Create your product launch messaging
Understand your customer, what motivates them, and their channel communication preferences so you can create the most compelling experience when launching a new product.
Some questions to think about when creating content are:
- What pain points does the product address?
- What are the main features and how do they provide value to customers?
- How easy is the product to use or learn?
- What are the main selling points (e.g., is the product durable, sustainable, aesthetically pleasing, etc.)?
- Why is this product better than similar ones on the market?
Use the answers to these questions to build a compelling and consistent narrative that you can use across all channels.
Leverage the strengths of your owned channels
Use all of your owned marketing channels and play into their strengths as you develop a product launch strategy that raises awareness and stirs excitement. One single customer may use all 3 channels, a single channel, or a combination of a few channels. This means that sending the exact same message through every channel might not create the optimal customer experience.
Let’s explore when to use each channel to its full advantage when launching a new product so you can build excitement within your customer base.
Email allows you to reach a large portion of your audience frequently. Rely primarily on email for your main product launch updates and use segmentation to fine tune the audience as you progress through the launch.
Example: Send an email the day of launch with a main CTA linking out to the product page and a secondary CTA linking to a case study on the product.
SMS
Use SMS to increase engagement in conjunction with email. Sending too many texts in a short period of time about one topic can annoy subscribers, so only send texts that are exclusive (e.g., early access for SMS subscribers) or time-sensitive.
Example: Send an SMS to your most valuable customers to give them early access to the product before everyone else to delight and retain this engaged audience.
Mobile push
For those with a mobile app, add push notifications to your product launch strategy. The goal of your push should be to drive traffic to shop this new product on your app. If this applies to you, consider utilizing the SMS strategies below, but target those who have consented to receive push.
For more information regarding the use of this channel, visit our guide on adding mobile push to your omnichannel strategy.
Segment your audience
Who you’re talking to is just as important as what you say. Use segmentation to ensure that you are sending the right message to the right audience at the right time.
Set up the following segments to tailor your product launch communication and delight your audience:
- Engaged segment: The group of subscribers who most frequently engage with your marketing content.
Visit our guide on how to create a segment of SMS subscribers for more guidance.
- SMS segment: All of your subscribers who have consented to receive SMS.
Visit our guide on how to create an engaged segment of email subscribers for more guidance.
- VIP segment: Your most valuable audience who you have identified as your most frequent or biggest spenders.
Visit our guide on how to create a segment of VIP customers for more guidance.
- Push segment: For brands with a mobile app, target this group similarly to how you would your SMS subscribers, but direct them to your app.
Visit our guide on how to create an engaged segment of push subscribers for more guidance.
Plan communications for each stage of launch
Take a customer-focused approach when creating marketing content at each stage of the product launch lifecycle: pre-launch, launch, and post-launch. Let's run through best practices for each stage.
Pre-launch
Create awareness and anticipation for your product in this phase so people are aware of the release date and excited to buy as soon as it’s released. This is often the longest stage of a product launch.
Review the pre-launch messages below, along with some suggestions for relevant audiences and channels:
Announcement
- Goal: Inform as many subscribers as possible about the upcoming launch.
- Audience: All
- Channel(s): SMS and email
Teaser 1
- Goal: Follow up your original announcement messaging with additional value, a quote from an early adopter, or a product feature highlight.
- Audience: SMS subscribers
- Channel: SMS
Teaser 2
- Goal: Follow up on your SMS teaser, adding deeper value and further highlighting the product to this more engaged audience.
- Audience: Engaged
- Channel: Email
VIP early access 1
- Goal: Delight your best customers who consent to SMS by giving them a chance to purchase or pre-order the product in advance of the regular launch.
- Audience: VIPs who consented to SMS
- Channel: SMS
VIP early access 2
- Goal: Delight your best customers who consent only to email by giving them a chance to purchase or pre-order the product in advance of the regular launch.
- Audience: VIPs
- Channel: Email
VIP reviews
- Goal: Encourage your most valuable customers who gained early access to your product to share a review; either with you, or on their own social media channels.
- Audience: VIP early access purchasers
- Channel: Email
VIP last chance for early access
- Goal: Remind and engage your VIPs who showed interest in purchasing early by opening the initial email, but have yet to purchase the product in advance.
- Audience: VIPs who didn’t purchase but opened the first email
- Channel: Email
Launch
Announce the official launch of your product to the largest portion of your customer base. The goal of this phase is to create hype and deliver a compelling call to action to purchase your new product.
Review the launch messages below, along with some suggestions for relevant audiences and channels:
Midnight announcement
- Goal: Create excitement around the launch of your product and land in the inbox of your most engaged audience early.
- Audience: Engaged and VIPs who didn’t purchase
- Channel(s): Email
Product launch
- Goal: Officially launch your product during daytime hours to all of your subscribers.
- Audience: All
- Channel(s): SMS and email
Note: Be sure to avoid sending SMS messages outside of compliant sending hours.
Post-launch
Continue to reach out to subscribers who haven’t purchased. Your goal for this phase is to create urgency. Compel your subscribers who have yet to purchase and encourage your purchasers to promote your product launch.
Review the post-launch messages below, along with some suggestions for relevant audiences and channels:
Post-launch celebration
- Goal: Create a sense of excitement (and provoke a fear of missing out) among your most engaged email subscribers.
- Audience: Engaged who didn’t purchase
- Channel(s): Email
Post-launch reminder
- Goal: Remind your entire audience about the launch of your product, excluding all who have purchased.
- Audience: All who didn’t purchase
- Channel(s): Email and SMS
Post-launch last chance
- Goal: Convert any lingering engaged potential purchasers with a sense of urgency.
- Audience: Engaged and VIPs who didn’t purchase
- Channel(s): Email
Purchasers’ review
- Goal: Encourage all purchasers who have not already provided reviews to share their experience with your product with you and on their social media.
- Audience: All who purchased except for VIPs who reviewed
- Channel(s): Email
Manage your messages with a streamlined calendar view
Utilize the campaign calendar view to better visualize and schedule your product launch messages. This view will help you time the best dates for your sends and see them all in context.
Check out our help center guide on how to use the campaign calendar and develop a product launch calendar that makes the most of all your channels.