Content Marketing Strategies for Launches

If I was launching a brand on social media from scratch, here's my exact 90-day plan: Days 0-30: Foundation Building 1. I'd choose max TWO platforms to start - Instagram as my visual home base + community feature build and either TikTok (for faster growth potential) or LinkedIn (for B2B connections if relevant to my brand). Honestly, you could go hard on 1 and thrive! 2. Before posting anything, I'd create a content bible with: • visual themes that define aesthetic • 3-5 content pillars (behind-the-scenes, founder journey, educational content, customer spotlights, cultural commentary, etc. roll up to final offering) • Voice guidelines (how we talk about products, response style, storytelling approach) 3. I'd batch create 2 weeks of content upfront so I'm not bogged down, can maintain consistency, and stay ahead. 4. I'd identify 50 micro-influencers in my niche and engage with their content daily. Not just "cute!" comments but thoughtful responses that show I actually consumed their content. 5. I'd set up platform-specific lead captures: • Instagram + TikTok: Create a custom link tree with email signup (use in stories as well)  • LinkedIn: Create a PDF resource that solves a specific problem and reference it in posts (connect to dm) 6. I'd create a broadcast channel with updates, promos + bts content, even with just 10-20 people initially! Days 31-60: Community Building 1. I'd introduce a weekly Instagram Live series featuring founder talks, product highlights, and Q&A sessions. Daily Drills is a blueprint for this! 2. I'd launch a UGC campaign (if relevant) and repost everyone who participates. If UGC is challenging at this stage, I'd consider gifting products to nano-influencers to generate initial content. 3. I'd start a simple Substack newsletter that goes deeper than social posts, featuring: founder content, industry content, product content, community benefits I'd analyze which content performed best from the first 30 days and double down on those formats. When something works, keep it going. As Ernest Lupinacci says: "Simplify, then exaggerate." Days 61-90: Conversion Focus 1. I'd start incorporating more direct calls to action in content 2. I'd create a series highlighting real customers using the product to build social proof. 3. I'd host a virtual event (webinar, live tutorial, or industry discussion) specifically for email subscribers, driving social followers to join the list. Utilize lives on platforms (Substack, LinkedIn, wherever your audience is!) 4. I'd reach out to 5 publications + newsletters in my niche for potential features 5. I'd analyze the entire 90 days of data to create a refined strategy for the next quarter The goal by day 90 isn't massive follower counts - it's building the right foundation with the right people who will actually convert and champion your brand. Building on social takes consistency over flash. I'd rather have 1,000 highly engaged potential customers than 10,000 passive scrollers.

A lot of product marketers are told to “own the launch.” But what that really ends up looking like is a glorified checklist. This is a problem. A good product launch is a strategic GTM motion that builds internal alignment, drives external clarity, and supports real business goals. And recently, Natalie Marcotullio from Navattic shared a great launch, when they rolled out Launchpad, so I want to use it to walk you through what this looks like in practice. Here’s the 5-part launch framework I coach clients on, and how it played out for this example: 1️⃣ Strategic readiness This is the part most teams skip. Everyone’s eager to “go live,” but you’d be shocked at how many can’t answer basic questions like: --> Who is this product for? --> Why are we launching it now? --> What’s the pain point we’re solving, and how do we know? This can happen a lot when PMs are under pressure to launch sooner before the product is ready (and are sucked into the build trap). What Navattic did: In Q4 and Q1, a small group of co-founders and sales reps quietly built and validated Launchpad. While marketing was not involved here, the product side ensured that this step was done. 2️⃣ Positioning & messaging Great messaging starts from the synthesis of real insights… and then ties a human story to it. What Navattic did: Natali pulled real call recordings, identified patterns, and built messaging around them. She also interviewed Navattic’s CEO about his time as an SE, grounding the narrative in the emotional reality of the demo treadmill Launchpad is designed to solve. 3️⃣ External promotion strategy Promotion should be treated as a marketing campaign, not a to-do list. Start with a clear theme or big idea. Then choose your channels and sequence intentionally based on how your audience actually buys. What Navattic did: In Q2, they quietly added Launchpad to the pricing page and iterated the copy 3–4 times. They ran lead gen through high-intent channels like SE conferences, LinkedIn, Google, and even AEO (ChatGPT and Perplexity). When launch day came, they focused on channels that mattered, like their trusted advisors and loyal customers who love them. 4️⃣ Internal enablement This is the final (and often most overlooked) step: making sure everyone inside the company understands the story and can retell it, through both documentation and training. What Navattic did: Natalie enabled everyone early: field teams, partners, even advisors. I got a detailed launch brief two weeks in advance, so I had the full context to speak confidently to my network. 5️⃣ Communications  Of course, a good launch also requires great communication and coordination throughout the entire process. Check out the post on this in the comments. ---- Ultimately, the key takeaway is that a great launch is STRATEGY-focused, not just tactical. ❓ What's the most important thing for you when launching major products? #productmarketing #launch #gtm #advising #coaching

