App marketplace launch: A lesson in excellence from Virtuous

Virtuous, a CRM designed specifically for nonprofits, launched their new app marketplace in March 2025. This product launch didn’t just check the boxes—but set the gold standard for how to do it right. It wasn’t just about flipping a switch; it was a masterclass in how to maximize impact, drive engagement, and create lasting momentum.

If you're gearing up to launch a marketplace, here’s exactly what Virtuous did (and what you can learn from them) to ensure a successful debut.

1. Have both your public and in-app marketplaces ready to go

An app marketplace isn’t just for your current customers—it’s also a powerful selling tool for potential customers evaluating your product. A public marketplace makes it easy for prospects to explore your solution partners & integrations and understand their partner ecosystem before signing up. Meanwhile, an in-app marketplace makes it easy for logged in customers to find and even install integrations, without having to navigate to the website (where they never go anyway).

How Virtuous did it

• They launched a public marketplace on their website, built out with rich content on 60 partners and integrations pages

• They also launched their in-app marketplace for logged-in users, making it seamless to discover, connect, and configure integrations where they work

How to do it right

• Launch both at the same time (if possible) to ensure a smooth user experience.
• Announce your public marketplace to prospects & partners so non-users can see your marketplace in action and partners have a link to share.
• Announce your in-app marketplace… in-app with pop-ups, push notifications, and links to user manuals so customers can start navigating and connecting integrations immediately.

Takeaway: A two-pronged approach ensures you capture both potential and existing customers.

2. Announce your app marketplace everywhere

If you build it, they won’t necessarily come—unless you tell them about it. A well-executed launch announcement ensures that your users, partners, and prospects all know about your new marketplace and how it benefits them. The more visibility your launch gets, the more engagement (and adoption) you’ll see.

How Virtuous did it

📢 A bold graphic—A visually engaging way to grab attention.

📝 A blog post—Explaining the marketplace’s value and how to use it.

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⚙️ A product update—To help users understand how to use the marketplace.

🔔 An in-app product notification—So every user saw the news right inside the product.

📲 A LinkedIn post—Engaging their network with a compelling announcement.

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📩 An email—Ensuring partners and customers were in the loop.

How to do it right

• Use every available marketing channel to reach every audience (and some people more than once).
• Tailor messaging for each platform (e.g., LinkedIn vs. in-app notification).
• Make it easy to share—provide partners and team members with pre-written posts.

Takeaway: The more places you share your launch, the bigger the impact.

3. Get your team & partners involved

Your team and partners can be your biggest amplifiers. When they share your marketplace launch, it extends your reach far beyond what your company account alone can achieve. More shares = more visibility = more engagement.

How Virtuous did it

Virtuous got their internal team and partners to like, leave a comment, and reshare their LinkedIn message. This helped their notification catch the algorithm and resulted in 70+ comments and 80+ reactions, not to mention thousands of marketplace visitors, in the first 24 hours!

How to do it right

• Create a launch kit with talking points and graphics for your team and partners.
• Hop on Slack or Teams to encourage employees to engage with your LinkedIn posts.
• Get partners involved early with an advanced notification of your marketplace launch so they know when to hop on social to promote it.

Takeaway: The more voices talking about your launch, the wider your reach.

4. Build excitement (then let it grow organically)

A launch isn’t just about announcing something—it’s about creating buzz. The more excitement and engagement you generate, the more people will want to participate, explore, and even build on your marketplace.

How Virtuous did it

• Comments poured in from nonprofits excited to get started.
• Potential partners wanted to know how to get listed.
• People were asking, ‘How do I build something like this?’

How to do it right

• Engage with every comment—This keeps conversations going and boosts visibility.
• Encourage customers and partners to share their excitement.
• Create a sense of urgency—Highlight why now is the best time to get involved with your marketplace (as partners or customers).

Takeaway: A great launch sparks conversations and engagement—not just one-time views.

5. Ensure your marketplace is user-ready

Nothing kills momentum faster than a marketplace that isn’t fully built out at launch. If users arrive and find incomplete listings, broken links, or missing information, they’ll bounce—and they might not come back.

How Virtuous did it

Virtuous made sure that before their big announcement, everything was in place:

• Well-built, fully detailed app listings—Making it easy for users to see what’s available.
• Actionable CTAs—from integration installation flows in their platform to
• Both public & in-app marketplaces live—Providing a seamless experience.
• Quality partner onboarding—So newly inspired partners have a path to start building ASAP.
• High-impact resources—Helping partners and developers get the most out of the platform.

How to do it right

• Ensure every listing has a clear description, value prop, and CTA.
• Test the user experience before launching to catch any issues.
• Have documentation and resources ready for partners.

Takeaway: A successful launch isn’t just about promotion—it’s about making sure the experience is ready for users from day one.

Launch results

The metrics

The results of this launch have been fast and impressive. People are seeing the Virtuous messaging, navigating to the app marketplace, and taking the wanted actions. Here’s a quick summary:

• A viral LinkedIn post with dozens of comments, likes, and shares, including partner excitement, customer engagement, and even a note from the Virtuous CEO
• Thousands and thousands of page views in just 24 hours
• Results piling in via click-throughs on their core CTA and leads being submitted for partner solutions

Here’s what people had to say

One of the best proofs of success? The reaction from Virtuous’ customers, partners, and community.

🔥 "This is a game-changer for nonprofits!"
🙌 "So helpful—one place to find the right solutions."
🚀 "Excited to see how this empowers organizations to do more good!"
💡 "This marketplace is proof that collaboration makes the whole ecosystem stronger."

Virtuous didn’t just launch a marketplace—they launched an ecosystem movement.

Want to launch like Virtuous?

Virtuous showed us exactly how to turn a marketplace launch into a long-term success. If you’re thinking about launching your own, take a page from their playbook:

• Be ready with a fully built-out marketplace and strong partner resources.
• Announce it everywhere—blog, email, social, in-app, and beyond.
• Get your team and partners involved to maximize reach.
• Build excitement by engaging with feedback and questions.

This is a go-to playbook, whether you’re launching an app marketplace, a partner directory, a partner locator, or even an AI agent marketplace. Get your hype started with Partner Fleet. Start a free trial of our platform now.