How can I ensure a successful product launch on Product Hunt?

Looking for answers and inspiration here with you :)

++ looking for some tips here

Build your followers so they can support you on the day, have a great, well tested product , our AI financial model builder 'Anton" - releasing soon here - please follow me to see our launch, cheers Pallavi, Mike

We launched Fitmap 4 months ago. We gained about 300+ followers as of now with zero marketing budget and about 29 positive reviews. This is what I suggest : Pre-launch phase : 1. Build your support across channels - PH, Linkedin and Direct contacts. This is the list you can reach out to for support on your launch day, especially founders in PH who recently launched, they are generally active and are willing to help you. Remember, always support them before you ask support from them. 2. Genuinely give back to the community at PH consistently. Participate, add value and stay genuine. 3. Create a compelling product story which is consistent across your brand. This is extremely important. Might take more time than you plan, that’s okay. • What does your product do? • Why does it exist? • Who does it help the most? • How is it different/unique? This is the story the makers should live and breathe before, during and after the launch. I’m happy to create a blog post on this very subject. Please let me know. 4. Have a fantastic website which aligns with the products story in and out. This is crucial. You might get upvotes with a good launch page on PH. But that’s not the intended goal, I believe. If you need customers (your best friends) and sign ups, invest in a great site. Don’t try to make the mistake of creating/building a website before finalising the story. 5. Invest in a good designer/ tool to create good looking thumbnails. Again, use your story to define the narrative. People do judge a book by its cover. Dont skip this. Try multiple versions of the designs and ask for feedback by sending them to your close list of supports. Early feedback is gold. 6. Write a compelling and genuine first comment. Please don’t do it on the fly on the day of the launch. Have it ready at least a week before and set it aside. Read it again a few days before and see if it still makes sense. Make changes if needed. Repeat the process a day before the launch. This should give you a much better version than the first draft. 7. Before the launch day, get some sleep. You need it. Hope I made sense, guys. If you think I should refine it post and make it more concrete, tell me. I’ll put a blog post and share it with the community. Also, tell me if I need to share thoughts on the “During launch” phase. Happy building 🔥

Don’t forget to reach out to me on day of launch!

not an expert, but i think it's the engagement you have within PH community and of course supporting others' launches too..

I don't think yo can ensure success. BUT, engaging regularly and being active in the community helps a lot.