Some brands make a huge splash with every new product launch, while others barely make a peep! I wanted to break down HOW to launch with a bang. A brand that has been crushing product launches is Lemme, a vitamin brand by Kourtney Kardashian and Simon Huck. When I worked with Simon on launching JUDY, I saw firsthand how he could get everyone talking. Influencers, press outlets, CNN, VOGUE, etc., would all rave about anything JUDY launched. At Sharma Brands, we aim for the same impact with our clients. When The Skinny Confidential mouth tape sold out in 2 hours (twice!), it wasn’t by accident. We strategically build product launches to be big brand moments. It’s an omnichannel play and a non-invasive way to make noise, get attention, and let more people know who you are. Here’s how to make your product launch a big deal: 1️⃣ On Your Website: • Update Banners: Feature the new product prominently above the fold. • Collections Page: Make it the first product that shows up with a NEW badge. Slide-Out Cart: Prioritize the new product as the first upsell. • On-Site Pop-Up: Highlight the new product in pop-ups. • Enhanced PDP Modules: Explain what the product does, how it works, what's in the box, usage instructions, setup, and FAQs. • Pre-Launch Sale: Direct your best customers to a dedicated landing page for early access. 2️⃣In Your Ad Campaigns: • Ad Creative: Create ads that specifically call out the new product, show it in use, and highlight its benefits. • Video Reviews: Compile video reviews from VIP customers or content creators in advance. 3️⃣With Email and SMS: • Pre-Launch Teasers: Send teasers to your best customers to generate excitement and early purchases. • Launch Emails: Send 1 email per day for the first 3 days of the launch, excluding previous purchasers. Offer a VIP discount or early-bird special to your top customers. • Launch SMS: Notify your list on launch day and send follow-up texts based on engagement. • Sold Out Strategy: Prepare a SOLD OUT! email and SMS to capture interest for restock notifications. 4️⃣On Organic Social: • Pinned Posts: Take over the top 3 posts with new pinned posts highlighting the product launch. • Profile Highlights: Add a highlight that showcases the product, unboxing, features, and benefits. • High-Intent Funnels: Treat Instagram and TikTok profiles as high-intent funnels. 5️⃣Product Tease and Sell-Out: • Teaser Content: Generate excitement leading up to the launch with engaging teaser content. • Sell-Out Plan: Prepare for high demand. Have a version of the PDP ready to collect emails and numbers for restock notifications. 6️⃣Keep Your Tech Top-Tier: Ensure all tech elements, including subscriptions, reviews, back-in-stock notifiers, email pop-ups, slide-out carts, upsells, and tracking pixels, are functioning smoothly. What else would you add to this? Lmk in the comments! 👇

