Waitlist emails are an essential tool for ensuring a successful product launch. They don’t just announce something new; they create anticipation, engagement, and valuable data that can drive sales.
If you’re wondering whether running a waitlist is worth the effort, consider a recent example: a small, relatively new active leisure wear clothing brand launching two small collections. The brand started with just over 400 subscribers. By running a short waitlist of about 5 days, shared on social media without any paid ads, they managed to bring in 98 brand new subscribers. For this small brand, that represented nearly a 25% jump in subscribers, which significantly boosted the success of their launch.
How to Strategize Your Waitlist Email Campaign
Waitlist campaigns typically involve a series of communications, often starting with a powerful tease and gradually dripping information to the primed audience.
1. The Teaser Email: Emotion and Exclusivity
The goal of the first email is to intrigue the recipient and highlight the value proposition, often without revealing the product details right away.
For a health and supplements brand, the subject line was simply “Something powerful is coming”. The headline promised “The collection that delivers confidence”. The copy often uses strong, emotional language tailored to the target audience. For example, one brand spoke directly to women, addressing the feeling that they “didn’t belong in the fitness world,” thereby pulling emotion into the email.
Crucially, the first email needs a clear incentive. While sometimes the promise of being “first in line” is enough, a strong monetary incentive, such as early access and 15% off your order, works well.
Other examples, like Inky and Cult Beauty, showed that strong imagery and teasing copy are effective, even without a discount. Cult Beauty used a “News Flash” tone and a big, bold “Coming Soon”. Even if you don’t offer early access or a discount, promising subscribers they will be the first to know when the product arrives can be incentive enough.
2. The Information Drip and Date Reveal
As the launch approaches, the next email should provide more clarity. In the Free Soul example, the second email, sent two days after the first, had a much more informative subject line: “Introducing the creatine collection”.
This email confirmed the product type and began breaking down the differences between the three forthcoming products. It also provides the essential piece of information that was missing initially: the launch date. Recipients learned that early access would begin on the 23rd of June. This steady release of information keeps the audience engaged without overwhelming them all at once.
3. The Seamless Transition (The Landing Page)
When a subscriber clicks the sign-up link, they are taken to a landing page. A successful landing page should visually reassure the user that they are in the right place. One brand used the product-specific blue color for their landing page, incorporating it smoothly with their typical pink branding. This page generally collects the email address and optionally, the phone number, indicating a possible look ahead to SMS marketing.
4. The Unique Approach: Storytelling and Scarcity
Not all waitlist emails need to be image-heavy or focused on high-production value. An older example from Doo (a cookie dough brand) used a plain text email that was more story-based. This email built anticipation by recounting a “mixup” at the factory that accidentally created a new, popular flavor. Since this was a limited run, first access was a major incentive for existing fans, even without a discount. This approach shows that quick, simple campaigns can be pulled together effectively, especially for limited edition products.
Why Waitlists Work: The Core Benefits
Waitlists are successful because they leverage key marketing and psychological principles, while also offering crucial strategic data:
1. They Tap into FOMO (Fear of Missing Out): When a brand invites customers to “Join our weight list,” it immediately feels exclusive. It implies that not everyone is getting in, creating a sense of scarcity and the excitement of getting ahead of others.
2. They Warm Up Your Audience: Waitlists prime your audience, ensuring they are engaged and excited. Recipients are likely to open subsequent launch emails because they know something exciting is coming. This priming allows them to plan ahead, even for budgeting, if they know the product launch date.
3. They Gauge Demand and Guide Strategy: Waitlists provide valuable feedback on how many people are interested. By observing sign-up rates, you can assess which marketing messages (e.g., the blurred image tease versus detailed product descriptions) intrigued people the most, which guides future campaign messaging. High interest and demand can guide your decisions regarding inventory and subsequent offers for the main launch.
4. They Create Momentum and Content: Sharing a waitlist on social media generates buzz. People may tag friends, creating conversation and content organically. Furthermore, the resulting launch stats—such as 500 people joining before launch or selling out to the waitlist—can be used to generate even more buzz for future product campaigns.
Waitlists work best when launching new products, limited edition items, or subscription services. They provide the high energy and confidence needed for a successful launch by confirming demand before the official day arrives.
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