How to avoid a marketing hangover

Want to avoid a marketing hangover? 🍻

TL;DR: Make sure to create a plan for what you do AFTER a big launch. Not just before the launch.

I get it. Launching something new creates a huge rush. There’s so much adrenaline, anxiety, and a (hopefully) healthy balance of fear and excitement.

It’s like your whole body reverberates with electricity.

I’m in that “pre-launch” stage of energy right now. Future Proof Festival is one month away and I’m working with clients to make a splash with some attention-grabbing pre-event campaigns.

(I’ll be sure to share more next Friday once things are live.)

But—why should you care about that?

Because doing big, new things is not all rainbows and perfectly toasted marshmallows.

Big launches have a way of leading to big hangovers.

The adrenaline fades, the likes and shares slowly fade, and you’re left staring into the void of a “What Now?” moment.

If you don’t plan for that moment, momentum dies.

It happens all. the. time.

🦗 A rebrand goes live..and social accounts go silent after one post.

🎸 The final note rings out on Future Proof’s final night concert…and no one ever gets a follow-up email.

Brands that win are great at creating big moments but they are even better at making those moments last.

Ultimately, winning means creating a marriage of the creative and the mundane.

One of my favorite artists, Austin Kleon, puts it this way: “Every day is Groundhog Day.”

In other words, build a routine. Stick to it. That’s how you win, whether you’re a creative writer, a CEO, or a sales rep.

Your marketing absolutely needs big, bold creative ideas to grab people’s attention. There’s simply too much noise to be boring these days.

However, you also need systems in place to do the “boring” work that no one sees that can turn a single wave into a consistent tide.

In your marketing, long-term momentum can look like these two super simple steps.

1. Plan the “After” before you launch

Map out a 90-day plan for how you’re going to take advantage of your big moment. What are the pieces of content, offers, and outreach points you’re going to make that will keep you in people’s ears and build on the goodwill you generate with your splash?

2. Turn your spark into a series

It doesn’t matter if you’re pushing a press release with product updates or a new website; one great moment can create dozens of smaller ones. Here’s how:

👫 Create micro enhancers.

Launched a website that includes client testimonials? Follow it up with weekly client success stories built around those quotes to keep your updated brand on people’s minds with real words from real people (not just your own bravado).

🔄 Repurpose everything.

Long videos? Share 15-second clips. New visuals? Each one becomes a social post. New tagline? It needs a multi-part nurture sequence to go with it.

Launching something new is always fun. What happens next is where the real success happens.

Here’s to a hangover-free life (in your marketing, at least). 🍺