---
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.
