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Is Your Pre-Launch Strategy the Real Problem?
Here’s something I’d tell you if I wasn’t afraid to hurt your feelings: your launch might not actually be the problem.
And your pre-launch strategy might not be as strategic as you think it is.
I know. Not exactly the happy, shiny opening we were hoping for.
But after working with experienced entrepreneurs who know marketing, know their audience, and have launched plenty of times before, I keep seeing the same thing: experience can create blind spots.
You know the concepts. You’ve heard about objections, pain points, warming up your audience, and creating demand.
But knowing the ingredients and deliberately using them to move someone closer to a buying decision? Those are two very different things.
Why Your Pre-Launch Strategy Needs More Than Content
Here’s the question I want you to ask:
Do you know what job every piece of content is doing before your launch?
Not, “Am I posting?”
Not, “Did I send enough emails?”
Not even, “Am I talking about my offer?”
I mean: Do you know what your buyer needs to think, feel, believe, understand, or see next to make a better buying decision?
That’s where a pre-launch strategy becomes more than a content calendar.
In this episode, I’m digging into three blind spots that I see even experienced business owners miss:
- Why your pre-launch strategy may look right on paper but still lack the intention needed to move buyers
- Why doing more marketing might be adding work without adding sales
- Why analyzing your launch itself could have you looking at the problem too late
And yes, I have examples.
How a Pre-Launch Strategy Can Mean Doing Less
Last week, I shared Annemarie’s story.
She was doing Instagram because… well, that’s what you do when you’re marketing a business, right?
Except she didn’t particularly enjoy it—and when she looked at her data, it wasn’t moving the needle.
So she stopped.
For two months.
Then she promoted her membership and saw a 214% increase in sales.
She did less marketing, not more.
This is what I want you to consider about your own pre-launch strategy: Are you doing something because it’s actually helping your buyers move forward — or because you assume you’re supposed to?
Why Your Pre-Launch Strategy Starts Before Cart Open
When a launch underperforms, it’s natural to dissect the launch.
Which email got the most clicks? Which subject line worked? How many people attended the webinar? How engaged was everyone?
Those numbers matter. I look at them, too.
But your launch shouldn’t have to create all the desire, trust, understanding, and belief someone needs from scratch.
Your pre-launch strategy should already be doing some of that work.
The launch is where you see the result.
It’s not necessarily where the result was created.
Build Your Pre-Launch Strategy Before Your Next Launch
If this has you wondering, “Okay, Brenna, so what exactly should I be doing before I launch?”—that’s what I’m teaching next.
On September 23, I’m hosting a masterclass on the three pre-launch moves that build demand, pre-sell spots, and take pressure off your launch.
Register here:
https://brennamcgowan.co/masterclass-2026/
And listen to the full podcast episode for all three things I’d tell you about your pre-launch strategy if I wasn’t afraid to hurt your feelings.
Because sometimes the best thing you can do for your next launch isn’t add more.
It’s to get much more intentional about what happens before it.
Next Steps:
- Let’s work together! Book a strategy call
- Join the Behind the Launch Facebook Group
- Connect on Instagram
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Thanks for Listening!
Brenna
