7 Pre-Launch Marketing Strategies to Amplify Your Product's Impact

The old adage "if you build it, they will come" no longer holds true in today’s buying space.

Simply put, businesses now rely on creating buzz, generating anticipation, and laying the groundwork before a successful product debut.

And the cheat code? Driving relevant virality.  

But pre-launch marketing is more than just virality. It’s a strategic approach to building awareness, validating your product, and building an audience before your official launch. 

You can then save time on post-launch efforts, refine your unique selling proposition (USP), and conduct ideal customer profile (ICP) research.

In this article, we'll explore eight powerful pre-launch marketing strategies that can help you build momentum, engage your target audience, and set the stage for a successful product launch. 

Why use pre-launch marketing strategies?

Pre-launch is more about laying the groundwork for success. Think of it as preparing the soil before planting your product seed. Here's why it matters:

• Builds awareness: Get people talking about your product before it even hits the shelves
• Validates your idea: So you know that your product “solves” an issue and helps you gather feedback to refine your offering
• Refine your unique selling proposition (USP): So you're not just throwing spaghetti at the wall to see what sticks
• Saves time post-launch: Hit the ground running, and get a head start on customer acquisition

Since you’re not introducing your product at this stage but rather increasing buzz and magnifying opportunity, consider this: build awareness of the problem you’re solving and why your solution is valuable. 

And then, put these strategies into action.

7 Pre-Launch Marketing Ideas for Your Next Launch

1. Offer Time Limited Incentives and Discounts

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Want to fill seats fast? Nothing motivates potential attendees quite like a ticking clock. Ahrefs masterfully employed this strategy for their Evolve conference in Singapore.

By providing early-bird specials, limited-time offers, or exclusive access to those who sign up before the launch, you create a sense of exclusivity and urgency.

Example: Ahrefs Evolve offered early bird tickets at a significant discount until August 1st, with the event scheduled for September. This created a sense of urgency and rewarded quick decision-makers.

What they did:

• Early bird tickets priced at $570, nearly half the cost of comparable conferences
• Clear deadline (August 1st) to drive timely decisions
• Full-value proposition outlined, including world-class speakers, 5-star venue, and networking opportunities

Tips:

• Emphasize the exclusive nature of the offer ("limited spots available")
• Highlight the savings compared to regular prices
• Create tiered incentives (e.g., bigger discounts for earlier sign-ups) and if possible, offer exclusive features or content to early adopters
• Provide a limited number of spots to create scarcity. Sometimes, FOMO can be a powerful motivator.

2. Create Landing Pages for Lead Collection

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Think of your landing page as your digital storefront, even when your product isn't released yet. That's why your landing page should clearly communicate your product's value proposition, showcase any incentives or bonuses, and make it easy for visitors to sign up.

A well-designed landing page captures high-intent leads that you can leverage in multiple ways. These leads are primed for action, whether it's joining a waitlist, scheduling a demo, or being notified when your product launches. 

You can then retarget these engaged prospects, nurture them through personalized campaigns, or fast-track them to your sales team. 

This way, you make the most of every visitor who shows interest and the hype you create pre-launch, setting the stage for a successful product launch later on.

Example: 

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Not to toot our own horn, but Storylane's pre-launch marketing for the 'DemoHub' feature led to impressive results. 

By focusing on building anticipation, creating engaging content, and leveraging interactive demos, we saw over 700 company sign-ups on our waitlist, garnered over half a million impressions, and saw a 33% increase in brand name searches on Google. 

As a part of the pre-launch marketing strategy, we also:

• Started with a month-long teaser campaign to build anticipation
• Partnered with popular B2B creators on LinkedIn for attention-grabbing video content
• Sent personalized swag boxes were sent to advocates, timed to arrive 1-2 weeks before the event
• Used a QR code during the live event for attendees to "try" DemoHub immediately

Not only did we nail the waitlist approach, but we also phased out interactive demos for people to try out after the DemoHub launch. The initial waitlist created buzz and allowed for lead collection. Once launched, the interactive demo became a powerful conversion tool. 

