Pre-Launch Marketing Checklist
Don't launch without checking every box. This checklist covers everything from positioning to your launch day plan - so nothing gets missed.
Define your target customer in one sentence
"[Product] helps [specific person] who struggles with [specific problem]." If you can't fill this in clearly, you're not ready to launch.
Write your value proposition (homepage H1)
This is the most important sentence on your website. Test it with 5 people - can they immediately understand what your product does?
Create a landing page with email capture
Before launch, capture emails from interested people. Even 50 emails on launch day is powerful.
Set up your social media profiles
At minimum: X/Twitter and LinkedIn. Complete profile with photo, bio, and pinned content.
Write 10 tweets about the problem you solve
Start talking about the problem space before mentioning your solution. Build audience curiosity.
Prepare your Product Hunt listing
Write your tagline, description, and prepare 3-5 screenshots or a demo video.
Build a launch email sequence
3 emails: teaser (1 week before), launch day announcement, follow-up (day after).
Create comparison pages for top 3 competitors
"[Product] vs [Competitor]" pages capture high-intent search traffic from day one.
Set up basic analytics
Google Analytics or Plausible. You need to measure traffic sources from day one.
Prepare your launch day tweet/thread
Write it in advance. Include: what it does, who it's for, link, and a specific ask (retweet, try it, feedback).
Identify 20 people to DM on launch day
Friends, founder communities, beta testers. Personal outreach is the highest-conversion launch tactic.
Join 5 relevant communities
Slack groups, Discord servers, Reddit subreddits, Indie Hackers. Be a member before you promote.
Create a "How it works" video or GIF
30-60 seconds showing your product solving the core problem. Embed on landing page and use in tweets.
Write your first blog post
Topic: the problem your product solves. SEO-optimized. This starts your content marketing engine.
Set up email infrastructure
Verify your domain (SPF, DKIM, DMARC). Choose your email provider. Create your welcome email.
Collect 3-5 beta testimonials
Even informal feedback from beta testers counts. Get written permission to use quotes.
Prepare a press/blogger outreach list
10-20 relevant bloggers, newsletter writers, or journalists who cover your space.
Set up social proof elements
User count, testimonials, logos, or trust badges on your landing page.
Create an FAQ section
Answer the top 5 questions prospects will have. Reduces friction and support load.
Schedule launch day posts across all platforms
Pre-schedule your launch announcements for X, LinkedIn, and any other platforms you're on.
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