Launch playbook: getting the most from launch week on The Launch Directory
Launching takes more than pressing publish. The Launch Directory has put the steps founders ask about in one place.
The groundwork
1. Fill in every part of the page
Say plainly what the product does and who it is for, add the common questions with answers, and fill in your founder profile with a photo and a link.
2. Show the product
A clear logo and two or three honest screenshots are worth the effort. If you have a short video walk-through, add that as well.
3. Choose your timing
Pick a launch week when you can be around to answer questions and reply to comments, not a week of travel or holidays.
4. Give people notice
Draft your launch post and a short email before the day. Let the people who already know the product hear about it first.
When the launch starts
5. Mail the people who know you
Email the people who use your product and tell them where to find the launch. New sign-ups can see it in your welcome email.
6. Tell your followers
Announce the launch with the listing link on X, LinkedIn or Bluesky. A pinned post and a bio link keep it easy to find all week.
7. Answer questions quickly
Treat each question as a chance to explain the product better. Reply the same day and keep the tone friendly.
8. Post in groups that welcome it
Every community has its own rules on promotion: read them before you post. Show HN suits a product people can use straight away.
Invite people to have a look and decide for themselves. One person, one vote: votes can never be bought, and extra accounts or vote trading are not allowed.
Keep it going this week
9. Place the badge on your site
Embed the badge code on your site. It points to your listing, where people can read about the product and leave a comment.
10. Improve the listing as you go
When the same question comes up twice, add the answer to your FAQs. Update screenshots or wording as you learn what people need.
11. Spread the launch out
Launch directories differ in price, link type and the kind of product they list. Pick the ones that suit yours and list there too.
12. Repost with an update
Share a second LinkedIn post during the week built around something new: feedback, a change or a number from your own analytics.
Once the week ends
13. Learn from the launch
Look at your analytics after the week: which links brought people, and what they did next. Tagged links make this much clearer.
14. Revisit the page
Return to your listing after each release and bring the description, pricing and images up to date.
15. Come back with something new
Come back when you have news. A relaunch after a significant update gives you something fresh to share.
Launch directories, compared
Best Launch Directories gathers launch directories, startup directories and AI tool lists in one place, with Domain Rating, pricing and link type for each.
Help from us, if you want it
Optional, and only if they suit you: the extras The Launch Directory sells, with what each one is and what it costs.
- Featured launch $19
From your launch week, 7 days in the Featured spot on the homepage, clearly labelled Featured; no vote comes with it.
- Multi-site bundle $99
Your listing is written once, by you. We put it live on 49 other launch and discovery sites, reworded for each, and every edit you make from then on flows to all of them automatically.
- Done-for-you listing $149.99
We create your listing on 49 other launch and discovery sites, word each description for that site, and send you one email with all the links.
- Opening page shelf $49
Your logo, name, tagline and website link in the homepage Sponsored slot for 7 days.
- Category shelf $19
Sit above the listings on your category page for 7 days, labelled Sponsored.
- Newsletter shelf $29
The Sponsored place in one issue of the newsletter The Launch Directory sends out every week.
- Billboard from $5
A separate board ranked only by the money each company has contributed: the highest total sits at the top. It never buys or moves a vote.
- Product review $19
A structured review built from your listing and your public website, shown in its own block on your listing and marked as commissioned by the maker; it adds no vote or rating.
- Editorial founder feature $29
Written from the founder's story and listing facts, edited by one of our editors: an article with nothing invented.
Prices are in US dollars; VAT is added where it is due.
Questions
- Is it all right to ask friends to vote?
- Yes, share it with people who genuinely use your product. One person, one vote: no extra accounts, no vote swaps, and votes can never be bought.
- What comes after launch week?
- Check your own analytics to see what worked, keep the listing up to date, and launch again after your next big update.
- Is one launch directory enough?
- Pick a few launch directories that fit your product rather than all of them. Compare price, link type and what kind of products each one lists before you submit.
- What is the right moment to share the launch?
- As soon as it is live on launch day. Keep the rest of the week for replies, edits and one follow-up post.
Good luck with your launch. If you have a question, The Launch Directory help centre is a good place to start. Open the help centre