What’s the buzz? 13 steps to marketing your business before you launch

•  Create a “Coming Soon” web page. Let customers know that your website is coming soon. They can sign up to be on your email list, that way when launch day comes, you have an email list to start marketing to.
•  Start a blog related to your product, industry or service. Let people know that you are dedicated to solving their problems and have innovative solutions and insight. Start a conversation about the problem you are trying to solve.
•  Comment on other industry blogs.  Identify 6-10 blogs where your target customer hangs out. Start commenting, drive the traffic back to your website.
•  Set up your social media profiles.  Figure out where your customers are likely to look for you online and make sure you have a profile page. Start posting things now! You don’t have to have a website for people to find you online these days.  Get tweeting!
•  Make friends online – Get other bloggers to tell their peeps about you, or maybe do a guest post on a blog about your start up.
•  Show a little leg.  Start teasing your audience with “sneak peeks” at your product design. Give away some of your “secret tips” so that they are salivating by the time you launch.
•  Email Newsletter - Collecting emails is a great way to market to people that are already interested in your product or service. Send out periodic updates that deliver value to readers while giving them an update on your launch day.
•  Print Advertising – This can be anything from business cards, to post cards to posters. Print your web address on them and hand them out everywhere you go.
•  Networking  - UGH.  I am not a natural networker. I can do it if I have to but I don’t have the gift of walking up to strangers and introducing myself. However, this stuff works. Meeting people in person is a great way to start talking about your idea and hand out some cards.
•  Email signature – duh.  This is a no brainer. Put the URL for your launch page in your email signature. Put in a picture of your product, put in links to your social network profiles.  Don’t make it obnoxious.
•  Press releases – Depending on your budget, letting a professional help you create buzz might be a great way to spread the word. PRWeb is a great online tool for writing and distributing your own press release.
•  Give it away – Everyone loves free stuff.  So give something away that won’t break the bank.  Give away samples of your products, free trials, create a contest where the winner gets a free pedicure or something.  People will be lining up to get at your freebies.
•  Be exclusive.  Making your product “invite only” automatically makes people want access.


source:http://theonramp.com/