When a launch underperforms, the issue is often not the offer or the audience, but stale messaging. Marketers frequently assume they know their customer, but audiences evolve. Continuously refreshing customer understanding is critical for launch success.
During the pre-launch, your content shouldn't mention the product. Instead, focus entirely on building belief in your unique methodology. If customers buy into your *process* as the solution, they will be ready to buy the product that delivers it.
Instead of using pressure tactics customers resist, focus on building anticipation. This strategy leverages the brain's dopamine response to looking forward to something, making customers genuinely excited to buy before the cart even opens.
To prime an audience, your pre-launch content must build three beliefs. They must trust you as the expert, believe your unique method is the solution, and, crucially, believe in their own capability to get results using it.
Shift your pre-launch focus from simple warm-up activities to ensuring your audience is ready to solve their problem and believes you are the one to help them. This 'recipe for readiness' makes the final sale feel effortless.
Don't tie your pre-launch timeline to your product's price. The key factor is your audience's current state of readiness. Authors pre-launch a $20 book for six months because they need to build significant audience readiness from a cold state.
Structure your pre-launch content around four key pillars: Personality (builds trust), Authority (establishes expertise), Credibility (provides proof with testimonials), and Empathy (shows you understand the customer's struggle). This well-rounded approach builds deep trust before you sell.