Ultimate Guide to Copywriting for Your Next Product Launch Strategy [2024]
If you’re working on a new product launch strategy, you have something new to share with the world, so congratulations! Putting out a new product or offering a new service is an exciting step for any business, and how it initially breaks into the market is critical to its long-term success. Your launch digital marketing strategy is all about your messaging: your copy needs to be cleverly calculated, and persuasive but not manipulative.
Ready to launch a new product or service? The first step in your launch digital marketing plan is creating your launch messaging and written assets. Sometimes called launch copy or sales copy, this type of copywriting builds up interest pre-launch, drives sales during the launch, and follows up to turn one-time customers into repeat buyers.
Launch copywriting includes essential launch marketing assets, such as:
An email marketing campaign
Website page (often called a Sales Page)
Product description web page
Search Engine Optimized promotional blog post
Social media campaigns
All these elements work together to make a new product launch a huge success. You can’t have one without the others.
Below, I explain how launch copywriting puts oomph into your next product launch.
How to market your product before the launch
Email Marketing
A great way to gauge interest and keep people engaged even before you launch is by prompting people to “Join the Waitlist” for the new product or service. This is a successful technique to capture more subscribers to your email list. After they sign up, you should have an automated email sequence that the new follower goes through, building anticipation for the launch date and potentially even offering early access or a special discount code to give it an extra push.
Check out my tips for engaging your email list
SEO Blogging
An SEO blog post on your website is an underrated pre-launch strategy. Blog posts give you the space to really go all in about the new product; it’s the only chance you have to write 1,000 words about why your new offer adds value and convince people they need it.
Don’t forget about the power of SERPs, too! If you optimize your blog post, it can also drive organic traffic from people searching the web for a product like yours.
Check out my guide to SEO blogging
Social media
Generate buzz through your social media copy. Use messaging techniques and attention-grabbing headlines to spark interest on all your social platforms. In all your pre-launch social posts, alternate between linking to your waitlist sign-up and linking to your blog post to drive traffic to your website, where you have the chance to make your full pitch.
It’s launch day! Implement your strategic day-of launch marketing assets
Launch day is here, and it’s time to really blast off on all fronts. This day is all about urgency — fire off your social media campaign and an email sequence directing all traffic to your new sales page.
Launch day is all about your website copy. It’s time to go live with your new product line’s Sales Page and Product Description Pages.
Your website sales page copywriting — the real MVP of your launch
Your sales page is your website’s heavy hitter. It’s where you’ll get the most clicks, so it’s your chance to shoot your shot. It’s one of the last stops in the customer journey from potential buyers to checkout.
Sales pages must deliver a lot; a weak sales page won’t cut it. Your MVP player needs to identify a problem and present a solution, eradicate all doubt that your offer is the right choice, dish on all the fabulous nitty-gritty details, offer social proof to build trust, and, finally, seal the deal.
FAQ: How long should my sales page be?
There are long-form and short-form sales pages. Both have their time and place.
The length of your sales page depends on what you're selling and its price point. The more complex or expensive your offer, the more explaining and convincing you'll need to do. The benefit of a longer sales page is you have more room to combat doubts, address potential questions, and build your visitor's trust in your product.
Shorter sales pages work better for simple products or products at a lower price point. The benefit of a short sales page is its impact: it grabs attention quickly. If your audience doesn't need a lot of convincing, a shorter page can make your offer seem like an easy yes.
Your product description page copywriting — the last touchpoint before “Buy now”
While your sales page is your digital sales rep, your product description page (PDP) is where the sale is made.
Your website's product page is dedicated to a specific product or service you offer. These pages provide comprehensive information, typically including a detailed product description, a bulleted list of its key benefits and features, and high-quality product imagery. Most importantly, the page will prominently display the price and a clear call to action, often an 'Add to Cart' button. There’s also one last chance to convince a customer with customer reviews and ratings, fostering trust and social proof. You can also leverage product pages for cross-selling opportunities by recommending related products.
