What are the four stages of a launch?
Each stage does a job the next one depends on. Skip the problem posts and the reveal lands on people who don’t yet care; skip the open-doors posts and you’re relying on one announcement to do all the selling.
| Stage | When | Its job | What to post |
|---|---|---|---|
| Teaser | 2–3 weeks out | Get attention before you explain anything. | A glimpse behind the scenes, a “something’s coming”, or a question your audience cares about. |
| Problem | 1–2 weeks out | Make people feel the problem it solves. | Stories, common mistakes and what they cost, and questions in your audience’s own words. |
| Reveal | Launch day | Show what it is and who it’s for. | The name, what it does, what’s included, the price or how to get it, and a first look. |
| Open doors | Launch day until it closes | Turn interest into sign-ups. | How to buy or join, answers to the usual doubts, real feedback, then the deadline and last chance. |
What does a launch content calendar look like?
Here’s a three-week example for a course with doors open for one week. Swap the brackets for your own details; the same shape works for a product or a service.
| Day | Stage | Post |
|---|---|---|
| Day −14 | Teaser | Behind the scenes: “I’ve been building something for [who it’s for].” |
| Day −11 | Teaser | A question: “What’s the hardest part of [the problem]?” Keep the replies. |
| Day −9 | Problem | A story: the moment you, or someone you helped, hit the problem. |
| Day −7 | Problem | Three mistakes people make with [the problem], and what each one costs. |
| Day −4 | Problem | Answer one of the replies to your question from day −11. |
| Day −2 | Teaser | “Doors open on [date].” Where to sign up to hear first. |
| Day 0 | Reveal | What it is, who it’s for, what’s included, the price and the link. |
| Day 1 | Open doors | A walkthrough of what’s inside, part by part. |
| Day 3 | Open doors | The usual doubts, answered: time, price, “is this for me?” |
| Day 5 | Open doors | Proof: feedback from early students or testers. Only real quotes, with permission. |
| Day 6 | Open doors | Last chance: doors close tomorrow. |
| Day 7 | Open doors | Final hours: doors close at [time] today. |
What should I post before I announce the launch?
Talk about the problem, not the product. The aim is for people to recognise themselves before you show them the fix.
- Use their words. Questions people ask you, comments and replies are the best source of phrasing.
- Tell one story per post: a moment someone hit the problem and what it cost them.
- Ask a question you’ll answer later. The replies tell you what to say in the reveal.
- Don’t sell yet. One honest hint that something is coming is enough.
How is a course launch different?
- It has a deadline. Doors open and close, which gives the open-doors posts a real countdown. Only use a deadline you’ll keep.
- The doubts are about time and fit. Spend an open-doors post on “how much time does this take?” and “is this for me?”
- Proof matters more. Use real feedback from earlier students or testers, with their permission. If you don’t have any yet, show the work instead.
- Keep posting between launches. A steady weekly mix keeps your audience warm, so the next teaser isn’t the first thing they’ve heard from you in months.
How does Solo Social plan a launch?
- Pick Launch and add the details: what you’re launching, who it’s for, the launch date and the link.
- It plans the sequence: teaser, problem, reveal and open-doors posts, built up to launch day.
- It writes each post in your voice, learned from posts you’ve already written, and adapts each one to the platform.
- Make the visuals on brand in the design studio, and save your launch design as your own template for next time.
- Review and approve. The whole run is scheduled across your accounts. Nothing goes out without your OK.
Between launches, Steady weekly posting and Win your audience back campaigns keep your audience listening.