How to create a waitlist | Small business guide

TL;DR: Elevate your launch strategy, engage your audience, and convert subscribers into customers. Learn how to transform your business game in our small business guide on creating a waitlist.

Ever wondered how to build buzz, create a sense of exclusivity, and have customers eagerly counting down the days until your new offering drops? Say hello to the magic of a well-crafted waitlist.

When you create a waitlist ahead of a big launch, you not only create excitement around your upcoming product or service, you also get the chance to gauge your audience’s appetite for your offering. 

Discover the ins and outs of creating a waitlist that builds anticipation and serves as a powerful tool for your small business success. 

Businesses often create a waitlist as a strategic marketing and email collection tool when they have a new product or service in the development or pre-launch phase. Interested customers can sign up for the waitlist, indicating their desire to be notified or given priority access when the product or service becomes available.

A waiting list is a powerful strategy for small businesses, helping to stir anticipation and exclusivity for an impactful product or service launch. More than just a list, it sparks audience engagement by letting businesses share sneak peeks and updates about specific offerings. And, of course, it adds a touch of scarcity—enhancing perceived value and enticing eager individuals to secure their spot in the queue.

Whether it’s an event, online course, book, new feature, or dazzling new merch, a waitlist is one of the most effective teaser email campaigns. Here’s how a waitlist can attract potential customers for many different types of launches:

Discover eight essential steps to create a waitlist that turns your product launch into an unforgettable experience. 

Determine the purpose of your waitlist. Do you want to build an audience for an upcoming offer, generate buzz about an exclusive one, or gauge audience demand for a new idea? Each goal requires a different approach. 

It’s important to clearly define your objectives from the start so that you can tailor your waitlist to hit your goals. 

For example, if you’re creating a waitlist for an upcoming book launch, your goal might be to cultivate a community of avid readers who aren’t just awaiting the book but are actively engaging in the excitement around its release. Your waitlist can serve as a platform to tease exclusive sneak peeks, share behind-the-scenes glimpses into your creative process, or spark conversations among literary enthusiasts. 

Get your social followers out of an app and into your email list with a stunning Link in bio waitlist that captures subscribers right from your social profile. This Link in Bio waitlist creates a bridge between the content on your social channels and the curated experience you provide to your email list.

Use your waitlist landing page to share essential information about what your target audience can expect by joining, including the many irresistible benefits.

Offer incentives to encourage people to join the waitlist. This could include early access to your offer, exclusive discounts, or insider content.

Consider exploring other creative avenues that align with your brand’s identity. Whether it’s sneak peeks, behind-the-scenes access, or limited-edition perks, these exclusive offerings drive excitement and solidify your audience’s loyalty. 

By making the waitlist experience genuinely rewarding, you’re not just building anticipation for the launch but are establishing a connection with your audience that extends beyond the initial interaction, building long-term brand loyalty.

Spread the word and generate buzz by strategically promoting your waitlist across all marketing channels. Use your social media platforms, email newsletters, website, and other communication channels to create a holistic promotional campaign and drive traffic to your waitlist landing page.

Using a Flodesk Link in bio gives you the unique advantage of placing an opt-in block at the forefront of your bio link. This means you can instantly capture your audience’s attention and encourage them to join your waitlist. 

This strategic placement ensures a frictionless transition from social media followers to engaged subscribers, maximizing the effectiveness of your waitlist promotion.

Share your waitlist link in your email newsletter, allowing your existing subscriber base to self-segment based on their interests and be the first to know when your offer becomes available. 

By encouraging your current subscribers to join the waitlist, you cultivate a sense of exclusivity among your email community. They’ll be the first to know about the upcoming offer, creating a bond of privilege that encourages loyalty and engagement.

A Link in bio waitlist is a top tool for Flodesk member Jessica Hawks

Encourage your existing customers and subscribers to refer friends and family to join the waitlist. Incentivize this referral process by offering rewards or exclusive incentives for successful referrals, creating a win-win scenario for both your existing customers and their connections.

Expand the reach of your waitlist by collaborating with like-minded brands or influencers and sharing valuable content to attract a wider audience. Seek partners who share a similar target audience or align with the theme of your upcoming offer.

Engaging in partnerships may involve co-promotions, where both parties mutually endorse each other’s waitlists or collaborate on promotional content. This can introduce your offer to new potential customers.

Welcome your new waitlist members with open arms by setting up a welcome sequence as soon as they join your waitlist. Use your email marketing platform to automate the sequence, including a confirmation email, welcome email, service or product update email, event invitation email, and the exclusive content you promised on your waitlist page.

With Flodesk’s easy-to-use tools and templates, you’ll quickly create a welcome sequence that creates the buzz you want.

Create an irresistible build-up to your launch by consistently captivating your waitlist subscribers with a series of compelling email updates, exclusive sneak peeks, and intriguing behind-the-scenes content. These personalized communications offer an insider’s view, keeping your audience intimately connected to the journey of your upcoming release.

Lead nurturing emails like this help sustain engagement levels while keeping your subscribers informed and excited about your launch.  

Continuously monitor the performance of your waitlist campaign, adapting your strategy based on your results. Keep a close eye on your performance metrics, scrutinizing opt-in conversion, email open, and click-through rates. 

Adjust your waitlist messaging, promotion, and incentives as needed—double down on what’s working, and ditch what isn’t. This will ensure your waitlist remains finely tuned and highly effective throughout its lifecycle.

Flodesk Analytics makes it easy to uncover valuable insights about your waitlist and emails in just a few clicks. Learn how here.

As your offer takes shape and is ready for launch, share the exciting news with your waitlist subscribers and sweeten the deal with exclusive incentives. Whether it’s granting them early access to your product or offering special discounts, make them feel like VIPs who’ve been part of the journey from the beginning.

After launch, keep the momentum alive by sharing even more exclusive content and insider information about your small business. You want to keep this subscriber list going for continuous engagement around upcoming promotions, campaigns, and launches. Additionally, you can share social proof, like testimonials and user-generated content (UGC), about your recent launch to boost conversions.

Ready to elevate your launch strategy? Seize the power of a strategically crafted waitlist, turning anticipation into action. Get started with a captivating Flodesk Link in bio and transform your social followers into eagerly awaiting customers.

Create yours and make every subscriber count—completely free with Flodesk.