You’ve got the product. You’ve nailed the branding. Your packaging is drop-dead gorgeous, and your sales channel strategy is locked in. But here’s the thing—none of it matters if no one’s actually waiting to buy when you go live.

Welcome to Part 4 of our Go-To-Market Series—where we talk about building buzz before you even make your first sale. This isn’t just a “nice-to-have” step. It’s the difference between launching to crickets… or launching to a line of excited customers hitting refresh on your website.

This stage is where the real magic happens. We’re talking about creating huge excitement, crafting momentum, and getting your ideal customer base emotionally invested in your brand before it even drops. Because if you're launching a beauty brand, you're not just selling a product—you're launching a vibe, a story, and a moment.

In this guide, we’ll show you how to turn your pre-launch into a power move with strategies that build hype, drive demand, and get people talking (and buying) from Day 1. Let’s dive in.

🔥 Why Pre-Launch Marketing is Critical

💡 Brands that build a strong pre-launch presence generate up to 3x more sales in the first 30 days compared to those that launch without pre-planning.

📌 Key Benefits of a Strong Pre-Launch Strategy:

👉 Builds brand awareness and anticipation before launch
👉 Allows you to gather early feedback and refine messaging
👉 Creates an engaged audience that’s ready to buy on Day 1
👉 Helps collect leads and grow an email list of potential customers
👉 Provides an opportunity to test systems before the real orders come in

🚀 Case Study: Summer Fridays
Before launching, Summer Fridays sent PR packages to influencers and beauty editors, creating exclusive word-of-mouth buzz. The result? A massive waitlist and immediate sales.

🎯 Pre-Launch Marketing Strategies That Work

To build hype and ensure a successful launch, use a combination of email marketing, influencer outreach, social media engagement, launch events, and paid ads.

📌 1. Build an Email Waitlist & VIP Access

• Create a simple but high-converting landing page to capture emails before launch

• Offer exclusive perks for early subscribers, such as discounts, limited-edition packaging, or VIP behind-the-scenes content

• Use a welcome email series to build anticipation and tell your brand story

• Send product teasers and testimonials to keep the list warm and excited

📌 2. Influencer Seeding & PR

• Send free products to micro-influencers and beauty editors ahead of time

• Encourage unboxing videos and genuine first impressions

• Pitch your founder story and brand mission to beauty blogs and online publications

• Build relationships with influencers who genuinely align with your values

📌 3. Teaser Campaigns & Sneak Peeks

• Share behind-the-scenes content about formulation, packaging, and production

• Use countdowns, "coming soon" posts, and mystery reveals to drive curiosity

• Run interactive content like Q&As or polls to boost engagement

• Lean into your brand voice—whether playful, premium, clinical, or eco-friendly

📌 4. Social Media Engagement & Community Building

• Post consistently well before launch—this isn’t a one-week job

• Share beauty education, ingredient spotlights, and founder Q&As

• Create a branded hashtag and invite early followers to use it

• Host Instagram Lives, TikTok AMAs, or “Get Ready With Me” founder sessions

📌 5. Strategic Paid Advertising (Meta, TikTok, Google)

• Run interest-based and lookalike campaigns to drive pre-launch traffic

• Send ad clicks to your landing page with a strong lead magnet

• Retarget video viewers, site visitors, and Instagram engagers

• Split test copy and creative early to double down on what’s working

📌 6. Host a Launch Event 🎉

• Create a virtual or in-person event to build buzz and exclusivity

• Invite media, influencers, and early brand fans

• Offer early access, product demos, and behind-the-scenes access

• Use the event to gather UGC, create FOMO, and connect directly with your audience

🚀 Case Study: LANEIGE’s Lip Sleeping Mask
LANEIGE, a South Korean skincare brand under the Amorepacific umbrella, executed a masterclass in pre-launch marketing with their Lip Sleeping Mask. Before the product officially launched in the U.S. market, the brand seeded samples to TikTok beauty influencers and skincare creators—particularly those known for "selfie" content and bedtime routines.

The product's rich texture, berry scent, and "beauty ritual" appeal made it perfect for TikTok's night-time routine content. Influencers highlighted the soft texture, glossy finish, and next-day hydration, often in ASMR or storytelling formats.

