There are certain questions I keep getting, and one of them is, “Karrie, what tools should I have in my tech stack for my upcoming launch?” My answer? The ones you know how to use. Remember, I’m all about launching with ease! So your launch is no time to complicate things for yourself and start learning new platforms. Keep it simple and start with what you already have and use every day. You might be surprised to learn my eight favorite tools for launching are really nothing fancy.
My 8 Favorite Tools for Launching
ClickUp (or your favorite Project Management Tool)
Launches have A LOT of moving parts so you need to keep things organized: dates, the copy, assets, all the tech & tech integrations, and testing before a launch. You can’t afford to miss a beat. You need a good project management tool. Some of my favorites are Trello, Asana, or ClickUp.
Wondering if you can use a tool like Airtable or Google Sheets? Well, these two spreadsheet-like tools do have their place, but they aren’t able to keep track of subtasks, due dates, comment threads, and assignees, in the same way.
Additionally, I prefer having all my to-do’s in one place so I can keep track of everything I need to manage. I find if I am toggling between boards or sheets or tables, I’m likely to forget something and that’s another reason I prefer a more comprehensive tool like Asana or ClickUp.
Bonus: If you need a launch plan that’s ready to go, you can download my Panic-Free Launch Planner which is in Google Sheets. This can be exported as a CSV file and then imported into ClickUp or Asana. I recommend saving it as a template and then duplicating it for each launch so you can tweak it as you go changing any dates and assignees as needed.
Google Suite
Google Drive. It’s universal between PCs and Macs. For launches, I recommend creating different folders for your team to store graphics, images, product mockups, etc. Within each of these folders, you can put the images and then use Google Docs to add the copy for the registration pages or sales pages, the emails that correspond to the invites and confirmations, the reminders, any sequences, and so on.
I LOVE Google Sheets to track your launch metrics. When you download my Panic Free Launch Planner, you will see a tripwire popup for the Analytics Tracker to help with this or you can also create one of these yourself. Pop that into a folder for reference as well. Having information about your numbers will be useful during your launch debrief process so you’ll know what worked and what didn’t when you review your launch and begin planning your next launch.
A Landing Page
You’ll need a landing page to send your audience to sign up for your lead magnet or a registration page for your webinar, challenge, summit, etc. A landing page will provide the details of your event and sends an automated email confirmation.
There is no shortage of places to build a landing page. You may want to look at the software you already use. Many email service providers offer landing pages and have easy-to-use drag-and-drop templates or you could build a landing page on your website. You might want to look at funnel software like Systeme.io or FG Funnels. Whichever you choose, your customer may have different levels of options from something as simple as being able to leave a name and email address, to something more complicated like being able to make a purchase and having a course hosted within the platform. So be sure to understand what it is you’re getting and what your needs are.
Email Service Provider
You need a way to communicate with your audience, so an email service provider is a must-have. I use Systeme.io. It’s an all-in-one funnel software that includes email marketing, funnels, websites, etc. There are so many stand-alone email service providers like Kit, (formerly ConvertKit), Mailerlite, and ActiveCampaign, just to name a few.
If you’re choosing an email service provider for the first time, look for one that allows you to send emails using automation (like Systeme.io) Kit and MailChimp have free versions but don’t have automation on the free plan. Make sure you can set up automatic sending, even on weekends (after all, you do want to have a life and don’t want to be tethered to your laptop manually sending).
Zoom or Google Meet
If you’re launching with a webinar, you need a way to deliver. Zoom or Google Meet are perfect solutions. Nearly everyone knows how to use them and are easier to use than more expensive options than WebinarJam and EasyWebinar.
I know, I know. Everyone wants to be off Facebook. But the truth is, if you’re running challenges, Facebook just works. I have seen a lot of business owners try to move challenges into community platforms like Circle and Mighty Networks, and engagement seems to tank. Why? Because everyone is already hanging out on Facebook even though they don’t want to seem to admit it.
Create a pop-up group for your challenge and archive it. Everyone is there, we know how to work it, and even though people say they want to get off, in reality, we aren’t or we’re too lazy to click into yet another platform.
Don’t forget Facebook Ads too! When you aren’t in launch mode, you can use ads to find new audiences and grow your email list. When you are in launch mode, you can use Ads to get leads for your webinar or challenge and then retarget them if they don’t buy right away. Buyers needs multiple touch points before they buy and people can just get busy and forget. A retargeting ad could be that perfect reminder that they forgot to sign up.
Hello Audio
If you’ve been following me, you know I have been crushing on Hello Audio as one of my favorite tools for launching – or well, pretty much everything! Audio has become the new video, especially if your audience consists of moms (or anyone) who is on the go.
You can use this podcast-style format for mini-courses, challenges, and lead magnets. I recently used it to enhance my blog post and even built a Micro Audio Summit™.
That's It!
Pretty simple, huh? I bet you were surprised to see that you had almost all of my favorite tools for launching already! So all you need is your stellar idea all mapped out, your audience primed to buy, and a launch plan and you should be ready to go.
If you need support with Facebook Ads or Launch Strategy, you can learn more about my services here.