Something that drives me insane in SaaS marketing: How many companies fumble a massive opportunity to generate hype and distribution for product or feature launches. This stops now. Here’s a 5-point checklist of everything you need to have dialed to get the most out of your launches on social: (1) Pre-launch content You should be hyping up the launch for ~1-2 weeks prior. The bigger the launch (i.e. an entire new product versus a feature update) the longer the pre-launch content should be in rotation. Tease the new launch. Create educational content around it. Find ways to engage your ICP. (2) Launch content This is the core. Have some sort of launch post(s) go out on the day of. This should come from both the founder and the company accounts. As we’ve seen with Airbnb’s Brian Chesky and OpenAI’s Sam Altman—founder-led content during launches is the way to go. But, you should also have something go out from your company account. Both matter. (3) Post-launch content This is where most companies fumble. The launch content should not end after the ‘launch post’ hits the timeline. Extend the hype for 1-2wks beyond launch date. Highlight use cases. Showcase customer stories. Make sure the people who may have missed the original post can’t possibly miss the launch. (4) Launch-adjacent content ‘Launch content’ isn’t just feature highlight GIFs and hard CTAs. Create content that is around a topic related to the product, but not always hard selling the product. For example: if you're an email marketing SaaS getting into SMS marketing, you’ll want to post more stuff around SMS (that isn’t only the product launch announcement). (5) Influencer amplification A) Have influencers & investors engage with the key launch posts when they go live B) Have your team engage with the key launch posts when they go live You want to give the launch content the absolute best chance at high performance that you can. Getting the post initial momentum using your connections tends to help with that. Oh. One more thing. Shoot to have a timeline that allows you to prep this stuff. It’s not always going to be feasible, I get it. But if you can give your content team a 1-2 week heads up versus a 1-2 hour heads up … I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the outcome. PS: If this was helpful, hit repost so more B2B marketers can see this.

Just dropped a new video breaking down the exact product launch strategy we’ve used to help DTC brands absolutely crush 5- and 6-figure launch days. Not theory. Not hype. Real strategy we’ve executed across a bunch of Shopify/Klaviyo brands—and it works. Here’s the high-level playbook: 1.) Build the funnel before you even mention the product. A clean landing page. Clear offer. One job: capture warm leads and pre-segment your buyers. 2.) Drop a teaser 2 weeks out. No vague “something new is coming.” You create urgency: “5,000 units. 25,000 people on this list. If you want it, sign up now.” 3.) Segment ruthlessly. Clicks = intent. Use Klaviyo to build a launch-only list that gets priority access. These people are your money-makers. 4.) 7 days out: build social proof. Testimonials, influencer UGC, past reviews—stack trust. Get people excited and expecting a sellout. 5.) 3 days out: calendar invites. Most brands miss this. Let people add your launch to their calendar. It’s free mental real estate. 6.) 24 hours out: max out the hype. Countdown timer. Limited units. Time zone reminders. You want people refreshing the page. 7.) Launch day = all gas, no brakes. Hit your warmest list first. Then roll it out to the rest. Use email + SMS. If you’re not sold out in 6 hours, hit the rest of your list with “We’re almost out.” 8.) Post-launch: ride the hype. Don’t go quiet. If you sold out, follow up with a secondary offer (free shipping, evergreen discount, early access to the next drop). Keep the momentum going. A good launch doesn’t just sell products—it creates an event. It builds brand energy, pulls in revenue, and gives your audience something to rally around. We don’t run this playbook every month—because the power is in the scarcity. Once a quarter is the sweet spot. When done right, the strategy that can add tens (or hundreds) of thousands in revenue. Let me know what you think of the video, and have you ran a product launch strategy similar to this, how did it go?

You don't need more content. You need better content - repurposed smarter. Most marketers create a big splash around a single content piece—a research report, a whitepaper, or a deep-dive guide. But after the initial launch? It sits there, collecting dust. Instead that one research report broken down into multiple assets can feed your marketing program for months: 🔹 Blog Series – Turn each section into a blog post. 🔹 Social Media Posts – Extract key insights, charts, and takeaways to create a series of LinkedIn, Twitter, and Reddit posts. You can use the same posts as ads. 🔹 Email Drip Campaign – Share each section as an email series to your newsletter 🔹 Retargeting Campaign – Run ads using snippets from the content, then drive traffic back to the full report. 🔹 Webinar or Podcast Series – Host discussions with experts around the report’s findings. 🔹 Short-Form Video Clips – Summarize key insights in quick, digestible video content for LinkedIn, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts. You can then layer in all kinds of growth loops on top of each of these tactics. Having ea ch of them feed into the other. The best content strategy isn’t about creating more content.

