Free GTM Template

Launching a new product or entering a new market involves coordinating cross-functional teams, aligning stakeholders, and managing countless moving parts. Without a clear plan, it's easy for details to slip through the cracks before the real work even begins.

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy template provides a repeatable framework for organizing the entire process, from initial research through launch day. Below, you'll learn what a GTM strategy is, its key components, and how to build a reusable template, plus real-world examples and a free template to get started.

What is a go-to-market strategy?

A go-to-market (GTM) strategy is a step-by-step plan that outlines how your business will launch a new product or enter a new market. It covers everything from audience research and messaging to your sales process and promotion plan.

You might need a GTM strategy when you're:

• Launching a new product or service

• Expanding an existing product into a new market

• Relaunching a product with updated positioning

• Targeting a new customer segment

A strong go-to-market plan helps you launch at the right time, with the right messaging, to the right audience. These plans are broken down into phases, from research and planning to development and launch, and typically include your target audience, promotion plan, and GTM sales process.

What's the difference between a go-to-market strategy and a marketing plan?

While similar, GTM strategies and marketing plans serve totally different purposes for your business. A GTM strategy is a step-by-step roadmap that supports a specific, timed initiative (such as a new product launch).

On the other hand, a marketing plan is a detailed roadmap for achieving your marketing goals. Think of marketing plans as long-term, wide-ranging strategies that apply to many different marketing objectives.

What is a go-to-market strategy template?

A go-to-market strategy template is a reusable, prebuilt structure that helps you create, organize, and track your GTM strategy in real time. By building your template in a project management tool, you can view your plan at a high level, customize it for each launch, and shift due dates as needed.

Because templates are duplicable, you can quickly adjust them for future launches without starting from scratch each time.

Why do you need a go-to-market strategy template?

Launches have many moving parts. Before you can get to the real work, like competitor research, key messaging, and your launch plan, you have to kick-off the project.

GTM strategy templates simplify this upfront work by standardizing kick-off and planning repetitive tasks, so you don't have to start from scratch every launch. Other benefits include:

• Easily break down your strategy into phases

• Align cross-functional teams on your launch goals

• Visually track work as the team completes tasks

• Quickly view upcoming initiatives at a glance

• Track progress across an interactive timeline

• Shift due dates as priorities change

• Ensure every phase of your go-to-market plan is on track

• Visualize upcoming to-dos in multiple views, including timelines and Kanban boards

Key components of a go-to-market strategy

Every strong GTM strategy is built on five core components. Understanding each one helps you build a template that keeps your team aligned from start to finish.

• Product analysis: Start by defining what you're selling and the specific problem it solves for your customers. This includes identifying your unique value proposition and how your product stands out from existing options in the market.

• Product messaging: Once you know what makes your product valuable, craft clear messaging that communicates those benefits to your audience. Your brand voice should be consistent across every channel and speak directly to your buyers'needs.

• Sales proposition: Define why a customer should choose your product over the competition. This goes beyond features and focuses on the tangible value and outcomes your product delivers.

• Marketing strategy: Map out how you'll create demand and reach your target audience. This covers the channels, campaigns, and tactics you'll use to build awareness and generate interest before and during your launch.

• Sales strategy: Outline how your sales team will convert interest into customers. This includes your pricing approach, sales process, lead qualification criteria, and the tools your team will use to close deals.

By including each of these components in your GTM strategy template, you'll create a comprehensive plan that guides your team from initial research through post-launch follow-up.

How to create a go-to-market strategy template

When creating a go-to-market strategy template, remember that you're crafting a reusable template for future launches. The template should cover the kick-off and planning process, and you'll want to keep it generic enough to apply to launches with different goals. Here are a few quick steps to get you started:

1. Review past launches and identify common themes and tasks, such as competitor research, messaging planning, and lead generation strategy.

2. Build out your template using these repeated phases or tasks.

3. Adjust and update your template with tasks and due dates for each specific launch.

Once you've built out your generic template, customize it for each launch using custom sections and tags.

Integrated features

• Timeline View. Timeline View is a Gantt-style project view that displays all of your tasks in a horizontal bar chart. Not only can you see each task's start and end date, but you can also see dependencies between tasks. With Timeline View, you can easily track how the pieces of your plan fit together.

• Milestones. Milestones represent important project checkpoints. By setting milestones throughout your project, you can let your team members and project stakeholders know how you're pacing towards your goal.

• Dependencies. Mark a task as waiting on another task with task dependencies. Know when your work is blocking someone else's work, so you can prioritize accordingly. When the first task is completed, the assignee will be notified that they can get started on their dependent task.

• Add tasks to multiple projects. The nature of work is cross-functional. Teams need to be able to work effectively across departments. Asana makes it easy to track and manage tasks across multiple projects, helping your team see tasks in context, view who's working on what, and keep your team and tasks connected.

Recommended apps

• Dropbox. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Dropbox file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane.

• Google Workplace. Attach files directly to tasks in Asana with the Google Workplace file chooser, which is built into the Asana task pane. Easily attach any My Drive file with just a few clicks.

• Slack. Turn ideas, work requests, and action items from Slack into trackable tasks and comments in Asana. Go from quick questions and action items to tasks with assignees and due dates.

• Figma. Teams use Figma to create user flows, wireframes, UI mocks, prototypes, and more. Now, you can embed these designs in Asana, so your team can reference the latest design work in context with related project documents.

Go-to-market strategy examples

Seeing how other teams approach their GTM strategies can help you shape your own. Here are a few examples of how different businesses might structure a go-to-market plan.

• SaaS product launch: A software company developing a project management tool for remote teams could focus on channels where those workers already spend time, such as collaboration forums and LinkedIn groups. Messaging would highlight pain points like async communication and task visibility, while a targeted free trial drives early adoption.

• Expansion into a new market: An established e-commerce brand entering the Spanish market could focus its GTM strategy on local messaging, regional partnerships, and campaigns that resonate with the local culture. The plan would include competitor research, new pricing, and a phased rollout starting with one product category.

• Existing product relaunch: A consumer electronics company updating a device might base its GTM strategy on its current customers. The plan could include email campaigns to existing users, content comparing new features, and a pre-order offer to boost early sales.

Launch your next product with confidence

A well-built go-to-market strategy template takes the guesswork out of your next launch. By standardizing your planning process, aligning your cross-functional teams, and tracking every phase in one place, you can focus on the work that moves your product forward.

Ready to put your GTM strategy into action? Get started with a free go-to-market strategy template in Asana and give your team the clarity they need to launch with confidence.

Frequently asked questions about go-to-market strategy templates