LANEIGE also:

• Timed the rollout with Sephora exclusives to generate scarcity

• Used branded hashtags and audio clips to inspire UGC

• Encouraged real reviews and buzz across Reddit and beauty blogs

The Lip Sleeping Mask quickly became a cult product, consistently selling out at Sephora and sparking spin-off variants.

💡 Key Takeaway: LANEIGE didn’t just launch a product—they launched a ritual. Also read my LIPMD launch later in this article (insert link)

📢 How to Build Urgency and FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)

The most successful beauty launches feel exclusive and time-sensitive—without being gimmicky.

✅ Tactics to Create FOMO:

• Limited-Edition Launch Bundles: Offer packaging or bonuses only available at launch

• Early-Bird Discounts: Give your waitlist a deal the public won’t see again

• Countdown Timers: Add to landing pages, emails, and social to build pressure

• Founder Access: Offer private Zoom launch parties or VIP live chats

💡 Pro Tip: Use real numbers like “Only 100 bundles available” to drive urgency authentically.

🏆 How to Measure Pre-Launch Success

Don’t go by vibes alone—track metrics so you know what’s working.

📊 Key Metrics to Watch:

• Email List Growth: Are you adding 50–100+ warm leads a week?

• Landing Page Conversion Rate: Aim for at least 25–40% for warm traffic

• Social Engagement: Look for upward trends in saves, shares, and comments

• Influencer Reach: Are you seeing ripple effects from influencer mentions?

• Ad Performance: Watch CTR, CPL (cost per lead), and retargeting ROI

🚀 Example: Glossier’s “Into The Gloss” Blog
Before selling any products, Glossier built a dedicated audience through beauty editorial content. The result? A built-in fanbase when products finally launched.

📚 Personal Case Study: The LIPMD Pre-Launch Strategy

One of the most dynamic and effective launches I’ve been involved in was with the LIPMD brand. Our goal wasn’t just to release a product—it was to create a moment that captured attention, built community, and converted buzz into immediate sales.

Here’s what we executed:

• Identified and seeded products to over 100 influencers across various tiers, including some of the top talent in the market

• Engaged arguably the biggest influencer available at the time—Tammy Hembrow—for added reach and credibility

• Organised an exclusive launch event at a premium salon/cocktail bar venue in Barangaroo, Sydney Harbour, hosting influencers, beauty editors, key customers, and brand fans

• Gave every attendee a product gift bag valued at over $300 to generate goodwill, content, and post-event engagement

• Ran a simple but effective lead generation campaign that built a 4,000+ person email waitlist—and had to shut it down before the event due to overwhelming demand

• Arranged for all attending influencers to simultaneously go live during the event, promoting the product launch, event experience, and an exclusive discount code

• Made the event interactive by having beauticians and makeup artists apply the product onsite, offering mini-makeovers for influencers and guests to film “before and after” content

• Professionally filmed the entire event, including application tutorials and influencer testimonials—giving us owned visual assets for months of campaign content

The result? The LIPMD launch was a smash hit across every metric:

• We received local and international beauty magazine coverage within 48 hours

• Instagram lit up with influencer posts, stories, and reels from the event

• Most importantly, we achieved a complete sellout of the first 5,000 product units within 24 hours of launch

When you combine credible creators, live experiences, and smart lead generation—it creates serious momentum. And in this case, it led to internation press coverage, buzz explosion on IG and most importantly a full sellout in just 24 hours.. When done well, it not only drives immediate sales—it builds lasting brand equity and significant earned media exposure..

✅ Actionable Takeaways for Pre-Launch Marketing

📍 Start early. Don’t wait until the product’s in hand to begin marketing.
📍 Build a funnel that warms leads across multiple touchpoints: email, social, PR, and ads.
📍 Don’t shy away from urgency—just make it authentic and well-executed.
📍 Host a brand event to create momentum and social proof.
📍 Use metrics weekly to adjust content, offers, and budget in real time.

💡 Key Tip: The strongest launches feel like a wave. By the time the product goes live, your audience should already feel like they’re late to the party—and need to catch up fast.

➡️ Next Up: Post-Launch Growth & Retention

Once your product is out in the world, the next challenge is keeping that momentum going. In Part 5 of the Go-To-Market Series, we’ll explore customer retention, loyalty programs, and scaling into new channels and markets.