Plan a launch in three stages: a pre-launch period that builds interest and a list of people waiting, a launch week where everything goes out in a tight, coordinated burst, and a post-launch period that keeps the product visible once the first excitement fades. Start planning at least eight weeks before the date. Most launches that fall flat were planned for the day itself and nothing either side.

Start with one clear sentence about the product.

Before any content or ads, write down what the product is, who it is for and why they should care, in one sentence. If the team cannot agree on that line, the campaign will wobble. Every post, ad, email and press note should be a version of that sentence.

Then add three supporting points: the proof, the detail or the feature that makes the sentence believable.

Set a goal and a date you can actually hit.

Decide what success looks like for the first month. Pre-orders, bookings, sign-ups, store visits or sales. Pick a launch date with enough buffer for delays in stock, photography or website changes. A launch moved twice loses momentum, and moving it once costs less than rushing it.

The pre-launch stage builds interest and a waiting list.

Four to six weeks before launch, start warming people up.

• Tease without revealing everything. Close-ups, the making-of, a countdown, a question your audience can guess at.
• Open a waiting list. A simple landing page with an email or WhatsApp sign-up gives you an audience to contact on launch day. It also tells you whether interest is real.
• Brief your existing customers. Your current customers and email list are the people most likely to buy first. Give them early access or a small thank-you.
• Line up partners and creators. Send product samples early, so creators have time to use it properly. Our post on influencer marketing covers how to choose the right people.
• Prepare press and local media. If the product has a genuine story, approach journalists two to three weeks before, with a short note, good photos and an offer to talk.

Make all the content before launch week.

This is the step that saves your sanity. Shoot photos and video in one go, ideally a month before launch. From that shoot, prepare:

• A hero video for the launch announcement.
• Short vertical clips for Reels, TikTok and Shorts.
• Product photos for the website, ads and press.
• Carousels or posts that explain features and answer obvious questions.
• Email designs for the waiting list and customer list.
• Ad versions in the sizes each platform needs.

When Digiredo plans a launch, we try to get everything shot and edited before the first teaser goes out. That way the team can spend launch week replying to people instead of editing in a panic.

Launch week is a coordinated burst.

On launch day, everything goes live together, so anyone who hears about it from one place finds it everywhere else.

1. Website or product page live and tested on mobile, with working checkout or booking.
2. Email and messages to the waiting list first, ideally an hour or two before the public announcement, so they feel like insiders.
3. Social announcement on every active channel, with the hero video.
4. Ads switch on, starting with people who visited your site or engaged with your teasers.
5. Creators and partners post over the following days, so the noise lasts.
6. The team is ready to reply to comments, messages and questions quickly.

Plan something for each day of launch week, such as a behind-the-scenes clip, a customer reaction, a live demo or a founder video. A launch that goes quiet on day two looks like it did not work, even when it did.

The post-launch stage keeps selling.

Most of a product's sales happen after launch week. Keep it visible:

• Share real customer reactions and reviews as they come in, with permission.
• Answer the questions people ask in the comments with dedicated posts.
• Retarget people who visited the product page but did not buy.
• Follow up with buyers by email, asking how they are finding it and inviting reviews.
• Plan a second wave, such as a new colour, a bundle or a seasonal angle, four to eight weeks later.

Decide the budget split before the first teaser.

Small launches often spend everything on the day itself and run dry a week later. A more reliable approach is to keep a portion of the ad budget for the post-launch weeks, when you have real reviews and customer photos to promote. Those ads tend to be more convincing than the teasers, because they show actual people using the product. Write the split down early so nobody is tempted to spend it all in the first forty-eight hours.

Use a simple timeline.

• Eight weeks before: product sentence, goal, budget, date, content plan.
• Six weeks before: shoot, landing page and waiting list live.
• Four weeks before: teasers start, creators receive samples.
• Two weeks before: press outreach, ads and emails ready, final website checks.
• Launch week: coordinated release and daily content.
• Weeks two to eight: reviews, retargeting, second wave.

Frequently asked questions.

How far ahead should I plan a launch?

At least eight weeks for a small launch, longer if you need new packaging, a new website or press coverage.

Do I need paid ads for a launch?

They help a lot, especially retargeting people who saw your teasers. Even a modest budget focused on warm audiences can make a difference.

What if the launch is quieter than expected?

Look at where people dropped off, adjust the message or offer, and run the second wave sooner. Many products find their audience after the first push.

Planning a launch? Bring Digiredo in early.