternative medicine world and natural and organic cosmetic world. Customers are willing to pay the higher price tag if they get the results. 

 

So when I think about bringing a new product out, I will check off these 11 steps:

 

1. I first and foremost ask myself: Is this product going to fulfill my customers' needs? Will I have a market where I can sell the new sexy, deliciously smelling,  therapeutic blend? Who is this customer? Who is this market?
2. Will I enjoy creating this new product over and over again? Will it bring me joy?
3. Resource of my raw materials will take place. BEFORE I start purchasing larger amounts of raw ingredients, I check out bulk prices. I will add all prices to Blend Precisely, calculate a preliminary product price, check safety information, and play around with numbers. While looking at raw ingredients, I will make sure that those are vastly available and that I don't use endangered species or hard-to-come-by products. 
4. Next, I decide on a launch date. Maybe Mother's Day or Christmas is a super good time to launch it for a gift kit. Perhaps a new set of room sprays is excellent for school start or Halloween. Perhaps a "Calming Rollerball Bottle" is great for busy moms at the beginning of a school year. You get the gist of it.
5. Once I feel pretty solid with my first four steps, I get into creation mode. I like to create 5-10 products and distribute them to some beta testers. Some great customers, friends, and family. Try to distribute to the right target audience already - if you can.
6. Get testimonials from these 5-10 people.
7. It's time to think about creating some candid "Coming soon," "In the pipeline," "New Product launch" types of posts, and sprinkle them into your marketing strategy. I suggest starting that two weeks before the launch date. The shots you are using here are not perfect. They are "in the making" shots. Involve your audience during the creation process. You could also ask your audience for some beta testers for "something new" launching soon. For example:
1. If you post 3x/ week to Social Media, make one of them be a sneak peek. Do a story post as it is only up for 24 hours, and it doesn't need to be perfect.
2. If you have a weekly newsletter, you will also mention the progress of your product development here.
3. If you are searching for the name for your new product, ask your audience by creating a poll. Hint: Including your audience will drive engagement and curiosity. 
8. One week before launch, it is time to create your product listing and take professional photos for your eCommerce site. I would spend time on your photographs. One picture can mean a thousand words. I'm BIG on that! Hint: Observe yourself when browsing for products with a bit of a higher price tag. What do you look for? Always imagine you are selling your product to a high-end spa. They are looking for quality every step of the way. The product description needs to be "tasteful." If you sell therapeutic products, you want to make sure that you explain the results they will get by using your product. Remember that we are selling a "luxury item." It's not on their daily grocery lists of things to buy. 
9. To drive more sales, you can choose to create special offers such asx Limited Edition, Mother's Day only, Exclusive New Product, Once-a-year only, reserve your product for 25% now, etc. Find a reason and stick to that reason.  Don't fool them, of course. Some products might be only great during a specific time of the year. This will also allow you not to purchase large amounts of raw material. There needs to be some excitement about your new product. 
10. 2-3 Days before launch: Go live with a more formal sneak-peak & post your professional product shots on Social media with a compelling few lines and post more often. 
11. On your launch day, send out an email to the people on your list, change your Facebook Page Cover Photo to the new product shot, and add a post to your Social Media account that your product is now available at xyz. Make sure you post a link to the product so they can easily click and buy :-) Tell them to take action :-)