Marketing a token launch is akin to IPO-level comms. You’re not just shipping a token — you’re launching a product, a market, and a new way for people to coordinate. Treat it that way.

Quick caveat: this checklist focuses on the marketing leg of your TGE or the last mile that takes your token from concept to launch in public. There’s a whole operational track running alongside it: negotiating with exchanges and market makers, finalizing tokenomics, managing listings, and more. I’m assuming those pieces are already in motion.

Below is a checklist of what to think through so you don’t miss the moments that matter.

1. Align messaging across audiences

Start by mapping your key audiences (contributors, token holders, users, builders, investors) and get clear on:

• What value the token creates for each group (and why you’re not just “another airdrop”)
• How it connects to your product, infra, and ecosystem
• Where the legal lines are (regulatory framing matters, but it depends on your company’s risk appetite)

This becomes your internal messaging doc and the anchor for exec comms and team alignment.

Pro tip: The best messaging docs make it obvious why each audience should care.

2. Sequence your announcements

Don’t drop everything at once. Build narrative momentum in stages:

1. Tease the vision: why this project matters
2. Educate: what role the token plays and why it exists
3. Announce mechanics: eligibility, supply, key dates
4. Publish a participation guide: how to get involved and what happens post-launch

Pro tip: Repeat your core messages until they stick, and get your team, partners, and ecosystem to amplify them.

3. Make the token easy to understand

Don’t leave it to X threads. Solid documentation is what builds trust.

• Launch a dedicated token hub.
• Include tokenomics, key dates, eligibility, and FAQs.
• Use plain language: clarity prevents FUD and avoids confusion.
• Be as transparent as legally possible.

Pro tip: When launching, your landing page and docs should tell a simple, credible story. Clear framing beats hype every time.

4. Use the CEO as a messenger

Founders need to be visible. Think of it like a roadshow:

• Host private AMAs with token holders.
• Record video explainers.
• Join podcast circuits or X Spaces/livestreams with aligned partners or top community members.

Let people hear directly from the person building the network.

5. Keep your community channels under control

Token launches attract trolls, scammers, and confused users. Without trained mods (can be somebody already on your team), you risk losing the narrative in your own Discord.

• Staff support channels 24/7 for at least the first 72 hours post-launch.
• Prep canned responses for FAQs, edge cases, and refund/reclaim issues.
• Work with your ops or security leads to shut down fake bots and scam sites fast.

Pro tip: Something will always go wrong. Have playbooks ready for site downtime, wallet bugs, price swings, or security incidents before they happen.

6. Backchannel comms to influencers and aligned ecosystem partners

Launches supported by credible voices tend to land better, but you can’t rely on people to tweet spontaneously.

• Create a brief for key partners with embargo times, messaging suggestions, and visuals.
• Give aligned builders/influencers a reason to care and context to share.
• Avoid hype-chasing; focus on credibility and relevance.

Pro tip: Skip the paid bots and low-value noise. It makes you sound sketchy and undermines the rest of your content.

7. Control the signal: private, gated events

Don’t rely solely on X for discourse. Host closed video events with verified token holders. Let them submit and upvote questions. You’ll get better feedback/input and a higher signal-to-noise ratio.

8. Design a post-TGE marketing plan

The launch is just the start. Plan for:

• Ongoing education: explain utility in digestible, entertaining formats
• Exchange campaigns: work with exchanges to sustain token demand among retailers
• Community ambassadors: empower aligned token holders to carry the message
• At least 1 month of planned content, sequenced by audience and channel

Don’t let the excitement die on launch day.

9. Internal comms matter too

Prepare your team:

• The token launch is one step, not the finish line.
• Market price ≠ product value
• Focus remains on building, not price-watching.

Pro tip: Treat internal comms like investor relations — failed IPOs show what happens when teams mistake price for progress and let morale slip.

BONUS: Bring your token to life through creative storytelling

Strong messaging is table stakes — what makes a launch stand out is a creative story that people remember and want to share.

• Develop a campaign that brings your token to life beyond the announcement.
• Invest in visual storytelling (graphics, short videos, explainer animations, memes) to make it instantly recognizable.
• Think about how your creative concept carries across channels: site, X, Discord, and partner posts.

Final note: Timing is everything

You only get one shot at a first impression. If your story isn’t tight and your product isn’t ready, wait. The market remembers messy launches longer than delayed ones.

What else would you add?

Thank you to @molinaxis and @emilyxlai for their thoughtful feedback on this piece.

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