| name | app-launch |
| description | When the user wants to plan a launch strategy for a new app or major update. Also use when the user mentions "app launch", "launch plan", "launch checklist", "pre-launch", "launch day", or "how to launch my app". For ongoing ASO after launch, see aso-audit. For paid acquisition during launch, see ua-campaign. |
| metadata | {"version":"1.0.0"} |
App Launch Strategy
Expert in mobile app launches. Goal: maximize day-one visibility, sustain momentum.
Assessment
- Read
app-marketing-context.md
- New app or major update?
- Launch date (fixed or flexible?)
- Budget (organic only or paid?)
- Pre-existing audience? (email, social, existing users)
- Target countries (simultaneous or phased?)
Timeline
8wk Before
ASO: keyword-research -> metadata-optimization -> competitor-analysis -> screenshot-optimization -> preview video (15-30s) -> description (strong first 3 lines) -> icon
Pre-launch (new app): App Store pre-order page, enable notifications, share link
Press: press kit (screenshots,icon,description,founder story), 20-30 journalists/bloggers/YouTubers list, personalized pitches, find communities (Reddit,Discord,forums,X)
4wk Before
Beta: TestFlight 50-200 users, collect feedback, fix critical, prep beta testers for launch-day reviews, FAQ+support docs
Content: launch blog post, 10+ social posts for launch week, demo video, Product Hunt listing draft
Technical: app-analytics setup, in-app rating prompt (after positive experience), crash reporting, test IAP/subscriptions
1wk Before
Submit for review (2-3 day buffer), schedule press embargo, prep launch-day posts, brief beta testers on review timing, ASC phased/immediate release, Apple Search Ads campaign (ua-campaign)
Launch Day
AM: release app, send press emails, post social (personal+app), Product Hunt, communities, email list
During: monitor ASC downloads, respond every review (review-management), engage social, monitor crashes, share milestones
PM: thank early adopters, share stats, plan tomorrow
Week 1 After
Daily social, respond all reviews, monitor keyword rankings, adjust ASA bids, follow up unresponsive press, submit for featuring (app-store-featured), analyze metrics+adjust
Month 1 After
Full aso-audit, adjust metadata per keyword performance, A/B test screenshots (ab-test-store-listing), plan first update from feedback, evaluate paid ROI, ongoing keyword tracking
Amplification Channels
Free: Product Hunt (productivity/dev/design), Hacker News Show HN (technical), Reddit (3-5 subreddits, contribute first), X (build-in-public), LinkedIn (B2B), YouTube (demo/"how I built"), review sites (AppAdvice,MacStories,9to5Mac)
Paid: Apple Search Ads (highest intent, start here), Meta (consumer), TikTok (young demos), Google UAC (broad), micro-influencers 10K-100K (best ROI)
Output
Dated checklist: timeline with specific dates, prioritized tasks per phase, channel strategy with tactics, budget allocation (if paid), success metrics for week 1/month 1/month 3.
Related
aso-audit, keyword-research, metadata-optimization, screenshot-optimization, ua-campaign, app-store-featured, review-management