If I was launching your next product, here's the plan I would follow: It would take 16 weeks acceleratedl and I'd ignore anyone pushing for shortcuts. Most launches sputter and fail to meet expectations because teams get distracted by things like launch parties while skipping the boring-but-critical groundwork. Pulling off a successful launch means paying attention to EVERY detail. Over the years, I've built and refined this framework across dozens of launches. This is a high level version of my playbook. 1. MARKET ANALYSIS Analyze your target landscape thoroughly before designing a single asset. I've watched too many brands jump into creative work without understanding who they're competing against or why their product matters. 2. SALES ENABLEMENT Give your sales team the tools they actually need - not just pretty slides, but things like pre-sales materials, product knowledge training and objection guides for buyers and a compliant buyer sampling cadence. 3. RETAIL PARTNERSHIPS Sort out your shelf displays, merchandising units, and pricing strategy early. The physical pieces have long lead times - a reality that hits many brands in a panic three weeks before launch. 4. DIGITAL PRESENCE Make sure your product detaills; photography, naming conventions are consistent and compelling across Weedmaps Jane Technologies, Inc. , Leafly and your own platforms. There are a few SEO tricks too. I'm amazed how many brands mess this up. 5. EDUCATION PROGRAM Your budtenders make or break your launch. Create training modules on Seed Talent and SparkPlug they'll remember and incentive programs that actually motivate them to recommend your product. 6. CONSUMER JOURNEY Map out every single touchpoint from first impression to post-purchase. Each one needs to reinforce your key message and move consumers along a clear path. 7. AMPLIFICATION Get your social and PR engines running in a way that creates momentum your sales team can leverage when talking to buyers. I have a painfully detailed 16-week launch spreadsheet that maps every deliverable, deadline, and responsibility. I’ve been building on this and refining it for years. Those "boring details" everyone rolls their eyes at - UPC codes, compliance updates, inventory forecasting - usually determine whether you succeed or fail. What pieces are you pulling together for your next launch, and how far ahead have you started?

You raised some money. Secured a new partner. Have a major launch coming up...now what? Don't rely on your PR agency alone to get the word out (too many companies make this mistake). Traditional media is just one part of the work. 1. Media relations & press release - just the facts. This is your official record that shows up on your Crunchbase profile. Avoid getting all vision-y. How much did you raise? From who? Any new board members? What are you doing with the $$? 2. CEO blog post - this is your vision, your place to say how you see the space evolving and why it matters. Be detailed! Write a manifesto if you want to. You'll link to this from the blog post, but it's your time to talk to power users, future employees, and partners. (Bonus points for getting your CEO in front of a camera to record a 1-2 minute recap of the blog post) 3. Website - get your website in order. Tidy up homepage messaging. Add a banner bar to point to your blog post or press coverage. Build out new, must-have pages. Make sure all new job reqs are listed because you're about to get new eyeballs on your site. 4. Social activation - help your internal team and investors share the news! Create nice looking assets (ex: founder photo, slideshow, product screenshots, promo video) and put them in a single Google Drive. Write some stock social copy for the lazy to use and provide prompts for people who want to get a little more creative. Don't forget to create your run of show that details exactly who is doing what and when. Check it off as things go live on launch day. ...should we next talk about keeping the momentum going after launch? Have fun! 🥂

A mistake I see earlier-stage startups make - they pour their energy into launch day but forget about the weeks that follow. If you have a major announcement coming up, make a plan to keep the momentum going: 👉 Plan a month’s worth of post-launch content reinforcing the launch message (testimonials, product images or demos, behind the scenes, how-tos) 👉 Plan an event (demo webinar, AMA with executives, panel discussion) Plan ongoing outreach (proprietary data, exclusive exec interviews, smaller feature release, partnership news) Get creative and create some rolling thunder to stay top of mind for your customers.