Content Strategy for Pre-Launch Startups: What to Say Before You’re Ready to Sell

You have an idea. Maybe some early validation. But no product to sell yet.

So what do you post when there’s no demo, screenshots, or customer wins to highlight?

Don’t sell the product. Sell the story. You’re not converting prospects. You’re building relationships with future customers.

I asked founders and early marketing hires to walk me through exactly what worked for them. They shared what helped them gain traction before they had anything to sell and what set them up for success when they were ready to launch.

Why you should focus on storytelling, not selling

You know you need to get a head start on marketing. But when there’s nothing to show yet, it’s easy to overthink. Are you saying too much? Overpromising? Not saying enough?

You don’t want to overhype what you’re building. But defaulting to silence creates its own risk. Here’s what to focus on instead.

Tell stories that customers care about

When your product roadmap is still up in the air, your marketing content shouldn’t be about pitching. Instead, focus on connecting with customers.

“I think too many people are stuck on the word ‘content,’ so they try really hard to map out all sorts of angles related to their niche,“ shares Kevon Cheung, Founder of Public Lab.

“What's really helpful for me is to pick out all the reasons why people should care about what you build. Then, wrap each tiny point up with a story and share it. Stories get more eyeballs.”

JK Sparks, Head of Product Marketing at Circle, used a similar method during the pre-launch stage at AudiencePlus:

“We didn't wait for features to dictate the story. Instead, we told stories that connected to known pain points, things our audience deeply cared about. Then, we linked the product we were building to those problems, even if we didn't yet have the full solution live.”

As JK puts it: “That's how you close the feature-to-value gap. You make the value clear before the feature is even available.”

At this stage, successful storytelling often centers on customer pain points. JK advises anchoring the pre-launch strategy in your audience’s core problems. At AudiencePlus, his team prioritized two types of content:

• Evergreen content that covered persistent pain points
• Thought leadership that established AudiencePlus’s point of view

Build in public to establish trust

For founders and marketers alike, building in public can be a smart solution for connecting with your audience. It creates transparency, which can attract deeper interest in your story.

Kevon has found that overly tactical content doesn’t always work for early-stage marketers. At this stage, you don’t really have the credibility to teach people the how-tos of your industry.

Building in public is often a better approach because “if your product really does help, people will resonate and have the trust to try you out. That's building anticipation.”

For Lashay Lewis, Founder of bofu.ai, the benefits of this approach go beyond trust and credibility alone. “Building in public has been a great way to not only hold myself accountable but also let people into what I'm building and why I'm doing it. It gets people invested — and when they're invested, they'll do almost anything to make sure you win.”

As you share what you’re building, include customers in your storytelling. Georgia Austin, CEO and Founder of Wordbrew, recommends incorporating social proof in your strategy, even if it’s relatively unpolished.

She recommends capturing “screenshots of feedback, quotes from calls, or examples of small wins. That kind of proof builds trust fast, even before you have a finished product.”

How to create a pre-launch content strategy

Knowing what to say is only half the battle. The real challenge is operationalizing that message so it shows up consistently across channels, formats, and contributors without burning your team out or diluting the narrative. That’s where a clear content strategy comes in. Here’s how to turn your ideas into a plan:

Create clear content pillars

If you’re always asking yourself or your team what to post, you’re going to end up wasting a lot of time considering infinite options. Content pillars make the choice easier.

As JK puts it: “If you're not focused, you're going to lose. Most early-stage content falls flat because it lacks consistency. Founders try to say too many things at once and end up standing for nothing.”

Instead, he advises getting clear on what you want to be known for. Then, turn these core concepts into pillars.

“These content pillars become your lens. Every post, video, or newsletter should pass through them. That consistency is what creates recognition. It's how people begin to associate your brand with something specific and valuable.”

Managing content pillars at scale requires more than documentation. Relato helps teams turn strategy into execution by using AI-supported workflows to plan content, maintain narrative consistency, and generate briefs and drafts that stay aligned as teams grow. It becomes a single source of truth for strategy, execution, and iteration.

