As such you’ll no doubt want it to be a success (not least for your own financial reward), which means you’ll want to get exposure for it and make sure that people know about your product/invention. In order to make sales, you need to ensure that people are talking about it and excited for it.
Thus, you need to look for avenues for exposing your creation to the world and getting the maximum amount of attention for it. Fortunately, the web is just the thing. Here we will list some of the best ways to do that online and some of the most useful sites and online tools for promoting inventions and products.
Tech and Gadget Blogs
There are countless blogs and websites on the net that deal primarily with technology and gadgets, and many of these take a particular pleasure in writing about start-ups and crowdfunding successes. If you have a successful product then, one of the best ways to promote it is to release a mailing list and target those sites with your news. For the best chance of being successful, try to send your press releases before you release the product commercially. If there’s one site you particularly want to cover your story, try to give them the option of an exclusive. If you get coverage on one big site, other sites will pick up the story anyway.
Some good examples include: Trendhunter, Engadget, Wired, Mashable, TechCrunch, The Verge, Bit Rebels, Techaw, EtechMag, InventorSpot and Slashgear, though of course there are many more. You can also look at magazines and blogs for specific niches – for instance if your invention is for fishermen, then you might want to consider writing to fishing blogs. General news blogs may also be interested, particularly if you can find a more human angle for your story or if it is a local news site (if you’re an alumni of any education institutes you may be able to get onto some .edu sites too).
Other Sites
Of course there are many more ways you can gain exposure for your new release. For instance, if you are still in the early stages of development, then crowdfunding ites like Kickstarter or Indiegogo can be a great way to build buzz and gain exposure as well as to get the funding you need. If your project is already finished, consider adding a little polish and use a mall Kickstarter project to do so
Entrepreneurs and inventors can also gain exposure by using social media combined with a blog or site of their own. Sites like Blogger, WordPress or Livejournal will allow you to create and host a blog easily and free of charge. Create a blog where you can talk about the design and development process each step of the way, and you may be able to generate some followers and build some interest (this is also a good way to get more media coverage again). From here, you can then bring more people to your blog by Tweeting or posting on Facebook, Reddit or Google+. Even LinkedIn may be useful for some people as a way to connect with journalists and potential business partners. You could even consider using Google AdWords to advertise your site or to take viewers directly to a landing page/online store. Posting in forums is also a good strategy, particularly if you ask for feedback from your target audience and maybe give them access to an exclusive beta – exclusivity greatly increases desirability.
Be bold, put the time in, and don’t be afraid to occasionally pick up the phone. Once you get a few hits, you’ll find that your story snowballs…
