| name | product-launch-email |
| description | Writes a high-converting product launch email with subject line variants, preview text, and segmentation notes. Use when announcing a new product, feature, or offer to your email list. |
| allowed-tools | Read Write Glob |
| metadata | {"author":"matthewhitcham","version":"1.0"} |
Product Launch Email
When to Use This Skill
Use this skill when you need to:
- Write a single product launch announcement email
- Create a high-converting email for a new product, feature, or offer
- Generate subject line variants and preview text for A/B testing
- Produce a launch email with segmentation and timing recommendations
DO NOT use this skill for email sequences (multiple emails), drip campaigns, newsletters, or transactional emails. This is for a single launch email.
Core Principle
A LAUNCH EMAIL HAS ONE JOB — GET THE CLICK. EVERY WORD EITHER MOVES THE READER TOWARD THE CTA OR SHOULD BE CUT.
Phase 1: Brief
Required Inputs
| Input | What to Ask | Default |
|---|
| Product name | "What are you launching?" | No default — must be provided |
| What it does | "Explain in one sentence what this product does for the buyer." | No default — must be provided |
| Price / offer | "What is the price or special launch offer?" | No default — must be provided |
| Target segment | "Which subscribers should receive this? All, buyers, leads, VIPs?" | Full list |
| Launch date | "When does this go live?" | Today |
| Urgency element | "Is there a deadline, limited quantity, or bonus that expires?" | None |
| Landing page URL | "Where does the CTA button link to?" | No default — must be provided |
GATE: Confirm brief before writing.
Phase 2: Outline
Email Architecture
**Subject line:** [3-5 variants for A/B testing]
**Preview text:** [Companion text that appears next to subject in inbox]
**Section 1: Hook** — Open with the problem or a bold statement
**Section 2: Introduce the product** — What it is, one sentence
**Section 3: Key benefits** — 3-4 bullet points (benefits, not features)
**Section 4: Social proof** — Testimonial, stat, or credibility marker
**Section 5: Offer details** — Price, bonus, deadline
**Section 6: CTA** — Single button with clear action
**Section 7: P.S. line** — Restate urgency or key benefit
GATE: Approve structure before full draft.
Phase 3: Write
Subject Line Variants
Write 5 subject lines using different psychological triggers:
## Subject Lines (pick one or A/B test)
1. [Curiosity]: "The thing I've been building for 6 months"
2. [Benefit]: "Cut your invoicing time by 80% — new tool inside"
3. [Urgency]: "[Launch price ends Friday] New tool for freelancers"
4. [Social proof]: "200 beta testers can't be wrong"
5. [Direct]: "Introducing [Product Name] — [one-line benefit]"
Preview Text
Write 2 preview text options (40-90 characters) that complement each subject line approach.
Email Body Rules
| Element | Rule |
|---|
| Length | 150-300 words (short enough to read in 60 seconds) |
| Paragraphs | 1-3 sentences max |
| Tone | Conversational, direct, excited but not hyped |
| Benefits over features | "Save 5 hours a week" not "Automated workflow engine" |
| CTA button | One primary CTA, repeated twice (mid-email and end) |
| Button text | Action-oriented: "Get [Product] Now" / "Claim Your Launch Price" |
| P.S. line | Always include — it is the second-most-read part of any email |
Email Template
Subject: [Selected subject line]
Preview: [Selected preview text]
---
[Hook — 1-2 sentences addressing the pain point]
[Product introduction — what it is in one sentence]
Here's what [Product] does for you:
- [Benefit 1 — outcome focused]
- [Benefit 2 — outcome focused]
- [Benefit 3 — outcome focused]
[CTA BUTTON: "Get [Product] Now →"]
[Social proof — one testimonial or stat]
[Offer details — price, launch discount, deadline if any]
[CTA BUTTON: "Claim Your Launch Price →"]
[Sign-off]
P.S. [Restate the most compelling benefit or urgency element]
Segmentation Notes
Provide recommendations for how to adjust the email for different segments:
## Segmentation Notes
- **Existing customers:** Lead with "You asked, we built it" angle. Skip the pain point setup.
- **Warm leads (engaged but not bought):** Emphasize the launch offer and risk-reversal (guarantee).
- **Cold subscribers:** Add more context about who you are and why they should trust you.
- **VIPs / early access:** Send 24-48 hours before the main list. Use "You're getting this first" framing.
Phase 4: Polish
1. Email Checklist
## Pre-Send Checklist
- [ ] Subject line is under 50 characters (mobile-friendly)
- [ ] Preview text complements the subject line (not repeats it)
- [ ] Email body is under 300 words
- [ ] Benefits are listed, not features
- [ ] CTA button appears at least twice
- [ ] CTA button text is action-oriented (not "Learn More")
- [ ] P.S. line restates urgency or top benefit
- [ ] Landing page URL is correct
- [ ] Email reads well on mobile (short paragraphs, no wide images)
- [ ] Unsubscribe link is present (compliance)
- [ ] Sender name is a person, not a company name
2. Send Time Recommendation
- B2B products: Tuesday-Thursday, 9-11 AM in the primary audience timezone
- B2C products: Tuesday-Thursday, 7-9 PM or Saturday 10 AM
- Send the A/B test subject lines to 20% of the list first, then send the winner to the remaining 80%
3. Follow-Up Suggestion
Recommend a follow-up email 48-72 hours after launch for non-openers with a different subject line approach.
Example: Freelance Invoice Tool Launch
Subject: Cut your invoicing time by 80% (new tool)
Preview: Built this for freelancers who hate chasing payments.
---
You know that feeling when you finish a project, then spend 30 minutes wrestling with invoices?
I built something to fix that.
Introducing InvoiceSnap — create professional invoices in under 2 minutes.
Here's what it does for you:
- Send branded invoices in 3 clicks (not 30 minutes)
- Auto-reminders chase late payments so you don't have to
- See exactly who owes you and when, in one dashboard
[GET INVOICESNAP — LAUNCH PRICE $49 →]
"I switched to InvoiceSnap last month and got paid 12 days faster on average." — Sarah K., freelance designer
Launch price: $49 (one-time) — goes to $79 after Friday.
[CLAIM YOUR LAUNCH PRICE →]
Talk soon,
[Name]
P.S. This is a one-time payment, not a subscription. $49 now, yours forever. But only until Friday.
Anti-Patterns
- Feature dumping — listing every feature instead of translating to benefits. Nobody cares about "automated workflow engine." They care about "save 5 hours a week."
- Multiple CTAs — "Buy now, read the blog, follow us on Twitter" splits attention. One CTA, one action.
- Long emails — over 300 words for a launch email means you are over-explaining. Get to the CTA faster.
- No urgency — "Check it out whenever" gives zero reason to click now. Add a deadline, bonus, or limited offer.
- "Learn more" buttons — weak CTA text. Use action verbs: "Get," "Claim," "Start," "Grab."
- Skipping preview text — many email clients show preview text next to the subject. Leaving it blank wastes prime real estate.
Recovery
- No price decided yet: Write the email with a placeholder and bracket: "[LAUNCH PRICE]." Note that urgency is weaker without a concrete number.
- No social proof: Skip the testimonial section. Replace with a credibility statement about the founder or a "built by a [role] for [role]" line.
- No urgency element: Suggest creating one — a 48-hour launch price, a bonus for first 100 buyers, or early-bird access. If they decline, lean harder on the benefit angle.
- Too many products in one email: Push back. One email, one product. Suggest a separate email for each launch.
- Email platform limitations: Provide plain-text version alongside the formatted version for platforms that strip HTML.
