Launching a new service with success: Key launch copy tips

You’ve got an awesome new service idea for your business. You’re amped up and excited to get it into the world, as you know it can help your ideal customers. But you’re not sure what copy you need to make sure your message gets out there… 

Don’t worry, I got you. Here’s a checklist of launch copywriting to get that new service live, selling, and helping people! 

Is a ‘launch’ only for new services or offers?

Although most commonly associated with creating something new, this blog post applies to you if you’ve inadvertently been delivering a service for a while but have never marketed it heavily or during a specific timeframe. 

For example, I have written loads of types of copy for people when they ask me for it, but I’ve not necessarily had a marketing campaign (or even a website page) that promotes it. 

If this resonates with you, solidifying your message and purposely creating a ‘launch marketing campaign’ can breathe new life into your business with minimal effort.

Tailoring your copy to different types of services and customers 

How you approach your launch copy will depend on what you’re actually launching. There are a few things to consider throughout this guide, so always go back to what you’re selling, how it changes people’s lives, and why they should care. 

As a coach, consultant, or service provider, common examples of what you could be launching include: 

• 121 services

For high-ticket 121 offers, your launch copy needs to emphasise the transformation your ideal client will experience. Given the higher price point, your copy must remove all doubt from your customer’s minds. Add plenty of social proof, explain the process, and answer all hesitations upfront. 

• Group programmes

When you’re creating a new group programme, people often want to know not only the outcome and transformation, but the logistics of how the programme runs. People will be disappointed if they sign up and later find out they can’t attend live calls or the schedule doesn’t work for them, so your launch copy not only needs to talk about the benefits but also the ins and outs. 

• Online courses or masterminds 

Are you turning your years of wisdom into a digestible online course or a one-off mastermind? If so, the specific problem you’re going to help people to solve by taking this course needs to be super specific. You also need to address their current knowledge and education levels. 

• Memberships 

Joining a membership is a commitment, so people will want to know exactly what they’re getting before they sign up. What are you offering your members? How does that help them with their business goals? Your membership should be about offering a slice of you but with a lower price point, so it should feel like a bargain for all the value they get. People will also want to know if there’s a long-term commitment and schedules for things like live calls. 

Each type of service has its own considerations to make the copy a success. It’s important to understand what stage your customers are at with their business and/or life, plus what their potential concerns and hesitations would be for your new offer. 

Waitlist or live service launch?

Waitlists are a great way to test service ideas with the market before you spend ages planning and executing them. For things like online courses and group programmes, this could potentially save you hours (and lots of money). You can use tools like ScoreApp to easily set up waitlists. 

If you find out people do not need your service, in other words, no one is interested in signing up for a waitlist, then you simply don’t create it and go back to the drawing board. 

But if you know your idea is both wanted and needed by your ideal clients, or you may already deliver this service in some shape or form and want to solidify everything with a ‘launch’, then you can go for it.

Also consider how some service launches might require beta testers to iron out any tweaks. This could be useful for group programmes and online courses. When you go through this process, the amount you learn about your audience is invaluable – and you can use that in all future copy. 

There’s often more that goes into a launch copywriting strategy than people think. Creating the service is just one part of it! 

Key components of a launch copy strategy 

Ok, now let’s outline the key areas you need, what to include in each, and how to check if it’s a success. 

1. Landing page copy for your new service

The first and most essential aspect of a solid launch copy strategy is having a great landing page that clearly demonstrates the value of your service. 

Your landing page copy should have: 

• Clear headlines so people ‘get’ what you’re offering straight away
• Social proof that helps to build trust and credibility 
• Clear CTAs that tell people what to do next 
• A focus on the transformation 
• One clear message 

But more than that, it should be written to speak directly to your audience. Know what their pains, challenges, fears, desires, and goals are. Then call them out and explain exactly how you can help to overcome something that’s causing them a headache and what that transformation does for their lives. 

You want to sell the outcome – but never in an over exaggerated and unethical way. You need to actually be able to achieve the things you promise. 

On your landing page, you will want to explain the process, investment, and answer any FAQs upfront to set expectations. Some services might be ready to buy right away, so you can set your landing page up for that. Often with service providers, it’s useful to have a conversation first to check they’re the right fit, so your main CTA could be to book a discovery call. 

If it’s a service where you create bespoke packages, you might not be able to have all the answers available on the landing page, but you can at least address them. For example, you could mention that you tailor each package to the client needs, so prices are available after a call. 

2. Lead magnet to capture ideal client details

Launching without a lead magnet to capture potential clients’ information is like fishing without a net.