Name your product
I love naming products. It’s the big and bold text at the topic of a product description page that tells you what you should call the product/service. A good product name combines practical information with creativity in line with your brand voice.
For example, one version of Tiffany & Co.’s classic heart tag necklace is named “Return to Tiffany® Heart Tag Pendant in Silver, Medium.” The key is to make sure the product is easily searchable — both on your website and on Google — (“heart tag pendant in silver, medium” while also having a brand-specific name (“Return to Tiffany”).
Tell the story of your product.
Product descriptions are great places to tell a story. Every product or service has its own mini story. What makes it special? Is it sustainably made or handcrafted? Customized for every customer? Weave a short, compelling narrative out of the parts that make your offer completely different than anything else on the market.
Translate features into benefits
The PDP is also the place to divulge all details. Translate your product's key features into benefits that make it clear how the feature adds value to your customer.
For example, the product description page for the Tiffany Heart Tag necklace I mentioned above lists its features:
Sterling silver
Heart tag, size medium
On an 18" chain
What they should do is translate these features into benefits.
Hypoallergenic and durable sterling silver
Eyecatching heart-shaped pendant easily distinguished as a Tiffany charm
Longer than average 18” chain designed for layering
Comparison charts are great for some products, particularly high-value items such as tech. Instead of exhausting a potential client with lists, use a chart that makes it easy to quickly digest what your product or service has that your competition doesn’t. This also works when you want to upsell a client to a higher-tier product or service by comparing the features included in or discluded from each tier.
There will always be some boring information you have to include, such as shipping info or the product number. Make these details easily distinguished (and thus skimmable) by putting them in a bulletpointed list, following the description and features.
FAQ: Why a sales page and product description page?
A PDP is the very last step of your customer journey — the bottom of the funnel. The sales page is the step that comes immediately before the PDP and is responsible for directing traffic to it. Directing traffic directly to the PDP without first sending them through a sales page is like skipping a step on a staircase: it’s jolting. Your customer won’t be fully warmed up to take the final buying action; it’s like expecting a sale without giving a sales pitch.
Post-launch: Collect launch data to optimize your copywriting for more conversions
You had a successful launch day, and now you’re ready to relax and let the sales keep rolling in…
But don’t forget to take advantage of your new leads’ potential to become repeat customers.
Monitor your analytics — who’s buying what — to create targeted post-launch messaging. This is where email marketing shines! Using this data, you can segment your contacts to send personalized messages to different audiences. For example, you can send first-time buyers through an email flow to sustain their interest in purchasing from you again.
Work with me to make your next launch a big hit
New product/service launch digital marketing plans are a huge undertaking. I work with my clients to not only ensure a successful launch, but also ease the burden of creating these highly strategic launch assets.
Here’s how I create your launch copy
First, we’ll set measurable goals during our 2-hour marketing strategy call. This session, coupled with a custom brand survey, will get me fully acquainted with your business, your brand voice, and everything I need to know about your new offer.
I perform in-depth research, including client interviews, target audience research, buyer persona formulation, competition comparisons, SEO keywords, and more. I use this data to create your launch copy products.
I report back to you with the first draft of your launch materials and assets. I will tweak and amend as needed until you have a package of powerful launch copy that you can’t wait to share with the world.
All this research and analysis come together to make the best sales pitch you’ve ever heard about your offer. Plug in your website assets and you have an SEO-friendly and user-friendly built-in salesperson working around the clock to effortlessly make you money.
What’s included in my launch copywriting package for small businesses
Full report of my detailed market research findings, plus your SEO keywords, free to be used for any marketing materials you need in the future
Sales page, as long as necessary, including SEO keywords
Product description page, which can be used as a template for any other products now or in the future
Promotional email funnel (7–10 emails)
SEO blog post about the new offer
24 social media captions before, during, and after launch
Recorded or live review call
Wireframing or direct coordination with your web designer