5 Things to Do Before Submitting to a Launch Platform

You've been building your product for weeks (or months). You're excited to share it with the world. But before you click "Submit," there are 5 critical steps that separate a launch that gets 5 upvotes from one that gets 50+.

1. Nail Your Landing Page First

Your launch platform listing is a teaser. Your landing page is where the conversion happens. Before you submit anywhere:

• Have a working demo or screenshot — People want to see the product in action, not just read about it
• Make sure your URL works — Broken links are the fastest way to lose credibility
• Write a clear value proposition above the fold — Reinforce what your tagline promises

You don't need a perfect landing page, but you need a functional one. "Coming soon" pages don't convert launch traffic into users.

2. Prepare Your Launch Assets

Gather these before you start submitting:

• Logo: 112x112px minimum, clean and recognizable at small sizes
• Screenshots: 2-3 showing core features, ideally with annotations
• Description: 2-3 sentences explaining what the product does and who it's for
• Social proof: Even beta user quotes or waitlist numbers count

Having these ready means you can submit to multiple platforms in one sitting, maximizing your launch momentum.

3. Build a Pre-Launch Audience

The best time to start building an audience is before you launch. Even a small one helps:

• Tweet about what you're building — Share your progress, not just the final product
• Collect emails — A simple landing page with an email capture can give you 50-100 people to notify on launch day
• Engage in communities — Reddit, Twitter, Discord groups related to your niche

On launch day, you want people who already care about your product ready to upvote and share. Cold traffic takes time to warm up.

4. Time Your Launch Strategically

Not all weeks are equal. Here's what to consider:

• Avoid major holidays — Fewer people are checking launch platforms during Christmas or Thanksgiving
• Check the competition — If 5 similar products launched last week, consider waiting
• Tuesday-Thursday are typically best — Higher engagement during the workweek
• Morning launches (8-10 AM EST) — Catch people at the start of their day

On LaunchPad, the weekly ranking runs Monday to Monday, so launching early in the week gives you more time to accumulate upvotes.

5. Have a Post-Launch Plan

Launching is not the finish line — it's the starting line. Before you submit, plan your first 48 hours:

• Respond to every comment — Engagement signals to the algorithm and the community that you're active
• Share on social media — Post your launch on Twitter, LinkedIn, and relevant communities
• Send to your email list — Personal outreach to your pre-launch audience
• Prepare updates — Have 1-2 quick improvements ready to ship in the first week

Products that stay active after launch get more visibility. The algorithm rewards consistent engagement.

The Bottom Line

A successful launch isn't about luck — it's about preparation. Take an extra day to complete these 5 steps, and you'll see significantly better results than if you just hit submit and hope for the best.

Good luck with your launch! 🚀