You have people primed and ready to find out more, build a relationship with your brand, or even buy. So you need a way to keep your brand front of mind.

A great lead magnet needs to answer a specific question or problem that your ideal client is facing. It should be clear, specific, and easy to digest. 

Ideas for lead magnets include: 

• E-books or PDF guides 
• Checklists  
• Templates 
• Webinars 
• Quizzes 
• Etc. 

Even if you have other lead magnets set up, you should evaluate if you need another one for this service, as each service level should have a different problem (or else, why is it a different service to begin with?!).

Another avenue to go down as your ‘lead magnet’ is a waiting list. If you set up a waitlist, telling people something new is coming soon, it’s a way for them to register their interest and hand over their details. Everyone who joins is now primed and ready for you to follow up.

No matter the format you choose for your lead magnet, there’s a bunch of copywriting. That usually includes landing page copy to explain your freebie and who it’s for, the actual lead magnet (if it’s a document/guide), and the delivery emails.

3. Emails to send to your subscriber list 

Emails are a crucial part of a launch strategy. Whether your list is 100 people or 100,000 people, you should be leveraging emails. It’s the best way to speak directly to your audience, as you’re not relying on algorithms or whether they’re online. 

Everyone checks their inbox, and provided you’re not hit too hard with spam filters, everyone will at least see your email – even if they don’t open it and hit ‘delete’ right away. 

So, what emails should you send during a launch? They can be categorised by: 

• Pre-launch emails – priming your audience for something new and exciting. You may set up a waiting list (as mentioned above).
• During the launch emails – actively selling to people to promote your new service or during a specified timeframe to sell your current offers. 
• Post-launch emails – asking people who didn’t buy for feedback or putting them back into a nurture sequence if they weren’t ready to buy. 

You can create different campaigns for email list segments that are sent based on their previous behaviours. Email personalisation is a great way to pinpoint specific traits and qualities of people on your list and tailor your message to them, so they’re more likely to buy. 

If you’re already sending regular emails, your email list is more likely to be engaged and responsive to your sales emails than if you’ve not emailed them in months. So way before you launch, you should be dusting off your email list and sending nurture email campaigns. 

Likewise, if you set up a lead magnet or promote your email newsletter via other online channels, you should have an automated welcome email series. The purpose of this is to build trust and get subscribers to know you straight away.

You should add an option to unsubscribe from the promotional emails while sending extra launch emails, but people can still receive your usual emails. Sometimes, you’re talking about a service that’s not relevant to some people, so you don’t want to continue sending emails if it’s annoying them. 

4. Social media posts to engage your audience 

Social media posts are a powerful tool for raising awareness and opening communication with your audience during a service launch. You can directly ask people what they’re struggling with in a poll, post a personal story about an event that happened relating to your new service, or share behind-the-scenes snippets. 

The more you show your personality and character, the more people will trust you and buy into your business. Take them on the journey of launching something, and they will feel part of it. 

But that doesn’t mean you should shy away from sales posts. You absolutely need to tell people what you’re offering, how it helps people, and who it’s for, not forgetting the all-essential CTAs to explain what the next steps are if they’re interested. 

Don’t forget to engage with comments and messages on social media to build rapport and a sense of community. It shouldn’t ever be a ‘post and ghost’ approach! 

5. Wider marketing efforts 

Although we’ve covered the main elements of launch copywriting already, don’t underestimate the impact of your broader marketing efforts on your launch success. If you have blog posts that support the service already, be sure to repurpose this on social media and to your email list. 

Other content marketing activity for a launch could include:

• Create new blog posts about related topics to increase yoru organic traffic potential
• Writing press releases to generate awareness about your business 
• Paying for ads in Google or Facebook to reach a wider audience 
• Recording videos to support your launch activity
• Sharing customer success case studies 
• Distributing leaflets and brochures 
• Sending personalised letters 

Anything else you decide to do around your launch to get more eyes on your brand requires copy and cohesive messaging. Don’t overlook the bigger picture and forget to tie everything together.  

For example, if your main website contradicts what you’re saying in your promo activity, it’s going to be super confusing for any potential leads to work out what you do. It’s not a good idea to launch a new service that’s completely different to other things you offer – it creates a jarring and untrustworthy experience. 

Feel confident in your launch copy 

Ultimately, ensure your new service has the potential to sell by crafting a compelling, consistent, and confident message across all launch marketing activities.

You might not have the time or skills required to write all of this launch copy effectively yourself, so it’s time to hire a professional copywriter. Good news – I can help! Get in touch and we’ll arrange a free 20-minute discovery call to discuss your plans.