What should a founder post around a product launch or event?

95%

of business buyers are out of market at any given time, by the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute's 95-5 rule, as cited in the 2024 Edelman-LinkedIn report

Why shouldn't a launch be a single post?

Because most of the people who see it aren't buying that week. The 2024 Edelman and LinkedIn thought leadership report, drawing on the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute's 95-5 rule, puts 95 percent of business buyers out of market at any given time. A launch post reaches a few people with a need right now, and the rest scroll on.

So think of a launch as a reason to post several useful things, spread over a few weeks, each of which will still make sense to someone who finds it later. The announcement is one of them, not all of them.

What should you post before the launch?

The problem, not the product. Share what you keep hearing from customers, the mistake you see people make, or a decision you made while building. These posts show the people who will care later why the launch matters, so the announcement lands with an audience that already understands it.

You can also share the work in progress honestly. A short video of something half finished, or a post about a hard choice you made, gives people a reason to follow along without asking them for anything.

What should the launch post itself say?

Who it is for and what it changes for them, in the first two lines. Then show it working. LinkedIn's own help page on sharing video gives showing off a new product your startup just launched as one example of a video worth posting. A short clip of you using the product, explaining the problem it solves as you go, says more than a list of features.

Keep the ask simple. If you want people to try it, say how. One clear next step is easier to act on than several.

What should you post after the launch?

What happens next. Share how the first customers use it, what surprised you, and what you changed in response. These posts can carry as much weight as the announcement, because they show real use rather than a promise.

That substance is what hidden buyers look for. They shape a purchase, yet most have little or no contact with the vendor's sales team. In the 2025 Edelman and LinkedIn report on hidden buyers, 95 percent of them said strong thought leadership makes them more receptive to sales and marketing outreach.

What should you post around an event?

Your view, not your attendance. Before, a short post saying you will be there and what you want to talk about helps people find you. Afterwards, share what you learned, what you disagreed with and what it means for your customers. A post that simply says you had a great time at a conference adds little for anyone who wasn't there.

If you spoke at the event, record fresh answers on the talk's main points, and they can feed several posts over the following weeks. If you only attended, one or two posts with a clear opinion are enough.