How to Announce a Product Launch: The 2025 Playbook That Gets Press, Users, and Champagne Emojis

You spent months shipping. You finally pushed the big green button. And then… crickets.

If that sounds like your last launch, you’re not alone. How to announce a product launch is the question founders Google at 2 a.m. the night before going live—usually after realizing the “big reveal” email has a 14 % open rate and their mom is the only retweet.

Let’s fix that. In the next eight minutes you’ll learn the exact pre-launch, launch, and post-launch sequence we use at Flowjam to help 200+ YC startups turn “meh” releases into wait-list-generating events. (Yes, we’ll even drop the exact Notion template so you can steal it.)

Why Most Launch Announcements Flop (and Why This One Won’t)

According to CB Insights, 42 % of startups cite “no market need” as the reason they fail. Translation: nobody knew the product existed. The culprit? A limp announcement that reads like a changelog written by a sleep-deprived intern.

A great announcement does three things—fast:

1. Hooks the right eyeballs (investors, early adopters, and that one TechCrunch reporter who ghosted you).
2. Explains the “aha!” moment in 15 seconds or less.
3. Gives people a reason to act today—not “when I get around to it.”

Ready? Grab coffee. Let’s build the announcement that actually moves the needle.

Pre-Launch: 30–7 Days Before You Hit Publish

Think of this as the movie trailer before the premiere. Done right, you’ll have a line around the block before the doors open.

✅ Nail the One-Sentence Value Prop

Write the tweet-length version first:

“We’re launching [Product] to help [audience] achieve [outcome] without [common pain].”

Example: “We’re launching Flowjam to help founders turn boring product demos into TikTok-level hype videos—without hiring an agency.”

✅ Build the “VIP List”

Segment three buckets:

• Press & influencers (TechCrunch, niche Substack writers).
• Power users & wait-list (give them early access).
• Investors & advisors (they’ll amplify if you arm them with copy-paste tweets).

Pro tip: Use Hunter.io to find journalist emails and SparkToro to surface micro-influencers who actually engage.

✅ Teaser Assets

Create a 15-second vertical video (hello, Flowjam) and a static “coming soon” graphic. Post these on LinkedIn and Twitter with a countdown sticker. Buffer found that tweets with countdown GIFs get 3× more replies.

✅ Warm Up the Algorithm

Start posting “behind the scenes” threads 14 days out. Tag tools you used (Figma, Supabase). They often retweet, giving you free distribution to their follower base.

The Launch Day Sprint: Hour-by-Hour Checklist

6:00 a.m. — Ship the Product Hunt Listing

• Use a human headline: “Flowjam – Turn your SaaS into a Netflix trailer” beats “Video tool v2.4.1.”
• First comment should include a demo GIF and a discount code.
• DM 20 friends to upvote in the first hour (critical for ranking).

7:00 a.m. — Email the VIP List

Subject: Your early-access link is live (3 hours before the public)

Body: 75 words max, bullet benefits, one CTA.

9:00 a.m. — LinkedIn & Twitter Storm

Post the hero video natively. Tag every partner, investor, and your barista if he has 10 k+ followers. Pin the tweet.

Example caption (swap in your details):

6 months ago we were embarrassed by our homepage video. Today we’re launching Flowjam so no founder has to screen-record their way through a demo ever again. 🚀👇

10:00 a.m. — Press Outreach

Send a personalized 90-word email to each journalist. Lead with traction:

Hey Sarah, 312 founders beta-tested our new launch-video tool. 41 % said it 3×’d their landing-page conversions. Thought your “SaaS launch strategy for startups” piece might like an exclusive data drop. Interested?

11:00 a.m. — Slack/Discord Blasts

Post in communities like r/SaaS, Indie Hackers, and YC’s Bookface. Follow each community’s promo rules to avoid the ban hammer.

12:00 p.m. — Paid Boost (Optional)

Spend $100 on Twitter/LinkedIn retargeting ads aimed at everyone who watched >50 % of your teaser videos. Retargeting audiences convert 2–3× better than cold traffic, per AdEspresso.

Post-Launch: 7–30 Days of Momentum

Most founders ghost after day one. That’s like stopping a Netflix series after episode one. Here’s how to keep the hype alive.

✅ Turn Launch Day into Content Gold

• Cut the hero video into 15-second snippets for Reels/TikTok.
• Write a “by the numbers” thread (e.g., “We hit #2 on Product Hunt—here’s what we learned”).
• Host a live teardown on Twitter Spaces with other founders.

✅ Retarget Website Visitors

Install the Meta Pixel and run a look-alike audience ad with the headline:

Missed the launch? Get Flowjam at 20 % off—this week only.

