When Should You Start Marketing Your Product? (Earlier Than You Think)

Here’s the truth that many founders learn the hard way: marketing isn’t something you start when your product is ready to launch. It’s something that should be running parallel to your product development from day one. Let me walk you through why, and more importantly, what you should be doing at each stage.

Yes, you read that right – a year before launch. This isn’t about promoting your product yet; it’s about becoming a trusted voice in your space. While you’re still in the early stages of product development, you should be:

• Joining and engaging in communities where your future customers hang out
• Sharing your expertise and insights about the problem you’re solving
• Building relationships with potential beta users
• Creating content about the broader problem space your product will address

I often hear founders say, “But I don’t want to start too early and lose momentum.” Here’s the thing: early marketing isn’t about maintaining hype. It’s about building foundations that will make your launch significantly more successful

This is when your marketing efforts should start taking more shape. You’re probably deep in product development, but this is crucial time for marketing groundwork. At this stage, you should be:

• Talking to potential customers and documenting their pain points (this is pure marketing gold)
• Testing your messaging with real users
• Starting to document your journey (this makes for great content later)
• Building an email list of interested people
• Creating your basic brand assets

Now we’re getting into serious pre-launch territory. This is when your marketing efforts should start becoming more visible:

• Start your content marketing engine (blog posts, social content, newsletters)
• Begin building your marketing website
• Set up your analytics and tracking
• Create your launch plan and timeline
• Start reaching out to potential beta users

This is your sprint to the finish line, but remember – the launch is just the beginning. Focus on:

• Getting your beta program running
• Creating launch assets (videos, demos, case studies from beta users)
• Setting up your customer onboarding flow
• Preparing your launch announcements
• Building your PR programme

I hear these concerns all the time:
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“My product isn’t ready yet!”
That’s perfect – early marketing is about the problem you’re solving, not your specific solution.

“What if someone steals my idea?”
Ideas are worthless without execution. The relationships and authority you build through early marketing are much more valuable than keeping your idea secret.

“I don’t have time for marketing yet!”
Think of early marketing as customer development. It’s not separate from building your product – it’s essential to building the right product.

If you’re reading this and realizing you need to start marketing now, here’s what to do today:

Start documenting the problems you’re solving and your thoughts on the industry
Join three relevant communities where your potential customers hang out
Set up a simple landing page to capture email addresses
Start a simple content calendar, even if it’s just LinkedIn posts or tweet

Remember, marketing isn’t just about the launch. It’s about building sustainable channels that will bring you customers for years to come. The earlier you start, the stronger these channels will be when you need them.

Think of marketing like compound interest – the earlier you start, the better your returns will be. Every piece of content you create, every relationship you build, and every insight you share compounds over time to create a stronger market position for your product.
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The best time to start marketing was when you first had your idea. The second-best time is right now. So, what are you waiting for?

If you’re still reading this, you probably know you need to start marketing. Don’t let perfect be the enemy of good. Pick one thing from this post and do it today. Whether that’s joining a relevant community, writing your first blog post, or setting up a simple landing page – just start.
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Remember: Your future customers are out there right now, looking for solutions to their problems. The sooner you start being visible in those conversations, the better positioned you’ll be when your product is ready to solve their problems.ere to edit.