launch

Use the five-phase launch approach: Internal testing, Alpha with external users, Beta with broader access, Early Access expansion, then Full Launch. Map each phase to your timeline and assign tactics across owned, rented, and borrowed channels.

Prepare 2-4 weeks ahead by optimizing your tagline, visuals, and demo video, and building supporter relationships. On launch day, respond to every comment, engage all day, and direct traffic to your site to capture email signups.

ORB stands for Owned, Rented, and Borrowed channels. Owned channels like email lists compound over time, rented channels like social media provide speed, and borrowed channels like partnerships give instant credibility. All should funnel back to owned channels.

Use the update priority matrix: major features get a full campaign with blog post, email, in-app messages, and social; medium updates get targeted emails and in-app banners; minor updates go in the changelog. Scale tactics to the update's significance.

Diagnose whether the cause was insufficient pre-launch audience building, wrong channels, or weak messaging. Then analyze which channels produced your existing signups, double down on those, leverage early users for testimonials, and run a 30-day recovery plan.

Use launch planning when preparing to release a product or feature publicly. For broader ongoing marketing brainstorming or budget-constrained promotion ideas not tied to a release, a general marketing ideas skill is the better fit.