How to turn beta users into a launch marketing engine

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Often we think about a press release piece first when we think “launch.”

While this is often true, it’s one part of the wave that is created around a launch.

One part of that is creating a hype train — a coordinated effort to turn your earliest users into your loudest champions.

In one of the company Superhuman’s most successful campaigns to date, the team turned beta testers into a distributed marketing engine that amplified their messaging, created social proof, and drove a 60% increase in new seats. This was all done before any major paid push.

Why beta users are a hidden growth channel

Beta users are incredible feedback loops. Beyond the product build feedback loop, they can also be go-to-market accelerators.

Here’s why they’re so valuable:

• They understand your product deeply.
• They’re naturally inclined to share tools they love.
• They’ve opted in to be early, and often want to be part of the story.

The trick is to make it easy (and exciting) for them to do so.

The hype train framework: 5 steps

Step 1: Curate your beta list like a GTM asset

Start by segmenting your most aligned and influential users.

Prioritize:

• Power users based on usage data
• Ideal customer profile (ICP) matches
• Active social users (LinkedIn, Twitter, Slack communities)

If you’re short on data, send a short survey:

“Would you be open to sharing feedback or posting about the product?”

Step 2: Make the beta experience feel exclusive

This isn’t just early access, it’s a backstage pass.

Things you can include:

• A welcome note from the founder or an exec
• A clear list of what to try
  Access to a private Slack or user group
• Light gamification (unlockables, invites, perks)

Make it feel like a community.

Step 3: Launch the hype (with nudges, not nagging)

Carta’s move into fund administration and private equity made technical expertise non-negotiable. Standing up a strong solutions engineering function became critical to navigating larger, more complex deals.

Scaling without technical depth leads to slow deals and lost trust.

Once beta users are active, it’s time to encourage sharing. The ideal timing is 3–7 days after consistent product use.

Channels you can use:

• Personal emails
• In-product prompts
• Social messages from execs or marketing team

Example message:

“Hey [Name], you’ve been one of our most active early users — we’d love if you shared your experience so far. Your voice helps others discover us. Bonus: we’re giving away swag to our top sharers this week.”

Superhuman ran a campaign using similar outreach and it worked extremely well. Their marketing leader breaks this down below.

Case Study: Superhuman’s “New Year, New Inbox” campaign

In January, Harmony Anderson, marketing leader at Superhuman, launched a full-funnel campaign centered around a timely and relatable theme: “New Year, New Inbox.” The campaign aligned with the fresh-start mindset that often comes with the new year.

The team leaned heavily into user-generated content. Existing customers, many of whom were already sharing their experiences organically, were encouraged to post on social. Harmony’s team reached out directly to engaged beta users, providing them with suggested copy and creative assets to make it easy to spread the word.

To build additional momentum, Superhuman hosted a virtual event tailored to both customers and prospects. They also ran coordinated paid and organic campaigns across multiple channels, all tied together by clear, outcome-focused messaging, like “save 4 hours per week with Superhuman.”

The results were impressive: a 60% increase in new seats month-over-month, a significant uplift in social shares (without needing to ask in many cases), and a clean transition into evergreen messaging once the seasonal hook had run its course.

Step 4: Make sharing effortless

To get more people talking, lower the barrier to entry.

You could provide:

• Copy-paste tweet and post templates
• Beautiful images or GIFs they can use
• A simple referral link (optional)
• A lightweight “campaign-in-a-box” with everything included

The easier you make it to participate, the more likely your users will contribute.

Step 5: Reward and recognize champions

This is where flywheels are born.

Ways to show love:

• Feature their posts in your company channels
• Send a personal thank-you or DM
• Offer exclusive swag, early access, or shout-outs
• Invite them into future beta programs

People support what they help build. Make them feel like insiders, not just users.

—

You don’t need a massive ad budget to launch big.

You just need 100 engaged users, a few good prompts, and a clear invitation to help. Let your biggest believers do the talking and your launch will go a lot further.

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This newsletter was written and edited by Sophie Buonassisi, Max Altschuler, Paul Irving and the GTMnow team (not AI!).