60: How To Prepare for a Major Business Announcement
In this episode, I'll take you on an exciting journey behind the scenes of Inside the Square's upcoming major announcement. I'm sharing my process for preparing a big business launch, from the initial spark of inspiration to the final countdown. You'll get valuable insights on planning, building anticipation, and maintaining momentum after the big reveal. Whether you're a Squarespace enthusiast or an entrepreneur planning your own launch, this episode is packed with practical tips and personal anecdotes to inspire and guide you. Plus, I've got a sneak peek at what's coming for Inside the Square on October 1st! Join me as we dive into the nitty-gritty of preparing for a game-changing business move.
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[00:00:00] Becca here from Inside the Square and oh boy, do I have something exciting to share with you today. In this episode of Think Inside the Square, I want to take you on a little journey behind the scenes of my business. We are going to dive into the nitty gritty details of preparing for a major business announcement.
[00:00:24] Now you might be thinking, Becca, what's the big announcement? Why are you teasing us? Well, I can't reveal everything just yet. Where's the fun in that, right? But I can tell you that on October 1st, I am launching a brand new version of InsideTheSquare.co
[00:00:40] And when I say new, I mean new. It's going to be bigger and better and more tailored to your needs than ever before.
[00:00:48] And I am so excited, I can't even sit down while recording this, I'm actually standing right now. But here's the thing, preparing for a major announcement like this, it is no walk in the park. I want you to imagine planning a wedding, moving to a new house, and learning to juggle all at the same time.
[00:01:05] Because it kind of feels like that. My days have been intense. A big business launch takes careful planning, meticulous preparation, and let's be honest, a whole lot of coffee. So today, I wanted to walk you through the process of getting ready for a big business reveal. Whether you're planning a launch, a rebrand, or any other significant change in your business, like releasing an exciting new product.
[00:01:31] In this episode, I'm going to cover everything about my upcoming business launch. Except for what the launch actually is. We'll be talking about the initial ah ha moment all the way to the final countdown to launch day, the planning phase, building anticipation, how to execute the launch, and how to keep that momentum going long after the confetti has settled.
[00:01:52] Plus I'll be sharing some of the oops moments that I've already had along the way because let's face it No major project goes off without a [00:02:00] hitch, right? All right, let's rewind a bit and start at the very beginning You know, it's kind of funny this whole journey began with me realizing that something needed to change I was noticing how our community was growing and evolving and And I had this just lagging feeling that it was time for Inside the Square to level up.
[00:02:19] And it wasn't just one big moment of realization, it was more like a series of little nudges. A comment here, a suggestion there, and suddenly I found myself thinking, what if I did things differently? What could I do to serve my community even better? So I did what any self respecting entrepreneur would do.
[00:02:39] I grabbed a giant piece of paper, a handful of colorful markers, and I started mind mapping. Let me tell you, that paper was a mess of scribbles and arrows and a few coffee stains by the time I was done. But from that chaos emerged the core concept for the new Inside the Square. Now, here's a pro tip for you.
[00:02:59] When you're [00:03:00] brainstorming, don't censor yourself. Let every idea, no matter how wild, make it onto that paper. You never know which crazy idea might turn into your next big thing. Of course, once I had this grand vision, reality kicked in. Identifying potential challenges was a crucial part of this process.
[00:03:19] I had to consider things like How this change would affect what I currently offered. What resources I'd created, what resources I'll need. And how to make sure that I was meeting the needs of my community better than ever before. It was like putting together a giant puzzle and trying to make all the pieces fit just right.
[00:03:39] Setting clear goals for this new plan was next on the agenda. I had to define what success would look like, both in the short term, like my launch day metrics, And the longterm, the community growth, the engagement, the development over time. It was crucial to make sure that this announcement aligned with my [00:04:00] overall business strategy.
[00:04:01] After all, I'm not just changing for the sake of change. I'm evolving my business to try to serve my community better. So here's another tip. When you're setting goals, you've probably heard this before. You should make them smart, specific, specific. measurable, achievable, relevant, and time bound. It's not enough to say, I want more subscribers.
