The alert will sound at exactly 3:00pm on Sunday, 7 September , 2025…

An alarm bell will be automatically triggered on the mobile phones of 87 million people in the UK.

If you have a mobile phone, then chances are you’ll be one of them.

You see, the UK government has just announced its second ever national Emergency Alert test.

It will come in the form of a loud, 10‑second siren that blares from every 4G and 5G phone on Sunday, September 7th.

The system is designed for extreme scenarios, including major storms, floods, unexploded second world war bombs, invasion threats and mass civil unrest…

For example, it was triggered for over 3 million mobile phones when Storm Darragh hit Wales and the South West of England in December 2024,

In this forthcoming test, around 87 million mobile devices right across the British Isles will be affected…

A few might panic, that’s for sure.

However, the alarm will be accompanied by a message making it clear that the alert is only a test.

And that’s not the only thing the government is doing to prepare the masses….

In advance, they’re planning a public awareness campaign to ensure that as many of the 87 million people as possible will know when it is taking place – and why.

Not only that, the government will prepare smaller sub-sections of people for the alarm who might really need to know about it in advance.

For instance, those who have secret mobile phones hidden from abusive partners.

Anyway, this got me thinking about marketing…

Because this is actually a very good lesson in getting ANY product or service out there into a crowded internet – and making sure that your unique message is understood.

In fact, we can take a few things from this…

1. Create An Event

A lot of people create a new product or service without making a big deal of it.

They might upload a digital product to an ecommerce site, then hope for sales to come in….

Or they might set up an information service and start advertising it on social media.

Same goes for when people decide to make a special offer (a discount, free trial, bonus package or bundle) – they just mark-up the offer on the sales page or product listing and hope it lifts the response when people come to it.

All fine.

But as a newcomer, this presents a challenge, because you’re instantly trying to enter a fast and ferocious river of existing products, services and special offers.

Most of these have been created by people who’ve already established a presence online with loyal followers and customers… or who have big marketing budgets.

So what can you do to make yourself heard in the roaring torrent of messages?

Make your launch an event.

Set a specific date for your launch or special offer, like the government has done with its Emergency Alert, and give it some urgency.

That might include any – or all – of the following…

• It’s new and never seen before in the UK
• It’s a unique offering that you won’t get anywhere else.
• It is available only for a limited time after the launch date
• It will be at a once-only low price for a limited period.
• It will only be available to a specific number of people on a first, come-first served basis.
• There are only X number of copies or places.
• On the launch day there will be special bonuses that have fantastic benefits.

Bear in mind, this doesn’t only apply to actual ‘events’ like webinars, seminars, courses and online coaching.

It can apply to eBooks, membership sites, digital downloads, print-on-demand products, you name it.

Because the event can be the launch day (and a specific period after) of any product or service.

Once you’ve ‘set the alarm’ like this, you can take another leaf out of the government’s book.

2. Have a Clear Message

There needs to be a clear reason ‘why’ you are launching a product, just as the government needs to be clear about what their emergency alarm is for, and why they are testing it.

For example, let’s say you’ve created a new product or service that’s launching on a specific day…

You need to be clear on why you’ve done it.

Examples include…

• You have spotted a common problem that needs fixing or overcoming.
• There is a specific goal which you are helping your target audience to achieve.
• Nobody else in the UK or even globally, is doing this – or doing it in the way that you are going to do it.
• You are uniquely placed to offer this product or service because of your personal/professional background.
• An event happened to you, which has given you the idea or the impetus to create this.
• There is a social cause or public need that you want to help with.
• You have identified a group of people who are underserved or poorly served when it comes to their goals and problems.

In some cases you might include All of these to create a powerful and compelling marketing message.

Same goes for a special offer…

You need to be clear on why you’re doing this now, of all times.

For example…

• You’re timing the offer to coincide with a specific season, holiday, or event, where your product has extra relevance.
• You want to give more people access who might not usually get the chance
• You are celebrating a milestone in your life, or business
• You are about to close a service, increase the price, or make it private.
• You’re come into possession of some materials, or new information, that you urgently want to share.
• You want to get some people on board to try something out, so that you can get feedback.

In all cases, you need to be clear about what this will mean for customers in terms of the BENEFITS they’ll get.

Naturally, this depends on the target audience and the specific product you’re offering but think in terms of how you will help improve their lives, even if it’s in a small way.

For instance, helping your target audience:-

• Avoid or reduce physical pain and discomfort
• Avoid or reduce mental distress
• Enjoy life more and do the things they most want to do.
• Save or make money to give themselves less pressure and more freedom
• Feel more confident, proud and fulfilled
• Boost their skills so they’re more employable and independent.
• Express themselves creatively
• Make new friends and contacts
• Become more productive, more motivated, and more successful.

The more you can connect your product – however small and humble – with big life outcomes, the more impact your message will have.
Finally…

3. Build Anticipation

Just as the government has started a big publicity campaign in the run-up to the Emergency Test, you need to carry out a pre-launch campaign.

The aim is to:

A) Let as many of your target audience know about the event as possible

B) Get the message across clearly so that people know why they need to pay attention and what’s at stake.

To do this, make sure you leave enough time in advance – I’d say a month is good, but it will depend on your product and how you are set up to reach people.

If you already have customers, subscribers or social media followers, then obviously you have a head start.

You can launch a warm up campaign via your existing channels, using multiple messages.

For example blog posts, emails, posts, direct messages, webinars, videos…

One really good technique is to get subscribers and followers onto an invitation-only list, or an ‘advance invitation’ list.

This way you can gather the most interested people, and market your launch event directly via a series of emails.

However, if you’re starting from scratch or you need to reach out to many more people than on your existing channels and lists, then consider some of the following:

• Distribute a press release to the media (mass media, local media or websites and publications relevant to your subject matter)
• Make a video, or write a free report, that delivers a little piece of useful content aimed at your target audience, which you can put online as a ‘lead magnet’.
• Set up a Facebook page and sponsored posts targeted at your audience, pushing them to an invitation email list, a webinar or a free report.
• Create a website (if you haven’t already) where you can post news and updates that are shareable on social media, and through which you can collect email addresses.
• Offer free articles, interviews and podcast appearances to sites and services your target audience might be checking out.

Remember, you should be aiming for a niche crowd, not the general masses, so you don’t need to build huge followings or get national coverage.

So in summary…

‘The Siren Principle’

If you have a big message to share, it’s worth thinking about the principle behind the Emergency Siren.

Always plan an important message well in advance.

Give it a date and some urgency.

Be clear about why you are doing it and why it’s important for your target customer.

Then do everything you can to build up anticipation so that they’re ready and waiting when it’s time to launch.

If you’d like to know more about this, please reply to this email.

Perhaps you have a new product in the pipeline?

Or maybe you have an idea for a service but you’re worried about finding customers?

It might even be that you created something recently but haven’t found a way to get the message out to potential buyers.

If so, let me know!