Promo and announcement emails can be really cool ad effective enough. But we are going to tell you how to become even more interesting to your customers with teaser emails.
But what is a teaser email? Emails of this kind intrigue and build anticipation for your products and events.
How to make a performing teaser email? See the strategies below and learn from the best. i.e. get inspired by the best examples.
Strategy for successful email teaser campaigns
Certainly, prior to running any campaign, you should thoroughly think the strategy over.
With teaser emails, we usually try to announce three things:
1. Upcoming sales
Undoubtedly, this is the most common teaser campaign. Sales can be dedicated to any holiday, like Christmas or Black Friday. Any online store or company of any industry may try out this type of teaser emails.
What to focus on
Here you may focus on the products you are about to cut prices for or the amount of the discount you offer. Some marketers think that adding a countdown timer is enough when starting a teaser campaign. But in fact, it's not enough.
Number of emails
On average, it takes two emails for this type of teaser email campaign. The first one is used to announce the sale, and the second one — to remind customers about the starting date.
When to send
Normally, the first one is sent a week or just a day before day X. And the second one is sent on day X.
Yet, you may send just one:
2. Product launch
This is probably the most serious teaser campaign, as it requires a lot of your attention and effort. Certainly, many companies may try it out. But this type of email is commonly implemented by big corporations that produce gadgets and automobiles, like Samsung, Apple, Tesla, etc.
In other words, those companies, whose products are supposed to be long-awaited and are not released often — once a year or less. In fact, a new product teaser email is very similar to product launch announcement emails. Here we do not reveal all the features at once, we do our best to “shed some mystery” on our product.
What to focus on
Well… the focus should definitely be on the product and on its unique cutting-edge features. Describe just one at a time — do not reveal all the features in one single email.
Also, show a few more features of the product or more details regarding the release date on your website. In each email, ask your readers to visit it for more information.
Number of emails
Depends on what kind of product you are promoting this way and on how much time you have left till the product launch date. Normally, it takes from 2 to 5 emails to build anticipation and to grow it.
In the last email of this series, reveal the majority of the features and invite recipients to visit your website for full information.
Certainly, you will need to create a new landing page.
When to send
Two-four months before. Apple announces the release of a new iPhone in June, though it is released in September. They do reveal details just one at a time. This draws attention to the brand and makes its product launch go viral.
3. Special event
Are you about to open a new shopping mall in your town? Or you are releasing a new movie? Then definitely, you should inform your potential attendees about it.
What to focus on
There are two options to focus on in a teaser email for an event — the event date or on the event itself. Certainly, focusing on the date means that you will only inform your recipients about the date, and will not tell them what is going to happen. If you focus on the event itself, then you mention the kind of event but do not mention the date. Until a definite moment…
Number of emails
Depends on how much time you have left. Two to five would be great. The first one to build anticipation, the second, third and the fourth to keep it warm, and the fifth to reveal your secret.
But never make the sequence longer than five emails, otherwise, your customers may burn out.
This is what Pixar sent to its subscribers back in 2006 before the cartoon’s release:
We all remember that “Cars” brought $10 billion to its producers, don’t we? Teasers really work!
When to send
This depends. Usually, events like conferences, meetings with famous people and movie releases are typically announced 3-6 months prior to the event.
If you are an online store, you may do it just a few weeks or even days before the very event.
.webp "Teaser_Product Launch Announcement Emails (1)")
(teaser email sample by Brighton)
15 examples of teaser email campaigns
In fact, there are not many of them. Unfortunately, just some companies come to this trick. Yet, it would be nice to get inspired by the best teaser email examples given below and start your own teaser email campaign.
1. HARRY POTTER ⚡
I have no idea how an apparel store can use the Harry Potter theme. This made me anticipate the next email from Mini Boden.
What is so good about this teaser email: Its design is perfect. Mysterious, and intriguing.
2. The VISION EQS: A milestone in a new era for the automobile
Mercedes knows how to keep the audience's interest.
What is so good about this teaser email: Mercedes shares an outlook of the car it's going to release next year. It provides an image and detailed description.
3. Save the date
The Apple marketers know for sure how to create a perfect email teaser campaign. Apple products, like iPhones, are the most awaited products of the year. Are they the only ones who produce good smartphones or smartwatches? Definitely, not. But their teaser campaign makes us anticipate the product launch.
What is so good about this teaser email: They do not tell us what is about to happen but ask us to save a specific date. No additional info needed here.
Make sure you have to offer something really special to justify customers' trust.
4. Stay tuned
This is another great example of an email teaser campaign with the focus on the time, provided by Birchbox.
What is so good about this teaser email: Just like Apple, Birchbox mentioned the full date and a photo of the girl looking somewhere aside as if seeing something really exciting and intriguing just spiced up the “Stay tuned and get excited” inscription.
Yet, to make this trick, the company should be well-known and have a high level of credibility. Apple and Birchbox do.
Tesla Inc. also uses this trick to promote new car releases and announce the start of the pre-order period.
5. Guess where we're going
We've already shared this email example by Tom Raffield with you in one of our blog posts. But it's really cool and we'd like to highlight it once again.
What is so good about this teaser email: Not only did this brand puzzle its recipients about where the Tom Raffield team was going, but it also utilized interactive elements to add even more intrigue to their email.
How to build this email with Stripo
- drag a three-column structure into your teaser email template;
- drop Image block into each column;
- upload your first image;
- toggle the "Rollover image" button to activate the rollover effect;
- upload your secondary image;
- take the same steps to each column.