[00:04:24] Instead, try something like, I want to increase my email subscriber list by 20 percent within three months of the launch. Now that I had those goals, it was time to dig into the preparation phase where those dreams become a reality. Creating a timeline is critical. I worked backwards for my October 1st launch date, identifying all the milestones I needed to hit along the way.
[00:04:49] And let me tell you, I made sure to build in plenty of buffer time. Do you remember the UX UI episode number 54? I'll be sure to link to it in the show notes. [00:05:00] In that episode, I talked about my experience being a user tester for the Portland Airport. And in that episode, one of the biggest takeaways was that you should always give yourself time to implement changes that you discover during testing.
[00:05:14] Because let's face it, something always takes longer than you expect. Whether it's waiting on feedback, or dealing with technical glitches, or just life throwing you a curveball, having that extra time built in can be a real life saver. So when it came to the actual preparation of this exciting new project for InsideTheSquare.
[00:05:34] co, I had to work backwards from my October 1st launch date, identifying those milestones that I needed to hit along the way and leaving time for testing. Now, developing the necessary assets has been a huge part of this process. I've been working very hard on product development, auditing my YouTube content and my website, and To make sure that everything aligned with my new direction and [00:06:00] creating fresh material.
[00:06:01] It has been a long and lengthy process, but seeing it all come together has been amazing. It's been really enlightening to go all the way back to four or five years ago when I first started recording tutorial content. Some of the screen shares might be outdated, but I love the enthusiasm that baby Becca had in those early videos, and I hope that you can still feel that in the content that I create today.
[00:06:24] Now, one thing I learned during this entire process is do not underestimate the power of a good checklist. I've got checklists for my checklists at this point, but they've all been invaluable for making sure that I don't miss any crucial steps along the way. I used a checklist to evaluate my old videos when I was auditing my content.
[00:06:44] Even if the screen share might be slightly different, is the code still valuable? Do the concepts still apply? Has Squarespace created a feature that renders this tutorial no longer necessary? Checklists upon checklists, my friend, but they have been [00:07:00] invaluable in making sure that I stay on track to truly evaluate the quality of my content.
[00:07:07] Updating my old content was sentimental and it was very important. But creating new content was pretty exciting. And even more exciting than that, building anticipation. Working on a marketing campaign built around anticipation is like planning a surprise party for thousands of your closest friends. It is thrilling, a little bit nerve wracking, and so much fun.
[00:07:30] I've got a teaser campaign planned that I think you're going to love, and yes, this episode is part of it. But I want you to keep an eye on my Instagram profile. There are going to be some sneaky previews coming your way. We're talking cryptic posts, behind the scenes peeks, and maybe even an exciting countdown or two.
[00:07:48] The goal is to get you all as excited as I am about this launch. And for those of you on my email list, you are getting exclusive access to my brand new [00:08:00] everything 48 hours before everyone else. How is that for an exclusive perk? It's my way of saying thank you for being a fan and a subscriber. Now, if you're not on my email list already, you absolutely should be.
[00:08:13] Head on over to
[00:08:17] to sign up. Again, that's
[00:08:18] insidethesquare.co/email
[00:08:21] now I'm also reaching out to different press and online media outlets. I'm crafting a compelling story about why this change matters so much and how it's going to benefit the Squarespace community and partnerships.
[00:08:33] Oh, I've got some exciting collaborations in the works that I cannot wait to share with you. Now, here's a little behind the scenes secret. Crafting the perfect press release was not easy for me. It's a bit more of an art form than I realized. I have gone through more drafts than I care to admit, tweaking every word to make sure that I'm conveying the right message.
[00:08:55] But that attention to detail, it's going to pay off big time when launch day rolls around. I [00:09:00] just know it. All right, let's fast forward to the big day. Launch day is going to be huge. This will be October 1st. So if you're listening to this episode before then, mark your calendar, my friend. I will be coordinating this launch across all of my platforms, engaging with my audience in real time.
