How to run a product launch: launch marketing by stages

A product launch isn't "put it on sale and wait." A strong launch is planned like a wave: interest builds in advance, fires on day one, and is retained afterward. Let's break it down by stages.

The principle: sales begin before the start

The main mistake is starting promotion on launch day. By the moment of the start, the audience should already be "on fire." The warm-up is half a launch's success.

Stage 1. Warm-up (before the launch)

• Teasers and intrigue — hints at the novelty, "coming soon."
• Content about the problem the product solves.
• Gathering a "waitlist" — those who'll buy first (a lead magnet, early access).
• Creators and seeding — building awareness and buzz in advance.
• FOMO — "quantity is limited," "for the first ones only."

Stage 2. Launch (the start day)

• A powerful start — a concentrated wave of content and activations in one period.
• Special conditions for the first — a bonus, price, exclusive.
• Creators in sync — the "everyone's talking about it" effect.
• A clear path to purchase — no friction.

Stage 3. Peak and support

• Social proof — first purchases, reviews, "selling out."
• Warming up the undecided — answers to objections, a deadline.
• UGC — content from the first buyers.

Stage 4. After the launch

• Retention — turn buyers into regulars (see churn, LTV).
• Analysis — what worked, what didn't → conclusions for the next launch.
• Transition to "steady sales" — the launch ended, the product remains.

What to avoid

• A start with no warm-up — "silence" on launch day.
• Being stretched out with no peak — no event effect.
• Forgetting about retention — energy dumped into one day.

Takeaway

A product launch = warm-up (building interest) → a powerful start → a peak with proof → retention. Sales begin before the start, not on the day. We help plan and run launches with reach, creators and buzz.