Develop a standout content series

Focus on what your target market already cares about, and show up where they’re already paying attention. Whether that’s LinkedIn, YouTube, or search, pick one or two channels and go deep.

For BackPocket Agency, organic search was a critical channel. Cofounder and COO Rene Ryan shares, “Launching a new brand with no search equity is like shouting into a void. And we knew we couldn’t rely on a typical blog strategy to get noticed, especially in a saturated market like content marketing.”

The solution? Pillar pages focused on content marketing strategy, one of the agency’s key services. The agency simultaneously published four in-depth guides and nine long-form blog posts.

Rene explains, “Within a few weeks of publishing, our search visibility skyrocketed by over 990%. From almost no presence, we began ranking for high-intent queries like ‘content marketing guide’ and ‘fractional content marketing services.’”

For AudiencePlus, video was a crucial channel. As a result, JK’s team developed a show called Owned, which featured teardowns of popular B2C brand strategies, analyzing what they did well and where they failed. Then, the show translated the tactics to B2B.

As JK explains, this worked because “It was fresh. We blended pop culture and consumer brand strategies into a B2B lens, something most B2B marketers weren’t seeing anywhere else. Plus, it was relevant. Our ICP was B2B marketers hungry for creative inspiration. We gave them a new way to think about audience strategy, outside the usual playbooks.”

In addition, the episodic nature helped the team build anticipation and generate more engagement. “‘Owned’ ended up being our most popular series,” JK says. “It drove conversations, increased our subscriber base, and became a core asset for sales to share with prospects.”

Tease the launch strategically

For Tim Hanson, CMO and Cofounder of Penfriend, slowly building anticipation was the key to a successful launch. The team used founder-led marketing to strategically tease the launch of Penfriend over 10 weeks using this framework.

Week One: “First came a casual selfie of the three founders on a Zoom call. No context, just ‘cooking something.’”

Week Three: “Two weeks later, I posted the company initials and dared people to guess the name.”

Weeks Four to Eight: “Once ‘Penfriend’ dropped, I shifted to the pain point: ‘AI content looks smart until Google actually reads it.’ From there it was wall-to-wall build-log clips, beta-tester screenshots, and raw testimonials — nothing polished.”

Week Nine: “One week from launch, the three of us started a daily countdown (3-2-1) with a single call to action: ‘Join the wait-list.’ on every post.”

This 10-week slow burn worked well because of the anticipation it built and the waitlist-focused call to action at the end.

As Tim explains, “The waitlist was the only place you could get the day one discounts. That runway turned into a $40k day one purely from people on that list.”

Repurpose content to maximize its value

For fast-moving teams, the pre-launch phase might not last long. But when it spans months or years, it’s easy to worry about running out of things to say. Instead of constantly creating from scratch, the teams that stay consistent plan for reuse from the start.

Repurposing works best when it’s intentional. Teams that plan it upfront often rely on AI-supported content systems to translate a single idea into multiple formats while preserving the original point of view and narrative intent. The goal isn’t volume. It’s a consistent signal without repetition.

A key part of Lashay’s content strategy is showing the same idea from multiple perspectives. As she explains, she might turn a single BOFU topic into:

• The importance of BOFU to a VP of Marketing
• Talking about BOFU from a content marketing level
• How to do BOFU content step by step

She also repurposes content into multiple formats. “I'll take a visual and turn it into a carousel, and then turn a carousel into a video. Same ideas and concepts, different formats to keep it fresh.”

When creating content for BackPocket Agency, Rene’s team follows an AI-powered repurposing framework. “At BackPocket, we like to say, ‘Every strong piece of content has at least five lives.’ It's not about saying something new every time. It's about showing the same idea from different angles, in different formats, for different audiences.”

She explains, “This is an area where, with the right prompts, AI can help repurpose ideas.”

