Launching a SaaS product is wild.
You’ve got code to debug, features to test, servers to watch like a hawk and somehow, you’re also supposed to build hype? Yeah. I’ve been there.
When I helped launch my first SaaS beta, I made a huge mistake: I didn’t have an email list. I relied on Twitter, Product Hunt, and a few Reddit posts. We got a small trickle of users, but most of them ghosted after one login. Zero feedback. Crickets.
The second time around? I built and used an email list — before, during, and after the beta launch. And let me tell you, the difference was night and day. We had engaged testers, useful feedback, and our first paying customers came directly from that list.
Here’s what I’ve learned about how to actually use email marketing to pull off a SaaS beta launch that doesn’t flop.
Start with Pre-Launch: Build the Hype
The beta starts way before the product is ready. You need to warm people up. I started about 6 weeks out, just collecting emails from a simple landing page with a headline and one sentence about the problem we were solving.
Here’s what worked:
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A clear CTA: “Join the beta waitlist.”
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Quick value statement: “We’re building a faster way to manage your freelance clients.”
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Incentive: “Beta users get lifetime discounts and early access.”
Then I sent a simple welcome email: “You’re in. We’ll keep you updated.”
That was it. No spam, no drip funnel. Just a promise that they’d hear from me soon. And they did.
Send Teaser Emails Leading Up to Launch
Don’t let your waitlist gather dust. I sent one email every 7–10 days, just enough to stay on their radar.
Some of the stuff I shared:
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Behind-the-scenes updates (bugs we were fixing, features we scrapped)
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Early screenshots and UI mockups
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Polls asking which feature they wanted most
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Stories about why we built it (people LOVE founder stories)
It didn’t just keep people engaged. It made them invested. One guy replied, “I’ve been waiting for this — when can I try it?” That’s when I knew it was working.
Launch Day: Go Loud but Personal
I sent three emails on beta launch day. Not spammy — strategic.
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Morning: “You’re invited.” Clear instructions, login link, quick demo GIF.
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Afternoon: For folks who hadn’t opened yet, a soft nudge: “Still want early access?”
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Evening: A thank-you and reminder that feedback would help shape the final product.
These emails felt personal. I used merge tags for names, wrote in a casual voice, and even signed off with my first name. People replied. They asked questions. One user even caught a major bug — saved us big.
Post-Launch: Turn Beta Testers Into Champions
This is the part most folks skip. Don’t.
Your beta users are your first fans. Treat them like gold.
Here’s how I followed up:
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Feedback request (Day 3): “How’s it going? Anything confusing or broken?”
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Feature highlight (Day 5): “Did you try X yet? It’s our most popular feature.”
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Progress update (Week 2): “Here’s what we’ve fixed, thanks to your feedback.”
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Conversion nudge (End of Beta): “Beta’s ending soon. Lock in your lifetime discount.”
Each email had a purpose. Keep them engaged. Learn from them. Then guide them to becoming paying users.
Pro Tips I Wish I Knew Earlier
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Segment your list: Not all users are the same. I tagged early users by use case (freelancer, agency, startup) and tailored follow-ups accordingly.
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Plain text works best: I used a fancy template once… got fewer replies. Switched back to plain text — way better engagement.
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Use automation carefully: Set up welcome sequences, but don’t overdo it. Let real conversations happen.
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Ask one question per email: People won’t fill out long surveys. But they will reply to one question like “What almost stopped you from signing up?”
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Follow up with power users: If someone logs in 5+ times, reach out personally. Those people are gold.
Final Thought
Email isn’t just for newsletters and sales blasts. For a SaaS beta launch, it’s your control center. It’s how you build anticipation, onboard users, get feedback, and turn testers into paying customers.
If I hadn’t built and used my email list the second time around, our beta would’ve fizzled. Instead, we had momentum, product insights, and a real community before we even started charging.
So if you’re prepping a beta launch? Start your list now. Keep it warm. Write like a human. And use every email as a chance to learn, connect, and grow.
