WaitlistsBy Day Zero
Waitlist email templates: how to ask your waitlist to back you before launch
Five short emails that turn a waitlist into founding backers: the opening announcement, a halfway update, a last call, a thank-you and a question for everyone who didn't back you. Copy them and fill in the brackets.
In short
- Send three emails while a pre-sale is open: when it opens, halfway through and the day before it closes.
- Each one needs five things: what you're building, what founding backers get, how many seats, when it closes and one link.
- Write from your own name, in plain text, like a note to someone you know.
- Afterwards, thank your backers and ask everyone else what stopped them.
The people on your waitlist already said they're interested. These emails ask them to back you before launch, for a founding seat. They're short on purpose: people decide in a few seconds whether to keep reading. Copy them, fill in the brackets, and change the words until they sound like you.
Before you write
Have these ready:
- The link where people back you. One link, used in every email.
- What a founding seat includes: the plan, the main features and any limits.
- How many seats there are, the price and the day it closes.
- When you expect access to open.
- A short demo video. See how to make a product demo video before launch.
Email 1: The opening
Send it the day the founding seats open. It does most of the work, so put the offer in the first few lines.
Subject: [Product] founding seats are open until [day]
Hi [first name],
You joined the [Product] waitlist, so you're hearing this first: I'm opening [number] founding seats before launch.
A founding seat is lifetime access to [plan] for a one-time [price]. No subscription. [Product] helps [who] [do what], and here's a [2-minute video] of where it is today.
It's all or nothing. If [goal] people back it by [day], it goes ahead. Your card is saved, not charged, until you can actually use [Product]. If it doesn't reach the goal, nobody pays.
Back it here: [link]
If you have a question, just reply. I read every email.
[Your name]
The fourth paragraph matches how a Day Zero campaign works. If you run your pre-sale somewhere else, change it to say when people are charged and what happens if you don't reach the goal.
Email 2: Halfway
Send it midway through. Give real news: how many people have backed it, what you shipped, a question someone asked.
Subject: [number] of [seats] founding seats taken
Hi [first name],
A quick update on [Product]: [number] people have backed it so far, and this week I [what you shipped or learned].
Someone asked [a question people have]. The answer: [the answer, in one or two sentences].
There are [number] founding seats left, and they close on [day]: [link]
[Your name]
Email 3: Last call
Send it the day before it closes. Plenty of people meant to back you and forgot; this is the email that reaches them.
Subject: [Product] founding seats close tomorrow
Hi [first name],
The founding seats for [Product] close tomorrow at [time]. After that, [what changes: for example, the lifetime deal won't be offered again].
[If it hasn't reached its goal yet: We're [number] backers away from the goal. If we don't get there, nobody is charged.]
[link]
[Your name]
Email 4: Thank you
Send it to every backer once the seats close.
Subject: Thank you, founding backer
Hi [first name],
You're one of [number] founding backers of [Product]. Thank you.
Here's what happens next: I expect access to open by [date], and I'll send an update every month until then. When it opens, you'll get [how they activate their seat].
If you want to help shape the first version, reply with the one thing you most want [Product] to do.
[Your name]
Email 5: For people who didn't back you
Send it to the rest of the list after the seats close. The replies tell you what to fix: the price, the timing or the product.
Subject: A quick question about [Product]
Hi [first name],
The founding seats for [Product] have closed. You're on the waitlist but didn't back it, and that's completely fine.
Could you tell me why, in one line? The price, the timing, or it's not quite what you need?
Your reply comes straight to me.
[Your name]
Tips that make these work
- Send from your own name and address, not a no-reply one.
- Plain text reads like a note from a person. A designed newsletter reads like marketing.
- Use one link. Every extra link is a chance to wander off.
- Make subject lines specific: the product name and the day it closes.
- If your list is old, remind people in the first line when and why they signed up.
- Don't apologize for asking. You're offering something only they can get.
Where the link goes
On Day Zero, the link is your campaign page, where backers pledge for a founding seat. Sales from your own Day Zero link or the backer widget on your site have a 0% Day Zero margin. Campaigns are open for a week, so the three emails fit: day one, around day four, and the day before it closes. More in how to turn your waitlist into paying customers.
Questions
How many emails should I send my waitlist during a pre-sale?
Three while it's open: when it opens, halfway through and the day before it closes. Then a thank-you to the people who backed you and a short question to everyone else.
Should I offer my waitlist a launch discount instead?
A launch discount gives people a reason to wait for launch. A founding seat gives them a reason to act now: it's limited, it's only offered before launch and it includes something later customers won't get.
What if my waitlist is months old?
Start the first email by reminding people when they signed up and what you're building, then make the offer. Expect fewer replies from an old list, and write back to everyone who does reply.