Like these examples:

• Original Idea (Life 1): Longform blog post and thought leadership piece
• Repurpose #1 (Life 2): LinkedIn carousel that translates the core insights from the blog into punchy, visual slides for maximum shareability
• Repurpose #2 (Life 3): Video script for a short-form video, with the core message repackaged with a snappy, conversational tone
• Repurpose #3 (Life 4): Infographic that summarizes the tools, tactics, and platforms from the original blog in a scannable, downloadable format
• Repurpose #4 (Life 5): Conference slides that turn the blog post’s core argument into a framework for a breakout session or a workshop

Which pre-launch content results really matter?

Even if you’re posting the right kind of content, it can feel like you’re talking into the void — at least at first. This can cause early-stage teams to stall out before they even get going.

If you think your content isn’t working, you might not be paying attention to the right metrics. Here’s how to make sure you’re on the right track:

Give your team sufficient time

If you’re expecting to build a massive waitlist overnight, the first step is setting appropriate expectations. Attracting an audience isn’t something you can rush.

As David Baum, CEO and Cofounder of Relato, explains, “Getting results from content takes time — much more time than you'd like, and sometimes more time than you have.”

“If you really need results fast, you can put dollars behind your low-performing content and buy reach. That'll boost vanity metrics like impressions, and it might convert. Probably not.”

The good news is that over time, content marketing compounds. Blog posts build on LinkedIn posts. LinkedIn posts build on podcast appearances. Together, they compound over time.

“Content is one piece of a much larger puzzle,” Rene shares. “Building out content pillars or developing a thought leader position in an industry takes consistent pieces of content working together to add value to a much larger conversation that's happening within a discipline or industry.”

Prioritize consistency and awareness

Not everything you post will be a top-performing piece. Instead of fixating on reach or impressions, focus on creating content consistently.

“It’s about having an active presence. Then, when people come to your world, as long as you have a way to retain them, you can leverage the audience,” Kevon explains.

Sure, having a post go viral can be exciting. And in some cases, it can grow your audience.

But it’s important to avoid the wrong kind of virality, which attracts random people who don’t fit your target audience and who follow you for the wrong reasons.

“Most viral posts spread because the message has a broad appeal. If you’re early-stage and still building, you're actually looking for the opposite,” David advises. “You want to speak to a very specific ICP, in a small section of your TAM, and convert a high percentage of them.”

As JK says, “Remember, early on, your content’s job isn't to go viral. It’s to attract the right few people, start real conversations, and signal to your ideal customer that you get them.”

Watch for engagement and conversations

For most early-stage founders and marketers, the real value is in the comments and DMs.

As Rene says, “Early-stage content isn't about sales — it's about awareness. You’re listening for resonance. Are people replying? Forwarding your email? DMing you to say, ‘This hit home?’ That's what you track.”

Lashay focuses on engagement depth. She suggests asking these questions to get a better idea of whether your content is working:

• Is my target audience liking and finding value in my posts?
• Are they leaving deep and thoughtful comments?
• Am I seeing momentum in other ways (strategy calls booked, DMs asking questions)?

When you pay attention to these outcomes, you’ll know if your content is delivering the right message to the right people — which is what really matters during this stage.

As messaging strategist Jay Acunzo says, “Don’t market more. Matter more.”

“If you want your message to have impact, you should prioritize resonance over reach,” David advises. “Because when you matter more, you have to hustle less for attention and results. The only way I know how to do that is to understand your audience and speak to their struggles, in their language.”

“Honestly, that never really changes,” JK shares. “Whether you're pre-launch or Series C, if you can't consistently connect your product to the narrative your audience is living every day, you'll lose them. The roadmap might move, but the resonance shouldn’t.”

How to turn awareness into conversions

When you follow a strategic approach to building in public and speaking to customers’ challenges, you can expect to attract an engaged audience and create genuine interest in your product.

But awareness and engagement alone aren’t enough. Here’s how to take interest to the next level and convert prospects into demos, beta users, or signups.

