The post-launch playbook: Turning launch momentum into growth

Have you ever launched a product that seemed like an instant success – early sign-ups, excited users, and plenty of buzz – but then, just a few weeks later, everything slows down? The momentum fades, and you’re left wondering, What’s next?

I’ve been in product marketing for over ten years, and I’ve seen this scenario unfold countless times. As exciting as the launch phase can be, it’s not the end of the road. In fact, it’s just the beginning. The real challenge starts after the launch – turning that initial excitement into sustainable, long-term growth.

So, in this article, I’ll walk you through the strategies, tactics, and mindsets you need to ensure that your post-launch phase doesn’t become a time of stagnation but instead a period of continuous, predictable growth.

Let’s dive into how you can turn your product’s early wins into lasting success.

The new landscape: Why traditional GTM tactics don’t work anymore

Let’s first acknowledge a fundamental shift that’s taken place in the way we approach go-to-market (GTM) strategies. A few years ago, we could afford to throw a big launch event, blast the product across all channels, and hope for the best. But that’s not the case anymore.

Changing buyer expectations

Today’s B2B buyers want fast results. The buyers you’re engaging with now are either Millennials or from the generation that grew up with instant access to information. They don’t have the patience to wait months for your product to show value. They want to see it in action quickly, or they’ll move on to the next thing.

Innovation demands

The pace of innovation also keeps accelerating. If your product isn’t constantly evolving with features like AI and automation, it’s tough to compete. Users expect these features. They want to see automation, whether it’s for generating reports or other repetitive tasks.

Investor pressure

The pressure from investors has shifted as well. They aren’t looking for a big spike in sign-ups at launch. What they care about is sustainable growth. They want to know that the product will be around a year, or even five years from now, and that you’re actively working to engage users long-term. It’s not enough to get a few big logos or some early traction. They need to see consistent, profitable growth.

These shifts present challenges for us as marketers, and it’s why the typical "blow it out of the water" launch strategy doesn’t work anymore. According to recent research from SaaS Capital, 65% of products lose momentum within 90 days of their launch.

That means, after all that effort, we end up watching as the product adoption fades, and we’re left wondering what to do next.

Why does launch momentum fade?

Here’s the hard truth: just because your launch was successful doesn’t mean you’re done. In fact, I’ve seen too many teams celebrate too early only to see their adoption rates drop sharply in the following months. This happens because the focus often shifts too quickly from activation to scaling, leaving a gap where strategic post-launch activities should take place.

The problem with a lot of product launches is that they focus only on the initial spike. While that first wave of excitement is important, it’s just as crucial to focus on building sustainable engagement after the fact.

If you’ve launched your product and got some traction, the question becomes: what’s next? You have to prepare for the growth phase, or risk losing that early momentum.

The post-launch playbook: Turning launch momentum into sustainable growth