It’s also an emphasis on why interactive demos work as an effective strategy because:

• It offers a "try before you buy" experience, reducing hesitation for potential users.
• The demos' versatility allowed them to be used during the live event of the product launch, as well as on the landing page post-launch 
• The demos highlight the new feature's USP, such as the ability to curate personalized DemoHubs and the option to add a CTA for conversions.

In fact, you can create a demo in under 10 minutes using Storylane to showcase your product or for your next pre-launch marketing campaign

Here’s how it works:

Try creating one for free or book a demo with Storylane. 

Key elements to include on your waitlist landing page:

• Compelling headline and brief product description
• Strong call-to-action for both demo and sign-up
• Eye-catching visuals or videos
• Bonus: Prominent, easy-to-use interactive demos

Also read: 10 Awesome Interactive Demo Examples

3. Create Teaser Content

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Teaser content is a powerful way to build anticipation for your product launch. Give your audience just enough to pique their curiosity without revealing your product.

By revealing just enough information to generate interest without giving everything away, you can keep your audience engaged and eager to learn more.

Example:

The landing page for OpenAI's SearchGPT prototype serves as an effective pre-launch marketing strategy, using teaser content and a waitlist button. 

• There is a clear value proposition, and via teaser videos, the page explains the purpose of SearchGPT, highlighting its ability to provide fast, timely answers from relevant sources. 
• By inviting users to sign up for a waitlist, OpenAI creates a sense of exclusivity and anticipation. 
• The waitlist button also serves as a lead generation tool, allowing OpenAI to collect contact information from interested users. 
• The waitlist creates urgency by initially making the prototype available to a small group. 

Types of teaser content:

• Behind-the-scenes videos of product development
• Sneak peek images or short video clips
• Interactive demos or product previews
• Email teasers with progressively revealing information

4. Use Social Media to Create Hype

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If it’s not on social, did it even happen?

Social media platforms can be a great way to create buzz around your upcoming product launch. 

Based on the type of product and which platform your audience is on, use videos, images, stories or go live to keep your audience excited and involved in the pre-launch process.

Example: Loops effectively used Twitter and Product Hunt throughout their pre-launch campaign. 

Using ProductHunt and Twitter, they offered startups a chance to appear on a Times Square billboard which they had rented out. They then used this information to build their email list with potential customers. They also created "golden ticket" digital invites for early access that users eagerly shared on Twitter. 

Ultimately, they leveraged these strategies and their existing user base to finally launch on Product Hunt. The result? They achieved #1 Product of the Day and Week, thanks to the audience they had already built.

What Loop did well:

• Long-term approach (planned, longer duration of pre-launch activities)
• Focus on building a strong waitlist and early access program
• Consistent use of social proof and user-generated content
• Creative marketing tactics to generate buzz
• Validation of product-market fit before the official launch

Other Social media strategies to use:

• Create a unique hashtag for your launch
• Run contests or giveaways to encourage user-generated content
• Share countdown posts as you approach launch day
• Go live to answer questions or provide sneak peeks

5. Attend Tradeshow Events

Tradeshows aren't just for collecting branded pens and stress balls (though those are nice too).

They're goldmines for face-to-face interactions and opportunities to showcase your upcoming product to a targeted audience. 

Since prospects are often at the research phase of the buyer’s journey at these events, companies can use countdown timers, provide samplers, help them trial products, and conduct pre-launch marketing to convey their unique value and stand out. 

In fact, strategies such as using interactive demos can make it easier for people to interact with the product before it goes live and provide feedback as well. 

Example: While not exclusively for pre-launch marketing, SentinelOne used Storylane to engage attendees better by interactively showcasing the capabilities of its cybersecurity solutions at events.

"We struggled in digital experience as we do not offer a free trial, so we looked around for a solution that could help fill that gap in the buyer's journey. Storylane product tours helped us with demand generation, events, and sales enablement." 

• Jeremy Goldstein, Senior Product Marketing Manager

It's like giving attendees a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book, but for B2B software – making it engaging and memorable.

With a strong team presence and an enhanced booth setup, SentinelOne intends to continue using Storylane to boost its event pipeline year on year.