Show early versions of your product in action

In the beginning, you might not have screenshots or demos to share. But the closer you get to launch, the more important it becomes to shift from just talking about your product to actually showing it.

In some cases, drinking your own champagne can be particularly helpful and get your message across more effectively. For example, Georgia’s team interviewed several marketing leaders and then used Wordbrew to create related blog posts. Seeing the product in action piqued their interest and prompted them to want to learn more.

Showing Penfriend in action was also helpful for Tim’s team. This approach gave the team an opportunity to show the quality of the product’s output.

“I posted side-by-side drafts: generic AI output on the left, Penfriend’s edit on the right, and let the difference punch people in the face,” Tim explains. “Each carousel ended with ‘link in first comment’ and a line of real beta feedback — names, metrics, the works.”

Creating a sense of scarcity and offering a unique bonus sealed the deal. Tim announced that Penfriend’s launch would be the only opportunity to get a discount. And for monthly buyers, he offered a monthly coaching call.

“FOMO plus founder access pushed more than 70% of day one customers to annual plans,” Tim shares. “All of this happened in daily LinkedIn posts from each founder — three voices telling the same story from slightly different angles.”

Lean into bolder takes

Not every post needs to stir up controversy. But when you time them right, bold takes can help you capture valuable attention — which can lead to conversions.

Georgia started to see more significant traction when she stopped playing it safe and leaned into stronger POVs. “The moment I started posting things like ‘Your blog isn't for Google anymore — it's X’ or ‘AI isn't the problem, generic input is,’ those posts started spreading outside my network.”

These bold takes didn’t just generate extra reach. They also led to DMs that confirmed her message was resonating, like “I've been thinking this, but didn't know how to say it.”

A hot take about HubSpot’s traffic decline with a strategically placed product mention really moved the needle for Wordbrew. “I was um-ing and ah-ing about including a reference to Wordbrew in this, but boy, I'm glad I did,” Georgia shares. “We drove about 40 demos from this and a ton of paid sign-ups. The message of how vital unique insights are in this new AI age really clicked with people.”

Treat your first beta users like collaborators

Waitlists don’t always offer much value for customers. But the more excitement you create around it, the better you can build it. Tim’s approach for Penfriend was to create a “waitlist that felt like an insiders’ club instead of a holding pen.”

When prospects joined Penfriend’s waitlist, they automatically got an invitation to test the product in a private beta playground. They also received an email mini-course to help them learn how to use the product quickly.

Tim’s team added in challenges geared toward getting beta users to try the product. For example, “publish one Penfriend post, send me the URL, and I’d roast it live on Monday.”

Penfriend’s entire pre-launch email sequence maintained high open rates by providing consistent value. “Because every email either unlocked access, taught a trick, or spotlighted a win, open rates sat between 65% and 70% for nine straight weeks,” Tim shares.

When onboarding Wordbrew beta users, Georgia’s team prioritized help center content and demo videos. “Once people joined the beta, we shifted into nurturing mode. We shared new feature updates, built new features alongside our customers’ requests, shared behind-the-scenes product updates, and other helpful guides that explained what we were building and why it mattered.”

As a result, beta users became more invested in the product. And the team was able to improve the product more effectively.

“This specific kind of content definitely made early users feel like collaborators instead of just testers,” Georgia shares. “It also made it easier to collect feedback, because users understood the ‘why’ behind each decision. A lot of our best product insights came from these early conversations that were sparked by the content we shared internally.”

Time to plan your pre-launch content strategy

Successful pre-launch content isn’t about going viral or chasing empty traction. It’s about building awareness, earning trust, and starting real conversations so that when you’re ready to launch, the right people are already paying attention.

At Relato, we’ve seen how much easier this becomes when teams pair a clear strategy with AI-powered content operations that keep messaging consistent and scalable from pre-launch through growth. The teams that win early are the ones who treat content as a system, not a series of one-off posts.