6. The "It’s big" series
Not only Apple can intrigue its subscribers with teaser emails. Some companies manage too. Now that we have seen two great examples above, we may not get surprised by one more email like this.
Yet, you need to take a look at it as long as it has continuation:
“This starts now”. But this email was preceded by:
What is so good about this teaser email: This is a sequence.
“Stay tuned for tomorrow” — seems like a great idea to make customers anticipate the next email.
7. I am coming
No date, no name, just a countdown timer. Looks pretty exciting.
What is so good about this teaser email: Have any ideas of who is or what is coming? None? Neither do I! I certainly opened the following email by this company.
Note: Just make sure you have not changed the sender’s name so that your customers know who the message is from.
8. Someone’s interested
Oh, now I got scared and a little excited about all these mysteries. Time to relax.
In fact, we all like to find out something new, to solve puzzles, yet we love to get some hints. That is why I love the next example by the “OkCupid” website.
What is so good about this teaser email: They do not tell you straight who liked you, they do not attach any picture of that person. They just warm your interest by saying that someone’s interested in you.
9. We are bringing our vision to the road: Mission E becomes Taycan.
Sharing the details of a new car with car enthusiasts sounds like a good idea. Porsche is an 80-level expert in teasing clients because it does not share any detail in the teaser emails, it just reminds its clients they are working on a new car. The silhouette of a car, hidden behind a veil, arises even higher interest and curiosity among Porsche enthusiasts.
What is so good about this teaser email: Not only did Porsche hide the details of what its new car is going to look like in the email, but it did not reveal details even on the video.
10. It’s better
Come on! What can be better than a sale?! Many things can. Especially, when you are tired of them and your inbox is full of typical offers.
Yes, it works, but many companies do it. Stand out — get interesting! No need to offer huge sales, although that won't hurt too. Find another way to entertain your loyal customers.
Look at this curious example:
What is so good about this teaser email: In fact, this is a great idea to announce a sale that way. Besides, this is not a standard sale. Everlane offers three discounts to its users: 10%, 20%, and 30% off.
And under each discount, they explain how much money you pay to Everlane apart from paying for the materials:
11. Mystery flash sale
Some companies go further and let the customers win the discount. Sounds like a great idea. And the best way to show that prices are not set is by adding thematic GIFs in the email.
What is so good about this teaser email: this GIF reminds of casino roulette, no wonder a recipient would like to click it to stop the numbers. By making recipients go to your website to win the “deals”, you improve your CTR.
Nice trick, isn't it?
How can you add GIFs in emails with Stripo:
- drag the basic Image block into your template;
- upload your GIF;
- add a necessary URL.
12. Be the first to experience it
Sounds like a good reason to attend the presentation of a new product. Here, they play on our desire to be higher than others, stronger, to be the first! Shortly speaking, appeal to vanity.
Hurry up! Because only one person can be the first!
What is so good about this teaser email: mysterious design — black and white colors — complements that email marketing campaign strategy.
13. Can you keep a secret?
I’m not sure. But I would love to hear it though! How can I get to know what it is all about?
What is so good about this teaser email: The Hotel Management did not mention what they are about to change. It can be anything: interior design, new ways to entertain guests or new hotels somewhere on the islands of the Mediterranean Sea.
14. So what will it be?
We all love Halloween. You can hardly find any person who is not familiar with this holiday. And definitely, it’s hard to find anyone who does not celebrate it in the US.
Not only kids, but adults love treats, too.
But who said that you cannot trick somebody? (Certainly, later you will have to give a little present to this person). Have some fun on this day. And customers will love to join you!
What is so good about this teaser email: it took three things to make this perfect teaser — sale, announcement and “intrigue”. J.Crew performed this mission perfectly.
15. Place your order in the email
AMP emails are one of the hottest trends in email marketing. And sticking to trends helps us be ahead of competitors.
What is so good about this teaser email: This email template was crafted by our designers and coders.
It already contains interactive elements, aka AMP component selector. It allows your users to choose the necessary color, storage capacity, size of the gadgets directly in the email. Users will have to go to your website only to check out.
The tests, we recently conducted, show that AMP emails increase conversion. The fewer actions a user needs to take to buy something from you, the higher the chances they will actually do it.
In order to use this teaser email template for your future campaigns, you will just need to replace current content with yours. And your email will be ready to go!
Teaser email subject lines
But let us always remember that it all starts with the campaign's message that is carefully expressed in the subject line no matter how beautiful your email is. Some big companies can say “Guess what it is” or “guess what’s inside?” and it will work for them. But small companies need to fight for a higher open rate.
The more intriguing, yet clearer the teaser email subject line is, the higher the chances your customers will open the email.
With Stripo editor from now on, you can set preheader text and email subject right within the template.
Click the “settings” button above the template you are working on:
In proper fields, insert the text:
Done! Now your customers will see the email subject line and preheader in inbox preview.
Final thoughts
Apart from the tips given above, there are some things we still should mention:
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Email teaser design
Looking back on all the teaser email campaign examples, we can say the teaser email design depends totally on the focus. And here you have no restrictions at all. The only rule is to make it eye-catchy and really intriguing.
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CTA button in teasers
In campaigns like these, if your email is focused on a date, be sure to include the "Add to calendar" button, and only one single call to action button if the email is focused on a product release.
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How often teaser emails should be used
There’s no need to come to this trick very often.
Do it only when you have something really huge to offer to your clients!
When creating a teaser campaign you should think everything through: The strategy, the object of a focus, subject line, and certainly the email design. This will take you a while. But the result will be really impressive.
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