[00:09:18] And probably doing a lot of troubleshooting behind the scenes. But that's all part of the excitement, right? Now, one thing I've learned from previous launches is to expect the unexpected. No matter how much you plan, something will go a little sideways. The key is to stay flexible and keep a cool head.
[00:09:36] And maybe have some emergency chocolate on hand, just saying. Now, after the launch, I'm going to be in full on analysis mode. I'm going to be collecting data, responding to your feedback, and making adjustments as needed. This part is crucial, because as much as I planned and prepared, You are the real test.
[00:09:56] Your experience and your feedback is going to shape the future of [00:10:00] Inside the Square. And yes, I have scheduled some time off after the launch to de stress and think big about my next steps. Self care is crucial, especially after a big project like this. Taking time off after a very big project is critical for my mental health.
[00:10:18] I know this from past experiences when I didn't do it and I felt detrimental impacts, not only to my mental health, but to my physical health as well. I really want to avoid burnout. And even though I'm incredibly excited about this experience, I know that this energy will only get me so far. So I am scheduling some downtime and I want to encourage you to do the same.
[00:10:38] If you're working on a large project for your business, make sure that part of that preparation is giving yourself the time that you need away from your work. Now, part of that is taking strategic time off. I'm not going to take October 2nd off. That is way too soon. I'm giving myself a couple of days to work through all of the inevitable challenges.
[00:10:59] [00:11:00] Because no major announcement comes without challenges. One big lesson I've learned from past launches is that clear communication is key. I'm not just talking about my marketing messaging, which I've worked really hard to stay aligned on. But I'm also talking about being prepared for potential questions that my audience might have, and also being prepared for negative feedback with grace and openness.
[00:11:22] Because let's face it, you can't please everyone all the time. But I can listen, I can learn, and I can use feedback to make my content even better. Now, after the announcement, after getting feedback, after analyzing the data, And after taking some rest, I'm still going to need to keep this momentum going.
[00:11:41] The work doesn't stop after launch day. In fact, in many ways, it's just beginning. I'm committed to maintaining momentum by continuing to engage with you, iterating and improving based on your feedback. And honestly, I'm already starting to plan for future growth. Because a successful launch isn't just about that one big day.[00:12:00]
[00:12:00] It's about creating something that continues to serve and delight your audience for the long haul. Now, I love keeping my podcast episodes short, concise, and actionable, so let's recap some key points today. When it comes to preparing for a big business launch, I want you to start with thorough planning and goal setting.
[00:12:18] Don't be afraid to dream big, but also be realistic about what you can achieve. Keep that SMART acronym in mind, Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time Bound. The next thing I want you to do is to prepare meticulously, starting with a timeline. And don't forget to build in that buffer time for testing and improving.
[00:12:40] Once you have a solid timeline on the board, build anticipation through teasers and collaborations, get your audience excited about what's coming, and when you're ready for launch day, be ready for the unexpected. Flexibility is your friend. You'll want to spend time analyzing, adjusting, and maintaining momentum after your big [00:13:00] announcement.
[00:13:00] Remember, The launch is just the beginning. Planning a major business announcement is quite a journey. It takes time, it takes effort, and it takes a whole lot of passion. But seeing your vision come to life and sharing it with your community, there is nothing quite like it. As always, you can find a full transcript of this episode at insidethesquare.co/podcast
[00:13:22] And again, if you haven't joined my email list, you'll want to be on there because I'm going to be giving you a sneak peek to the brand new everything. Sign up for my email list at
[00:13:32] insidethesquare.co/email
[00:13:35] thank you for listening to this episode of Think Inside the Square.
[00:13:37] Here's to big announcements and even bigger dreams. Until next time, keep creating, keep growing, and as always, have fun with your website. Bye for now.
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✈️ UX Testing Tips from the PDX Airport: insidethesquare.co/podcast/54
