In this Part we’re covering the second content pillar of our launch: behind the scenes.

Remember I mentioned I'd be sharing the nitty-gritty details of our quarter-million-pound launch? Well, guess what? You're looking at it right now!

This very newsletter is a prime example of behind-the-scenes content. I'm quite literally giving you a peek behind the curtain as we speak.

And it doesn't stop here - I'm doing the same thing across my social media channels. I'm recording what I'm working on, asking questions, seeking help, and even working out problems live.

Why am I doing this? Well, that's exactly what we're going to dive into today. Welcome to Part 2 of our Launch Social Media Strategy series, where we're focusing on the power of behind-the-scenes content.

Let’s get started:

What is Behind-the-Scenes Content?

Behind-the-scenes content is exactly what it sounds like - it's giving your audience a glimpse into what's happening behind the curtain.

Some people use the term “opening the kimono”. But I find it a bit gross. And who wants to see me in a silk kimono anyway? Maybe don’t answer that…

Behind the scenes content is showing the process, the struggles, the victories, and even the mundane day-to-day tasks that go into creating your product or service. Hell, sometime the mundane posts are the most engaging because they remind people that you are, you know, a person.

This type of content is particularly powerful if you run a personal brand (and let's face it, in today's world, you should!). People love to see what's happening behind the scenes, especially when it comes to someone they follow and admire.

The Power of Building in Public

You might have heard me talk about "building in public" before. Well, this is it in action. Building in public is essentially creating your product or service out in the open, sharing your progress, setbacks, and victories with your audience as they happen.

It's a powerful strategy because it does several things:

1. It creates transparency and builds trust with your audience. Ultimately launches are about trust so the more you build the better.

2. It generates interest and anticipation for your launch.

3. It allows you to get real-time feedback from potential customers.

4. It creates a sense of investment from your audience in your product.

Here's a hard truth: you can't just say "Hey, I'm launching!" 150 times over the next few months. I’ve seen companies do this. They put out a daily sales message just talking about how great their launch will be. Snooze. That's about as exciting as watching paint dry.

Instead we need to fill the airwaves with related, interesting content. The key word here is related - when selling you don’t sell sell sell in every damn post. You talk around the sale as well, fill in the gaps, build trust, anticipation and excitement. And then when you do sell (we’ll get to this) the groundwork has already been laid.

By sharing your journey, you're constantly reminding people about your upcoming launch without being repetitive or salesy. You're creating a narrative that people want to follow, and more importantly, want to be a part of.

Co-opting Your Audience: Building Together

One of the most powerful aspects of behind-the-scenes content is that it allows you to co-opt your audience into the creation process. This is a bit more subtle but deployed well it’s wonderful. Here's how it works:

1. You declare what you're building.

2. You build it openly, sharing your progress.

3. People contribute their ideas and feedback.

4. You incorporate their feedback into your product.

5. You tell people how you've incorporated their ideas.

OK sounds basic right? But this process is incredibly powerful. Not only are you getting valuable feedback from future customers, but you're also making them feel part of the process. It becomes "their" product in a way.

They wanted it, you created it, and now they can access it by buying! You’ve already planted seeds of ownership - they want to own it because they were part of its creation.

I used this technique for my last two 6 figure launches this year - basically asking people if they wanted it, having them help shape it and then simply stating, “OK what you wanted is ready, here’s how to buy it”. Simple? Yup. Effective? God damn right it is.

Risks and How to Mitigate Them

Now, I know what some of you might be thinking: "But Kyle, aren't I giving away too much by showing people what I’m up to? Won't people just take my ideas and not buy later? Can’t they just piece it together from my public activity??"

Here's the truth: people don't act on information alone. We’re just too damn lazy.

I could give away unlimited information, and most people still wouldn't use it. Why? Because information by itself lacks two crucial elements:

1. The emotional hook to start taking action.

2. The accountability and detailed steps to make it actionable.

These elements come from the product itself. So don't worry about giving away too much. Focus on being as helpful and transparent as possible.

Some people still don’t believe me when I tell them to bare all and give away information. My rejoinder to this is always to point out that Harvard and MIT put out their course material for free online. Lectures, handouts, homework and even the exams (you need to pay to take the exam but it’s low cost compared to enrolling normally).

Technically anyone can get themselves a computer science degree from MIT using that material.

Does anyone do it? Hell no! Without the push of enrolling, having peers, structured terms, lectures and teachers no one acts on this information.

The information isn’t enough by itself. Your product is the key that will get them their desired result.

Examples of Behind-the-Scenes Content for Launches

So, what kind of behind-the-scenes content can you create for your launch? Here are some ideas along with examples where relevant:

Share what you're working on today.