What is a soft launch?
A soft launch refers to the common strategy of releasing a product ahead of its scheduled launch with little or no marketing push. Unlike full launches, soft launches are usually planned as "rehearsals" for a full launch, and let developers simulate real-world interactions with their app. This launch is usually limited in the number of users admitted and can help a company check and fix things like bugs or user reactions before a full, official launch.
Soft launches also allow companies to optimize marketing spend by testing user acquisition strategies in markets similar to their launch market. Some companies choose soft launches when they want to keep their service under wraps and gradually add users.
Soft launch vs. Hard launch
For many companies, a soft launch offers a more cost-effective approach to product releases that also provides more time to fine-tune existing offerings.
A soft launch also grants studio teams time to gain both practical and situational learning by exposing them to a limited audience and real-world scenarios, and helps companies gather real-time data to keep developing.
Hard launches, by contrast, can offer immediate revenue through mobile game monetization, but expose companies to greater risk: they’re usually accompanied by a large marketing push, and apps with unsuccessful hard launches can exhaust marketing budgets before optimizing for ROI, user experience, or retention.
What are strategies for soft launching an app?
When it comes to apps, the most important aspects of a soft launch are user data and app performance data. The former is key to determining the actual audience interested in your app, as well as how successful current user acquisition strategies are in terms of conversion.
One useful way to test this is by launching limited user acquisition campaigns in smaller, more affordable markets first.
A soft launch should also focus on app performance and fixing existing problems, since real-world users are often the best way to identify bugs, glitches, or problem points in the experience. A live app also helps companies see what features are popular. Live A/B testing is incredibly useful here, for determining which features are worth keeping and how to market them best.
Understanding which monetization strategies work best is also easier with a soft launch, since it leaves room to adjust. Rewarded video or display ad implementation, along with IAP design, can all be tested before a full audience sees them.
For a deeper walkthrough, see Unity’s own guide to making the most of your launch.