The Proven Formula: Tease, Warm Up, Then Launch
Why Hyping Your Sale Before It Starts Works (And Why Dropping It Cold Doesn’t)
If you’re running a retail business—online or offline—you’ve probably wondered:
“Should I promote my sale in advance, or just launch it out of nowhere?”
Look, I get the thinking. You don’t want to “warn” people so they stop buying full price. You want to surprise them and rake in sales at full price before they even know the discount’s coming, right?
But here’s the truth: that strategy rarely works anymore.
In 2025, people are more distracted than ever. More skeptical too. If you want your sale to actually hit, you need to warm people up before you ask them to buy.
Why promoting early actually works (across every industry)
This applies whether you’re selling: Gym gear like Ryderwear, Furniture like Koala, Skincare like Go-To, Tech like Apple, Or even digital products like online courses
Teasing your sale in advance isn’t a gimmick—it’s a playbook. And it works.
Let’s break it down.
1. You build anticipation
Ever noticed how big brands drop vague hints weeks before a sale?
“Something big is coming...”
“Mark your calendars…”
“Early access starts soon”
They’re not doing that for fun. They’re doing it to plant the seed.
That early buzz creates mental real estate. You check the site early, maybe even build a wishlist. Now you’re emotionally invested before a single discount drops.
Examples:
Frank Green, the drink bottle brand, runs “limited drops” and teases them for weeks. People literally set alarms. Because they don’t want to miss out.
2. You warm up your audience
Sales emails and sms's sent cold are easy to ignore. But if someone’s seen your brand pop up in their inbox all week with little hints and reminders, then boom - “Sale Now Live!”- that lands.
Your audience is already warmed up. They’re more likely to click, browse, and buy. This is true whatever you’re selling from handmade earrings to sofas.
The principle’s the same: stay top of mind before you sell.
3. You build urgency + FOMO
If you just launch a sale cold, there’s no sense of urgency. No one’s racing to the checkout.
But tease it for a few days?
Now you’ve got people waiting. Watching.
And when you finally say, “It’s live!”, they’re ready to pounce—because they know stock’s limited and others are doing the same.
Example:
Elite Eleven, an Aussie athleisure brand, turns every sale into an event. Emails. Countdowns. Hype. When it launches, their site crashes (in a good way). That’s not by accident.
Ryderwear, we'll stick with them as an example. They blasted their entire email list for the 3 days leading up to the sale
4. You get way better results on launch day
A cold launch is like yelling into the void and hoping someone hears you.
A hyped launch? That’s like building a crowd and then pulling back the curtain.
Your sale feels big. Your audience feels involved.
And your revenue reflects it.
“But won’t this hurt my sales before the sale?”
Maybe a little. But let’s be real—if someone’s gonna wait a few days to save 40%, they were never committed to full price in the first place.
They weren’t lost sales. They were fence-sitters.
And now they’re buying instead of continuing to sit on the sidelines.
Plus, most of these promos help move old stock, boost your contacts list health, and reactivate past customers. The short-term “dip” is usually nothing compared to the launch-day spike.
Don’t just take my word for it…
I’ve got skin in the game. I want you to run smarter promos. But don’t trust me - look at the brands who already do this every single sale: Nike, Adidas, Ryderwear, Elite Eleven, Frank Green, Go-To Skincare, The Iconic, Culture Kings, Koala, Aesop, Lorna Jane, Meshki, Gymshark, JB Hi-Fi and Apple (yep, even them—Black Friday emails go out days in advance).
These companies aren’t guessing. They’re testing, tracking, and repeating what works. And what works? Priming the audience first.
Final Takeaway
If you’re only talking about your sale on the day it launches, you’re already behind.
Start early. Tease it. Build hype. Make it feel like an event.
Because when people feel like something big is coming, they pay attention.
And when they’re paying attention, they buy.
Putting it all together
Email example and SMS examples.
