Why Marketing Your Invention is Crucial
You have your idea, have gone through the patent office, have made and adjusted your prototype, and have your invention going through production. Congrats! You’re an inventor! Unfortunately, this is where the real work comes into practice. Coming up with an idea and making the product is half the battle. Now you have to MARKET your product to the world. But how? Where do you even start? How do you commercialize and share your idea with the rest of the world? Unfortunately, many do not think about their ideas beyond the making of the product, and when it comes to selling it, they’re a little lost.
That’s where we come in. This part is where tact, experience, and a lot of patience come in. Unless you’re a slam dunk product, it can take a lot of time to get the recognition from buyers, especially if you’re just starting out. Firstly, you need to look at packaging. Is it easy to store on a shelf or hook? Does it have commercial appeal? What parts of the product do you want the buyer to know about it? How is it different? We look at market trends to best determine this. You might be a successful doctor, scientist, teacher, or researcher, but chances are – you don’t know much about the marketing world. That’s okay! It’s very rare to be good at every single thing and you shouldn’t be expected to do it all. It definitely takes a village of experienced inventor experts (much like ourselves!)
The important thing to note is that inventions don’t just sell themselves, and in the world of marketing, the internet is the epicenter of it. Putting your best visual foot forward is the first step into getting your packaging and look to the right audiences. The internet is riddled with ads, but if you can narrow down the usage to the prospective buyer, you are already leaps and bounds of the guy who’s trying to go it on his own. You want your audience to be involved, engaged, and in NEED of this product. Steve Jobs was the master of selling interest in Apple products. Having 1,000 songs that could fit in your pocket – now that’s a sell that any music lover can get behind.
Next, you want to create a sell sheet. This will basically be a one page advertisement for your product. You want to include a brief summary at the top, along with the name of the product. Next, you want a clear and enticing photo of just the product, and then of it in use. Then you want to list the features. Is it waterproof? Does it boast a steel frame, or have rubber grip handles? If you are too close, showing others and asking if they get it will be beneficial. This is an entire summary of what it can do.
Next, you want to include a video. Typically you don’t want it to be too long. Usually 1-4 mins. We recommend hiring someone (ahem!) to do your video for you. If it looks homemade and cheap, what can they expect from the quality of the product? Following this, you want a home for the video to live in. A website! This will host additional, deeper information about the product, and include an e-commerce platform on which to sell it.
Now, can you do this on your own? Sure. But we cannot determine the success of it. We have been in the business for 30 years, and we know what makes consumers tick. There are no short cuts, or easier ways of getting someone to magically buy your idea. The key is hard work, and a little help from your friends.
Interested? Fill out our FREE no-obligation consultation online now!