When it comes to launch emails, it's easy to think copywriting is about learning the right formulas, templates and 'persuasive tricks'.

But the truth is, the most effective launch emails don't rely on formulas or templates. 

They're about joining the conversation going on in your reader's mind, and tapping into human-centred psychological principles that help them DECIDE (either ‘yes’ or ‘no’) on your offer.

Unfortunately, the psychological principles you're probably *most* used to seeing out there in the online world are pretty repetitive. No doubt you’ve seen 'urgency' and 'scarcity' thrown around again and again, in a very one-note way.

(To be clear: I'm not anti urgency and scarcity…I teach these! They're powerful psychological principles and excellent to use when they're credible and honest. But I digress.)

The fact is, urgency and scarcity are only two tools within the delightfully deep and varied toolbox of 'decision-making psychology principles'.

You’re about to discover another powerful psychological principle you can use in your own launch emails. 

And because examples are the bombdotcom, I'm gonna use real launch email snippets as we go.

Let's Take a Peep Beneath The Hood of An 8-Figure Launch Sequence

The Life Coach School's March launch of their $3000 Coach Tools Certification was wildly successful — likely generating 8+ figures thanks to their GINORMOUS email list and the stellar reputation founder Brooke Castillo has built up over the years of creating a $50-million dollar company.

But those factors (read: a list-size built up from millions spent on ads for more than a decade) aren't what makes these emails worth looking at.

 

Here's why they’re actually a perfect case study:

The emails read exactly like what you'd get if you popped your head into Claude.ai circa March 2025 and asked it to write some launch emails for you.

Which is to say...

They demonstrate psychological principles in action, but applied in a very generic way.

Delightfully — this makes them ideal for seeing both what these principles can do AND what you're missing when you don't understand the deeper psychology behind them.

Let's dive in…

Principle #1: Social Proof

You’d be forgiven if you’ve ever fallen into the trap of believing that ‘use social proof’ translates to ‘share some testimonials’. The truth is, using social proof well is a highly strategic skill.

Let’s take a look at how The Life Coach School had a go at using social proof in their March 2025 launch:

First off, let me state: I’m ALL for a testimonial included in a PS.

But this one lacks two very important features for it to be effective:

→ Relevancy and 

→ Context
 

Speaking of context — the context of the particular launch email this snippet was taken from is this: it was the second email of the launch sequence, and it was promoting the 24-hour fast-action bonus (Brooke’s entire digital library of books she’s written).

 

Which means this email was selling the bonus that was about to go away, as much as it was selling the Coaching Tools Certification itself. To give you a picture: of the 22 sentences in this email, only one of them was specifically about Coach Tools Certification.

 

That’s why… the testimonial chosen isn’t entirely relevant.

 

At least, not as relevant as it would be to have a testimonial about, say… having access to Brooke’s entire digital library (8 books + 2 audiobooks).

 

Because the person who buys from this email isn’t deciding whether or not to buy Coaching Tools Certification. They’re deciding whether or not to buy Coaching Tools Certification *now* — as opposed to in a few days’ time…or ‘later’. 

(That’s who fast action bonuses are for: people who likely would’ve decided to buy anyway. Fast action bonuses help them take action on their decision sooner rather than the oh-so-dangerous ‘later’.)

The second way this use of social proof misses a stellar opportunity, is that it lacks context.

Context is the glue that makes social proof stick. It helps your reader’s brain make sense of the testimonial/screenshot/piece of social proof that follows.

 

In this case, the most useful context is likely going to be something that helps the reader understand quickly why the testimonial they’re about to read matters to them right now.

 

For example, imagine reading this ONE sentence ahead of the original testimonial:

That one sentence of lead-in copy connects the dots between

→  the reader’s current desire or decision — “Should I buy this course?”

And 

→ a relevant message you want your reader to pick up from the testimonial content (e.g. “this course made me feel confident coaching”).

 

Without it, it’s WAY too easy for your reader’s brain to not even register that ‘this is something highly relevant and worthwhile for me to read right now’, which drains that testimonial of any persuasive power.

How to take these insights and apply them to your launch emails

Your work DESERVES the persuasive impact that *well-applied* social proof can generate.

So when you're choosin and usin’ social proof for your launch emails, ask yourself:

→ Is this testimonial relevant to the specific decision my reader is making RIGHT NOW? (Not just about my offer in general). For example, if the particular launch email you’re sending is about the emotional relief your best-fit client will feel, does your social proof speak to that message? Or something else entirely?

→ Have I given enough context so my reader immediately understands why this person's experience matters to them? For example, have you simply popped the testimonial or screenshot at the bottom of your email/on an IG story? Or is there some lead-in copy that connects the dots between your reader’s current desire/decision, and the relevant message in the testimonial they’re about to read?

→ Is it clear and/or easy for my best-fit client to see themselves in this testimonial? For example, perhaps your lead-in copy mentions the fact that your past client was coming up against specific struggles that your best-fit client would have in common with them. Or for one of my clients who coaches doctors, she includes the area of medicine after the name. Things like this signal to your readers’ brain ‘this person’s like me’.

I genuinely believe (and have seen proven time and again) that well-applied social proof can be the difference between a real-life human getting what they need to decide… or not. 

Which means relevant, context-rich social proof that your best-fit client can see themself in can make thousands of dollars of difference during a launch.

And that’s just one of the psychology-backed tools most people overlook or use without real intention.

Let me show you two more principles that could shift everything for your next launch, using more of The Life Coach School’s emails to help make them real

→ One’s a tool you already use in your coaching sessions (but probably aren’t using to its full power in your emails).

 

→ The other turns an overused formulaic copy trick into something your future clients actually feel moved by.

I’ll show you what these look like in real launch emails and how to use them in ways that give real humans what they actually need to *decide*.