Email Example
Here is an example from Ryderwear, a South Australian brand who make $13 million a year basically selling t-shirts.
Email 1 - Build Anticipation (3 days out): "Its coming"
A simple "Save the Date" email, teasing more details to come. Telling past customers "You're going to want to write this date in your calendars". Then a few images and links to some popular products, priming them with ideas on what they might want to buy.
Email 2 - Warm up audience + build urgency + FOMO (2 days out): "It's 80% off!"
Telling their customers what the sale is - its big, its up to 80% off!
They even add 3 steps on how to stock your cart plus the exact time to set your alarm in different cities (example below)
Email 3 - more anticipation and FOMO (1 day out): "Its on TOMORROW! Don't miss out"
A third email, for the third day in a row - asking the question: "Is your cart ready?"
Building FOMO, knowing others have loaded their carts too so it'll be a race to the checkout!
Email 4: Launch Day
Look at that. 4 emails in 4 days, teasing, warming them up, then launching.
Final note: Create your own
To create your own email marketing sequence in Lead LinQ, head over to Automations - New Workflow - add Email and wait steps. That's it!
SMS examples
... how often to send and what should you say?
SMS marketing works. Open rates are sky-high, response is instant, and it cuts through the noise like nothing else. But let’s be honest—get it wrong, and you’ll annoy your customers fast. So what’s the sweet spot?
📲 How Often Should You Text?
For most retail brands, the golden rule is:
👉 1–2 texts per week max
That’s enough to stay top of mind without overwhelming people.
Running a big promo? You might go up to 3 for that week only (tease, launch, final call).
No promo that week? Skip the text. Less is more.
💬 What Should You Say? (Make It About Them)
B
2-3 days out:
“Hey {{contact.first_name}}, something big is coming 👀 We’ve got a surprise for our VIPs dropping soon. Might be worth setting a reminder 😉”
1 day out:
“Tomorrow’s the day! The sale starts at 8am - some of the best stuff always goes fast. Just a heads up so you don’t miss out.”
Launch day:
“It’s live 🎉 Up to 80% off just dropped. Shop the best picks here → [link] (some items won't last the hour tbh)”
These kinds of texts build real anticipation and feel like a heads-up from a friend, not a pushy ad. That’s the difference between being ignored—and being opened.
Not running a sale?
Great SMS marketing doesn’t shout “Buy now!”—it whispers “Here’s something useful for you.”
Each message below gives customers a clear benefit, whether or not you’re running a sale:
Timely Tips
“Hey {{contact.first_name}}, winter’s coming! Quick tip to save money—layer up now before the good stuff sells out ❄️ Need ideas? We’ve got a few → [link]”
Practical Pick-Me-Ups
“Made this for you: a free [Holiday Shopping Checklist] to make gift-buying stress-free this year 🎁 Grab it here → [link]”
Exclusive Access
“Want first pick of our new arrivals? You’re on the list 💌 Early access just went live—go take a look before it’s public → [link]”
Superb Service
“Need help finding the perfect gift/fit/size? Just text us—we’ll make it super easy 👍”
Member Perks
“You’re on our VIP list 🎉 Show this text next time you visit and enjoy a free bonus gift, just for being part of the fam.”
(When You Do Run a Sale)
“Heads-up: up to 40% off just opened up 💸 Great time to save on your favorites. Sale’s live here → [link]”
If your message answers the customer’s inner “What’s in it for me?”, you’re on the right track.
Final Tips
If every text you send feels urgent, none of them will.
So save SMS for what truly matters—and let email handle the rest.
Done right, SMS becomes your best-performing sales channel without burning your list.
P.S. Check out more SMS Marketing tips here
You can do both email and SMS marketing and throw in some Facebook / Google ads. More touch points, higher likelihood of success.
P.S. If you want to see what your competitors ads look like, head over to Facebook Ads Library
and you can start by copying their format, creative and CTA (Call to Action). Don't reinvent the wheel.