Key tactics for pre-launch marketing at tradeshows:

• Host giveaways or contests at your booth
• Offer exclusive previews or demos of your new product
• Collect email addresses for follow-up communications
• Provide branded merchandise to increase visibility
• Network with industry influencers and potential partners

6. Collaborate with Influencers

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Influencer collaborations can significantly amplify your pre-launch marketing efforts. It's like having a team of digital cheerleaders, each with their own stadium of fans!

That's essentially what influencer collaborations do for your pre-launch marketing. It's not just about reaching more people; it's about reaching the right people through voices they trust.

Example: Take the Apple Vision Pro. They didn't just show off their shiny new toy; rather, they masterfully used influencer marketing for the pre-launch:

• Tech influencers like MKBHD got VIP access at WWDC 
• Press and influencers got hands-on time, but with a twist - limited video footage (because nothing builds hype like a little mystery)
• VR/AR experts were brought in to geek out over the cool features 
• Select media outlets got exclusive demos (creating a "golden ticket" vibe)

The result? A pre-launch buzz made louder, thanks to influencer marketing.

Influencer collaboration ideas:

• Exclusive sneak peeks: Give influencers first dibs on trying your product
• Co-create content: Team up to showcase your product's coolest features
• Live Q&As: Host virtual "Ask me anything" sessions about your upcoming launch
• Behind-the-scenes access: Let influencers peek behind the curtain of your development process
• Collaborative tutorials: Work together on guides that make your product shine

Remember, even tech giants like Apple know the value of a good influencer strategy.

It's not about having the biggest megaphone; it's about finding the right voices to amplify your message.

By carefully choosing your influencer partners and controlling the flow of information, you can create a pre-launch campaign that has your target audience counting down the days until the product launch.

7. Create an Organic Content Calendar

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Consistency is key, especially with organic content. With the right reach, you can keep your audience more hooked onto your product release than a binge-worthy Netflix series.

This strategy helps you maintain momentum, educate your audience, and build anticipation in a structured way.

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Example: Slack introduced Canvas recently, and used an organic strategy for their pre launch marketing. They published blog posts explaining the new feature and it’s benefits, hosted webinars to show the features and educate users and used social media channels such as Twitter and Youtube to promote Canvas. 

They shared teasers and snippets of Canvas features. Used the hashtag #SlackCanvas to create a conversation around the new feature.

Slack's pre-launch strategy for Canvas uses a multi-channel organic approach, combining content marketing (blog posts), live demonstrations (webinars), community engagement, and social media. 

Tips for your pre-launch content strategy:

• Blog posts addressing pain points your product solves
• Repurpose content across different platforms (e.g., turn blog posts into social media graphics)
• Educational videos about your industry or product category
• FAQ series answering common questions about your product or launch
•  Use SEO best practices to improve visibility in search results

The Pre-Launch Playbook: A Quick Guide

• Tease with a Waitlist: Before anything else, see if people are actually interested. It's like dipping your toe in the water before diving in.
• Craft Your Message: Nail down your sales pitch and design a landing page that creates buzz and improves CTR
• Launch to Fans, Not Crickets: Start developing pre-launch interest as early as possible to maximize launch impact. That way, you roll out your product to an audience that's excited, not confused
• Keep It Exclusive: Limit spots to stoke demand and ensure you can deliver on your promises
• Gather Feedback: Get the dirt on what your audience really needs and details on what can make your product better  

Wrapping up

Put simply, the key to effective pre-launch marketing is providing value, engaging your audience, and creating a sense of excitement around your upcoming product.

As you prepare your launch, consider adding interactive demos into the mix. With Storylane, you can create engaging, interactive product demos that allow potential customers to experience your product's value firsthand, even before it's officially launched.

Embed your demos on landing pages, share via email, or use them in social media campaigns to provide a sneak peek of your product’s functionality.

The result? Hands-on experience for users, better engagement, understanding of your product's value proposition, ultimately leading to higher conversion rates when you launch.

Create your first interactive demo in under 10 minutes today, with Storylane. Start free or book a demo!