Anticipation Marketing: Crushing It Without Being Salesy 📈

So, a lot of readers on this mailing list have asked “why isn’t there more support for business development” so over this 2025, I’ll be giving you tons of great information/advice regarding developing your business.

So, the big question: Are you tired of feeling like you're constantly chasing customers? Wondering how to get people lining up to buy from you instead?

Marketers face many challenges, not the least of which is building genuine interest and demand for products and services without being perceived as too salesy and running flash sales. 

Launch strategist Brenna McGowan has developed a powerful solution to this dilemma: called anticipation marketing.

While McGowan presents this framework in five weeks for clarity, its content doesn't need to be consumed linearly. The key is ensuring all elements are present in your prelaunch period before you offer your product or service. This timeline might seem long to some marketers, but you're already creating content – this framework simply makes that content more strategic and purposeful.

If you typically post on social media three times per week, you can structure those posts to align with whichever phase of the anticipation framework you're in.

Making this a sustainable and manageable strategy, even for busy business owners.

Pro Tip: McGowan developed an AI-powered launch calendar tool that helps create customised launch plans based on these principles.

About Content Development and Distribution

Anticipation marketing content can be delivered through various channels. The goal is to create multiple touchpoints that reinforce your message while accommodating different content consumption preferences.

For example, a single story might be:

• Shared as a complete narrative in an email

• Broken down into a series of social media posts

• Discussed in detail on a podcast episode

• Expanded into a blog post with additional context

Just be sure you maintain consistency in the core message while adapting the delivery method to suit each platform.

Week 1: Tell Stories That Help Your Audience Identify With You

The first week focuses entirely on strategic storytelling. The stories you tell must be intentionally framed through the lens of your offer and your audience's needs.

First, you need to identify at least three distinct reasons why you do what you do, then use them to form the basis for different story angles.

McGowan's first story angle focuses on her desire for flexibility that allows her to be present for her children. Another centers on her quest to find authentic sales methods that don't rely on pressure tactics. A third revolves around her mission to help others make their content more profitable. Each angle resonates with different audience segments while supporting her overall message.

Week 2: Address Pain Points

The second week is dedicated to demonstrating a deep understanding of your audience's challenges--without providing a solution. This approach might feel counterintuitive, especially for those trained to provide immediate value, but it works.

The goal during this phase is twofold: making prospects feel truly seen and understood while reminding them of the cost of not addressing their challenges. This reminder isn't about creating artificial pressure but rather about helping people recognise the impact of their current situation.

Susan Reoch, a UX copywriter, works with website copywriters who handle large-scale projects. She could easily fall into the trap of immediately offering solutions for managing complex projects. Instead, she shares stories about the overwhelming feeling of staring at a blank page while juggling client expectations, research requirements, and presentation preparation.

Week 3: Challenge Myths and Misconceptions

The third week addresses common misconceptions that prevent potential clients from taking action. Myths are often deeply held beliefs based on personal experiences or industry assumptions that may no longer serve people well.

Julie Cabezas, who works with high-ticket service providers, discovered that many potential clients believed charging premium prices would make them appear greedy. 

Rather than directly confronting this belief, she shares personal stories about her journey to becoming a high-ticket mentor, demonstrating how premium pricing often leads to better client results and more sustainable businesses.

Week 4: Address Objections

The fourth week tackles objections, which often run deeper than surface-level concerns about time or money. 

For example, she had yet to sign up for TSA PreCheck despite knowing the cost was minimal and it would save her time. Even when faced with a long security line that could make her miss her flight, she hesitated when offered a chance to skip ahead by stepping out of line to sign up for Clear. 

Her objection, in that moment, wasn't about money. It was seated in a worry that she would leave the line and possibly have to return to it and start her wait all over again. She didn't trust Clear's rep's promise to get her through the line.

Emily Reagan, who teaches digital marketing for PR, has to address an objection shared by many of her potential customers: "Will I get enough clients by taking the course?" Her posts must demonstrate that clients are available and that her students attract them effectively.

Week 5: Paint the Transformation

The final week focuses on helping prospects envision their future after working with you or using your product. To do this, you need to activate three critical belief components for your customers:

1. Belief in you or your brand as the right solution provider

2. Belief in your specific solution as the right option

3. Belief in themselves and their ability to achieve the promised results

I’d like you to give this method and steps a try and let me know how they’ve worked for you. Alternatively, you can get in touch with me to help you work on your marketing to help you crush it in 2025!

Q&A

• So, are you ready to harness the power of using anticipation marketing for your business?

• Do you have any pain points I can help you with smoothing out regarding marketing or business development?

• What do you think you could utilise from anticipation marketing and how would it impact your business?

Whenever you’re ready, here’s how I can help you:

1. Book a {10 MINUTE} Business Power Call with me, to arrange working together to make your marketing stand out online as I tweak your approach, and analyse how to improve your current video, business strategy or marketing.

2. Don’t have time to create great marketing for yourself? You focus on your business, whilst we focus on creating the marketing support that you’ve always dreamed of. Get in touch to find out more.

Until next Friday, love to you all!

My Partner Services
Sky Adsmart  | Cheekymonkey Marketing  |

Fire an email back to me at [email protected] and let’s keep the chat going 👌🏻