Building an Audience Before You Have a Product
people respect the journey as much as they respect the outcome. They respect the building process as much as they respect what you've built.
Before I explain to you why this is an absolute MUST, let me tell you about a situation with a friend.
So I have this friend that lives out of state, she's goal oriented and super intelligent! She often has a few ideas up her sleeve and executes on the majority of them.
She sent me a text message one day asking if I still build websites, I replied “unfortunately, no” since I've been really focused on this Newsletter and consulting clients. So I asked her what type of business she was starting.
She explained that she would be starting a fairly big jump house for kids, she might even add some children's dance lessons and a few other things. I thought this was awesome.
So, naturally I had to ask her if she had a location yet.
She replied “Yes, kinda”.
She laid it all out to me. Explained that while she hasn't purchased the location she was in fact in talks with a loan adviser for a really nice size building near her home. A Really good location by the way.
Somewhere in the conversation we ended up discussing a micro business plan, a rough draft of a few marketing steps she could use to build this business.
She told me that she didn't have the location yet and did not have anything to market. I told her that this would be one of the most important times to position her brand.
The following information could be used for other business models!
Here is How I recommended that she start.
Branding A Jump house Without A Jump house
Take Note Of All Inventory
What do you have right now that you can promote? Think about things like pictures, videos, social media accounts, websites. Maybe you purchased an empty building that you've not quite finished making your own? Maybe you just purchased uniforms?
This is important to understand: people respect the journey as much as they respect the outcome. They respect the building process as much as they respect what you've built.
Take Note Of Your Budget
After you understand the inventory or tools that you have you can start a marketing plan. The budget will guide you in the direction of what sources (free or paid) that you can use.
Regardless of your budget (or Lack there of) I recommend you begin with social media. You'll end up on social media at some point or another anyway, you might as well start now right?
Branding starts with images, a logo, a clear mission statement, branded colors and passion.
I recommended that she start by documenting the process of building and branding her business by doing things like shooting quick videos of the building when doing walk through’s with the owner.
Taking pictures/video when she meets up to do anything regarding the business will start to put a trustworthy name behind the brand. She could even post it as a business update.
I also recommended that she go to fitness events and events for kids to pass out coupons with a projected opening date listed. This will get the brand name in front of a targeted audience and incentivize them to be on the look out for a business that isn't open just yet.
A huge win would be to convert people to email subscribers.
Her email subscribers could be marketed to with new coupons throughout the months leading to her grand opening reminding them when the location will open and incentivizing them to visit.
As time went, we discussed more. I just wanted to detail how easily you can market an Idea and start to get future customers before your brand reaches the level you want.
Top 10 Ways To Help Build Your Brand Brand Before You Have A Product
1. Build in public on social media
Let folks watch you build. Talk wins, losses, and what you're figuring out along the way.
Why it works: People root for what they help build. They start feeling connected before you even launch.
2. Partner with micro-influencers
Forget the celebs. Work with smaller creators who actually talk to their audience.
Why it works: Their followers trust them more. And trust equals clicks, signups, and sales.
3. Run giveaway contests tied to email signups
Give away something dope—but only if they drop their email. Make it easy, fun, and fast.
Why it works: Your list grows real quick. And you build hype while stacking future buyers.
4. Publish behind-the-scenes updates on Medium or Substack
Tell the story behind the screen. Share how it’s being built, what’s breaking, what you’re learning.
Why it works: It builds loyalty and authority. People love realness and transparency over fluff.
5. Start a countdown campaign via email
Send short, exciting countdown emails leading up to launch. Day by day. Keep the energy building.
Why it works: It builds tension. And when you finally drop, people show up because they’ve been waiting.
6. Use retargeting ads to stay top-of-mind
Ever looked at shoes once and saw them everywhere? Same play. But with your product.
Why it works: People don’t buy on first click. But by the 5th or 6th time they see you? Boom. They convert.
7. Create a “weekly wins” carousel with shoutouts to early supporters
Post a highlight reel every week. Tag your early fans, testers, or top commenters.
Why it works: It builds a tribe. People want to be seen and recognized—especially if they believe in your brand.
8. Feature micro-influencers as case studies instead of just endorsers
Instead of just paying influencers to talk, turn them into real users. Show how your product helps them.
Why it works: It adds proof. It’s not just hype—it’s how the product fits real lives.
9. Publish a mini-doc or time-lapse of your product being built
Film the process. Mess-ups, breakthroughs, and all. Edit it into a 1–3 minute story.
Why it works: It humanizes your brand. And it keeps people interested in what you’re about to drop.
10. Turn your founder story into a mini-series across platforms
Tell your story like a show. Episode 1: how you got the idea. Episode 2: your first fail. Keep it rolling.
Why it works: Story sells. And if people believe in you, they’ll trust the product even more.