You’re getting ready to launch a shiny new product or exciting new service for your business. Your social media captions hyping up your launch are scheduled, your sales page or shop is primed to go live…what else do you need to do to get your audience ready?
You need a series of launch emails that’ll introduce your new offer and encourage people to buy. What’s more, your email campaign needs to stand out in your subscribers’ overflowing inboxes.
Weeks before your launch date — which we might’ve mentioned a bazillion times in our guide to pre-launch content — your emails should be written and scheduled. Let’s talk about the different types of launch emails that you’ll include in your email campaign.
What do launch emails do?
Do you really need specific emails for your launch, anyway? Why not just promote everything on your social media accounts or podcast or YouTube channel?
Yes, you can absolutely use your other platforms to promote your new offer. But email newsletters are still an effective marketing tool, as long as they’re done well. They’re great for engagement, getting your brand name out there, and converting customers. You already have that email list you spent time building, so why not put it to use?
Email newsletters are also useful specifically for launch campaigns. It’s an easy and relatively cheap tool for promoting what you’re selling. Plus, you can track open rates, clicks, new subscribers, unsubscribes, and lots of other data through email. With that data, you can tweak what you’re doing in the middle of your launch if you need to boost your numbers.
Note from Latasha: Need more of a push? A recent client launch for a new program earned our client $26,700 just from email clicks alone. So.
Do your homework first
Before you ever hit “Send” on that first launch email in your campaign, you have homework to do. Especially if you haven’t looked at your email list in a long time. You’ve gotta know your audience first before you start selling to them.
First, check in with your email subscribers with a survey to see what they’re looking for from your biz. Will they even be interested in buying your new product or service? If they are, great! You’re on the right track. Use your survey results to further hone your new offer.
Note from Latasha: We recently did this with Podcast Ally. The owner, Brigitte, thought that the majority of her list was people who wanted to pitch podcasts to grow their audience. With a quick and easy survey, though, we found out that the majority of her list was actually comprised of podcast hosts. That changed the way we promoted her upcoming products and how we segmented her list!
Next, check in with your email list itself. When’s the last time you trimmed your list and removed anyone who hasn’t opened your emails in a while? Sounds counterintuitive, but pruning your email list can help boost your email open rates, because then you’re left with the readers who really want to be there (and who are more likely to buy your new offer).
The teaser email
Whether you send just one teaser email or several, the most important thing is to schedule them a couple of weeks before your launch date. Teaser emails build anticipation, letting your readers know that something exciting is coming without giving away all the details up front.
What can you say in your teaser email? You might:
- Hint at what you’ll provide with this new service
- Explain what problem your new product solves
- Tell the story behind the creation of your new offer
- Anticipate questions your readers will have by writing out ana FAQ
Remember: Teaser emails warm up your audience and hype them up for what’s coming.
The announcement email
A week or so before your launch date, consider sending out an announcement email. This is when you’ll finally reveal what you’ve been hinting at in all your previous teaser emails.
Be specific and cover all the details your readers will want to know about your launch, like:
- What exactly you’re launching (its name, what it looks like, what it includes, etc.)
- The launch date
- How they can buy it or pre-order it
If you’ve created really awesome teaser emails, this stage of your email campaign should be a breeze. But you can make the most out of this email — and really, any of them — with a couple of extra tips:
- Use catchy email subject lines. Come up with a few different ones and use A/B testing to see which works best.
- Include high-res product images. If you’re selling a tangible product, use high-quality photos to showcase it and entice people to buy.
- Make your call-to-action buttons stand out. Your CTAs should be very noticeable when people skim your emails.
Remember: Your announcement email ends the suspense from your teaser emails and should clearly explain what you’re offering your audience.
The launch day email
It’s launch day! Congrats! You made it.
Let your enthusiasm and personality shine on your launch day email because, hey, it’s an exciting day! As long as your email remains on-brand and authentic, your readers will feel that enthusiasm…and maybe they’ll be even more psyched to buy.
Include all that essential info from your announcement email in this email: what you’re launching and where people can pre-order or buy your stuff. Err on the side of caution and give your subscribers the info they need, even if it feels a bit repetitive.
Also, include links and share buttons to your social media accounts so that your customers can spread the word! That’s free marketing right there.
Remember: Your launch email tells people how to buy your new offer and gets them hyped to do it.
The follow-up emails
For the next few days after your launch, you’ll want to follow-up with your list and remind that you have a new offer they can grab. These emails, usually 1 a day if you’re comfortable with it, will:
- Remind anyone who hasn’t bought your new offer that it’s ready and waiting for them
- Introduce your new offer to anyone who missed all your previous emails
- Nurture your relationship with someone who is on the fence
If you’re reminding or encouraging someone to buy, you might throw in special swag, an additional bonus, or a small discount for an extra push. Or, talk about how stock is running low or spots are filling fast for your new offer. “Last chance” emails like these create a sense of urgency and FOMO.
Note from Latasha: When I outline sales sequences for a new offer, I like to follow the formula below. Please note that this is following a regular 7-day launch cycle. You may need more or less!
Day 1: Announcement email (what’s in the offer, why buy now, etc.)
Day 2: Reminder (“Hey I have this new offer!”)
Day 3: Why this offer can help (Talk to their pain points, tell a story)
Day 4: Testimonials or case studies (Explain how you’ve helped someone with what this offer solves, even if someone hasn’t used THIS specific offer)
Day 5: Reminder that discounts are expiring/cart is closing soon.
Day 6: What’s at stake if they don’t buy (They won’t get the thing done, they’ll pay more in the long run, etc.)
Day 7: Last chance emails (be very clear in the subject line!)
Don’t forget the follow-up emails for purchasers
It’s easy to get derailed by the excitement of seeing more purchases come in — but don’t forget to treat your new buyers, students, or clients like royalty with a strong onboarding experience.
If you’re sending an email to someone who did buy, thank them for their support! Include any crucial details like when they’ll receive their purchase, how they can best use it, and how they can contact you with questions. You want to turn this customer into a loyal life-long fan.
Make sure these emails are specifically tweaked and sent to the right segments of your audience. You don’t want to send “Hey, why didn’t you buy my new thing?!” emails to someone who did buy. That looks unprofessional and pushy, and you might make that person feel like just another email address on a list.
Remember: Followup emails remind people of your new offer and/or strengthen your bond with NEW customers.
Connect with your customers through your emails
The exact number of emails you send depends on your audience, your biz, and your new offer. No matter how many launch emails you create for your campaign, remember to anticipate your audience’s needs. Make your emails worth their time.
Running a successful launch involves so much more than writing great launch emails. We’ve managed a lot of launches, so we know our stuff. If you want help with launch content or your launch email strategy, let’s talk.
