Guide
Product launch video plan: three weeks before, one week after
Updated
Start posting launch videos three weeks before launch day, not in launch week. People buy on launch day when they already know the product.
In short
- A good product launch video plan starts three weeks before launch day and runs one week after it.
- Week 1 is a teaser that shows part of the product and the launch date.
- Week 2 explains why you made the product, including its downside.
- Week 3 shows how it works in one continuous demo, plus short answers to common questions.
- The plan gives you 12 videos at three a week, with two saved for launch week.
- Of videos before launch day
- 3 weeks
- Three a week for four weeks
- 12 videos
- Saved for the busy days of launch week
- 2 videos
Why start three weeks early?
On launch day, people buy a product they already know. Very few buy something they first see that morning.
- The weeks before give people time to recognise the product before the offer arrives.
- Their questions get answered before the day they are ready to buy.
- You can run the early videos as small ads, see which ones people watch and comment on, and replace the weak ones.
Four weeks, one job each
Weeks 1 to 3 come before launch day. The 2 saved videos keep launch week busy.
Week 1: the teaser
Builds curiosity. The comments tell you what to answer in week 3
Week 2: why you made it
Your reasons, and what the product costs you in return
Week 3: how it works
One demo in one go, plus answers to common questions
Week 4: first reactions
Customer reactions, stock updates and the 2 saved videos
Week 1: the teaser
The teaser builds curiosity. Its comments tell you what people want to know.
- Show the product partly hidden, or show the problem with no product in frame, and say the launch date.
- One option is a person with the problem describing it, ending on the date.
- Another option is close shots of hands, a corner of the box or the texture, never the whole product.
- Keep the promise small, because the product has to live up to it.
- Post three versions in the first week to see which one gets the most attention.
- Save the questions from the comments. They become your week 3 videos.
This is the whole editor
Highlight a phrase and a clip lands on those exact words. No timeline, no keyframes, no layers.
Week 2: why you made it
This video is for people who are still deciding. Only the founder or maker can film it.
- Say what you used before, why it failed, what you made instead and what that costs.
- Name the downside honestly, for example that it costs more, takes longer, weighs more or suits only some people.
- Naming the downside answers the objection early, and it makes your other claims easier to believe.
- Keep the product mostly out of frame. This video is about your reasons.
- Film it in one go by a window. A polished version is less believable.
Week 3: how it works
People now know the product exists and why you made it. Now show exactly what they get.
- Save two of these videos for launch week, because you will run out of new ones faster than you expect.
- A video already filmed is worth more on day three of the launch than one you rush that morning.
Week 3 videos
| Video | How to film it | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Demo | One continuous shot, no cuts | Cuts in a demo look like you are hiding something |
| One video per question | Price, size, shipping time, fit, returns | The questions come from the week 1 comments |
| Unboxing | Filmed by you, before customers film their own | Sets expectations, and you can reuse it for a year |
| Size | The product next to something familiar, in at least one video | Surprise about size is a common reason for returns |
Video: Demo
- How to film it
- One continuous shot, no cuts
- Why
- Cuts in a demo look like you are hiding something
Video: One video per question
- How to film it
- Price, size, shipping time, fit, returns
- Why
- The questions come from the week 1 comments
Video: Unboxing
- How to film it
- Filmed by you, before customers film their own
- Why
- Sets expectations, and you can reuse it for a year
Video: Size
- How to film it
- The product next to something familiar, in at least one video
- Why
- Surprise about size is a common reason for returns
Launch week and after
Launch day videos are short and simple. The best material comes a few days later.
- On launch day, say it is live, what is included and when any offer ends.
- Ask the first customers for photos and reactions, on the packing slip and in the shipping email.
- Film yourself reading the first review that comes in.
- Post the restock or sold-out update, whether it looks good for you or not.
- The 12 videos keep working as ads and answers long after launch week.
Where Cutroom fits
Filming is one session a week. Editing 12 videos is where launch plans usually stall, and Cutroom does that part for you.
- You upload one video of you talking, up to 3 minutes long.
- You get a finished 9:16 MP4 with captions, a hook at the start and your product clips on the words that mention them.
- You pick from 40 caption styles, and you change the video by editing its transcript.
Credits for a 12-video launch
| Item | Credits or price |
|---|---|
| One 30-second video | About 110 credits (100 to edit, 20 per minute to export) |
| 12 launch videos | About 1,320 credits |
| Lite plan | $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos |
| Basic plan | $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits, enough for all 12 |
Item: One 30-second video
- Credits or price
- About 110 credits (100 to edit, 20 per minute to export)
Item: 12 launch videos
- Credits or price
- About 1,320 credits
Item: Lite plan
- Credits or price
- $19.99 a month for 1,250 credits, about 11 videos
Item: Basic plan
- Credits or price
- $39.99 a month for 2,500 credits, enough for all 12
Questions people ask
- How far ahead should I start making launch videos?
- About three weeks before launch day. That suits most small brands and what one person can film. Pricier products that people think about for weeks can start earlier. With less than a week, launch day is news to people who have never heard of you.
- What do I film if the product is not ready to show?
- The problem, how you make it and why you made it. Show the sourcing, the samples that failed, the workbench or a hand holding one part. A week 1 teaser never shows the whole product anyway.
- How many videos does a product launch need?
- This plan makes 12, three a week, with two saved for launch week. If 12 is too many, film fewer per week rather than skipping a week. The three weeks before launch matter more than the exact number.
- Should launch videos be ads or normal posts?
- Post them normally first, because the comments are free research. Then put money behind the ones people watched. If your audience is new and you must pay to reach it, run week 1 as a small paid test.
- What do I post after launch week?
- Customer reactions, the restock or sold-out update, and the how-it-works videos again for people who found you late. The question videos often keep working for months, because the questions do not change.
Book three filming sessions before you announce the launch date. Your first video is free.