✅ Collect & Share Social Proof

DM early users for 15-second Loom testimonials. Stitch them together into a 60-second montage. Dropbox grew 10 % MoM just by embedding user videos on their homepage (source).

Choosing the Right Channels (a.k.a. Don’t Spray and Pray)

Email – Highest conversion. Segment by persona; investors get ROI stats, users get GIF demos.

Twitter – Real-time buzz. Use a 280-character hook + native video. Pin the tweet.

LinkedIn – B2B reach. Tag employees; they amplify to their networks.

Product Hunt – Early adopters. Launch on Tuesday (stats show highest traffic).

Press Release – SEO backlinks. Use PRNewswire but only if you have real news.

Reddit – Honest feedback. Post in niche subs (r/Figma, r/SaaS) with a value-first angle.

Copy-Paste Templates You Can Steal

1. Cold Journalist Email

Subject: 312 founders tested our tool—here’s the data exclusive

Hey [Name],

I loved your piece on [related article]. Quick one: we just ran a 312-founder beta on a tool that auto-creates product-launch videos. Key stat: average time-to-video dropped from 8 days to 45 minutes.

Happy to share the raw dataset if you’re interested in a follow-up.

Cheers,  

[Your Name]

2. Customer Announcement Email

Subject: 🎉 [Product] is live + 30 % off for you

Hi [First Name],

After 6 months, 14 espresso shots, and one broken whiteboard, [Product] is officially here.

What you get:

• [Benefit 1]

• [Benefit 2]

• [Benefit 3]

Grab your launch-week discount here → [CTA]

Talk soon,  

[Founder Name]

3. LinkedIn Post

🚨 Launch Day 🚨

We built [Product] because I was sick of [pain]. 

Today it’s live on Product Hunt. If you’ve ever [desired outcome], this is for you.

👇 Demo in comments

Common Mistakes That Murder Momentum

❌ Announcing to everyone at once → Segment, segment, segment.

❌ Wall-of-text blog posts → Use GIFs, bullets, and short paragraphs.

❌ No clear CTA → “Check it out” is not a CTA. Use “Start your 14-day trial.”

❌ Ignoring time zones → Use WorldTimeBuddy to schedule for PST and CET.

❌ Forgetting the follow-up → 48 hours later, send a “You missed this” email to non-openers; it lifts conversions another 12 %.

A Real-World Mini-Case: How Outset.ai Used Flowjam to Raise $17 M

Outset had a killer AI survey tool but no narrative. We produced a 60-second launch video two weeks before their Series A. The result?

• #1 on Product Hunt (beating Notion’s update).
• 45 % of their investor pipeline came directly from the video’s CTA link.
• Closed $17 M Series A in 21 days.

The secret wasn’t the animation—it was scripting the “aha!” moment in the first 8 seconds. 

FAQ: How to Announce a Product Launch Without Looking Spammy

Q1. Do I need a press release?

Only if you have newsworthy traction (funding, major partnership). Otherwise, a solid blog post + targeted outreach beats a spray-and-pray release.

Q2. How many channels is too many?

Three is the sweet spot: one owned (email), one social (Twitter/LinkedIn), one community (Product Hunt or Reddit). More than five and you’ll half-ass them all.

Q3. What if my product is boring?

Every product solves a pain. Zoom in on the outcome, not the feature. Nobody wants “another dashboard,” but they do want “real-time alerts that prevent $30 k AWS bills.”

Q4. Should I gate the beta?

Yes—waitlists create FOMO. ConvertKit grew 5× in 6 months by requiring an email to join (source).

Q5. How long should the launch video be?

15–60 seconds for social, 90 seconds max for landing pages. If you need longer, you’re cramming.

Your 60-Minute Launch Checklist (Print & Tape to Monitor)

✅ One-sentence value prop drafted

✅ VIP list segmented in Mailchimp

✅ Product Hunt assets uploaded (thumbnail, GIF, first comment)

✅ Launch-day email written (75 words)

✅ Twitter/LinkedIn posts scheduled in Buffer

✅ Pixel installed for retargeting

✅ Journalist list + personalized pitches ready in Streak

✅ Post-launch content calendar in Notion

Final Pep Talk

Announcing a product launch isn’t a single tweet—it’s a mini-campaign. Treat it like the Super Bowl ad you can’t afford. Use the frameworks above, steal our templates, and if your video still looks like a PowerPoint from 2003, Flowjam has your back.

Now go make noise. Your users (and your mom) are waiting.

P.S. If you found this guide useful, share it on Twitter and tag @flowjam— we’ll retweet our favorites and send you a custom Loom teardown of your announcement.

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