How long before your MVP launch should you start marketing your product?

Question

It's common advice to try and sell your product before you've even built it. What does that timeline look like - should you start marketing on day 0, even if you expect your MVP to take about 2 months to build?

Does that not run the risk of killing the hype before the product is actually out in the market?

An · Accepted Answer

I started marketing from day zero, whether it was sending emails to friends in the industry for communication or posting questions and promotions in communities with a large number of target users. This allows me to effectively identify the details that need attention in this product direction in advance, as well as discover new opportunities.

Yvonne Tsai · Answer

You should ideally start marketing your MVP (Minimum Viable Product) at least 6 to 8 weeks before the launch. This timeline allows you to build awareness, engage potential users, and gather valuable feedback. Begin by defining your target audience and creating a simple landing page to capture interest and email sign-ups. Implement content marketing strategies, such as starting a blog or sharing valuable resources related to your product, to attract attention. Establishing a presence on relevant social media platforms and actively participating in online communities can also help you connect with potential users. Additionally, reaching out to influencers or bloggers in your niche can amplify your message. Starting early gives you the opportunity to refine your messaging and adjust your approach based on user feedback, ultimately making your launch more effective.

Monalisa Sethi · Answer

Anything organic easily takes 3-4 months to scale. I would start at least 2 months prior to launch.

Rahul Parmar · Answer

Start marketing your MVP 3-6 months before launch to build awareness and gather feedback. This timeline helps engage your audience effectively.

Rohan Mukherjee · Answer

@monalisa_sethi How do I "organically" grow an audience for my content? Currently, my social media content doesn't get enough reach.

Answer

It's ideal to start marketing your MVP at least 1-2 months before launch. Building an audience early through social media, email lists, or teaser campaigns helps create anticipation and allows you to gather feedback, which can refine the product before its release.

Monalisa Sethi · Answer

@roerohan you can use social media to document your product building journey. Your content can revolve around basic things like why are you building this particular product, what are the challenges in this market/category, why are you best suited to build this product, what are some lessons you learnt during user research, what were your failures. You don't even have to write everyday. 3x a week consistently for 3 months can do wonders. Along with posting your own content, engage with other's content too (relevant posts, of course). One important thing to note is whatever you write has to be a personal point of view. Your stories, your voice, your experience, your narration. And, like I have already mentioned this effort takes time, at least 2 months. So, 3-4 months is an ideal period.

Monalisa Sethi · Answer

@roerohan I work with founders on social selling. Content always works. But one has to be consistent.

Answer

I think a quarter is a good validation on some primary research before going all out marketing.

Rohan Mukherjee · Answer

@annaho2000 what kind of content do you usually post before the launch?

How long before your MVP launch should you start marketing your product?

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