How to create hype in marketing: what it is, FOMO, FUD and how to use them without misleading anyone

Creating hype means building anticipation for something before it arrives. That way, people look forward to it, talk about it and want it as soon as it comes out.

In marketing it goes hand in hand with two other concepts: FOMO, the fear of missing out, and FUD, fear, uncertainty and doubt.

Here is what each one is, how to create hype with your email list before a launch and where the line is.

What creating hype means

“Hype” is an English word for exaggerated anticipation around something new: a film, a video game, a pair of sneakers or an app.

Creating hype means stirring up that anticipation on purpose.

You do it by releasing information little by little, announcing a date and letting people imagine what is coming.

It works because waiting increases desire. Someone who has been waiting for something for weeks is keener to buy it than someone who discovers it on the day.

In Spanish it is sometimes spelled “hipe”, but the correct form is the English one, “hype”. The verb “hypear” (to hype) is also used.

Hype, FOMO and FUD: how they differ

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) is the effect hype is after. When lots of people are waiting for something, nobody wants to be the last to get it.

It relies on scarcity and urgency: limited places, limited units or a price that only lasts a few days.

FUD (Fear, Uncertainty and Doubt) works the other way round.

It sows doubt about an option so the customer does not choose it or puts off the decision.

It has a legitimate use: explaining a real risk the customer is not aware of. And one that is not: making up fears.

We explain it in our article on fear marketing.

How to create hype before a launch with email

Email is one of the best channels for creating hype.

You are talking to people who have already given you permission, and you decide what to share and when.

Here is a five-step plan you can adapt to any launch:

1. Open a waiting list. Create a form or a sign-up landing page for people who want to be the first to know, and save those contacts in a group.
2. Send a sneak peek. Explain what problem the thing you are preparing solves, without showing all of it. A partial image or a question works well.
3. Announce the date. A specific date turns curiosity into anticipation. From then on, each email counts down the days left.
4. Give early access. The waiting list gets in first or at a special price. It is their reward for signing up.
5. Launch and remind. Send the main email and, before the offer closes, a reminder to those who have not bought.

Keep a reasonable pace. Three to six emails over two or three weeks is usually enough.

If you send every day, hype turns into fatigue.

And use segmentation so you do not send the same thing to everyone: people who have already bought do not need the final reminder.

Other ways to create hype

• Social media: sneak peeks, countdowns and behind-the-scenes videos. They help draw people to the waiting list.
• Invitation-only access: letting the first users invite others makes the news spread on its own.
• Limited editions: a short run or a special collaboration. Only if they really are limited.
• Show the process: showing how the product is made builds interest and trust at the same time.
• Influencers: someone your audience trusts tries it first and talks about it.

Examples by type of business

For the invitation you can start from a template, such as the event invitation with countdown.

The line: building anticipation without misleading anyone

Hype has a clear risk: the more you promise, the more it shows if the product does not deliver.

And an enthusiastic list’s disappointment is remembered more than the launch itself.

• Real scarcity: if you say there are 100 places, make sure there are 100. If the offer ends on Friday, make sure it ends on Friday.
• Promise what you will deliver: the sneak peek must be true to the final product.
• No fake urgency: timers that reset or “last units” that never run out damage your reputation.
• FUD only with data: if you talk about a risk, it should be real and something you can explain.
• Respect the list: anyone who wants to unsubscribe during the campaign must be able to do so with one click.

These techniques work because they activate very powerful psychological triggers. There is more in mental triggers.

How to measure whether you have created hype

• Waiting list sign-ups: how many people sign up and how fast.
• Opens and clicks on the pre-launch emails: if they rise from one email to the next, anticipation is growing.
• Replies and mentions: questions, comments and people who share the announcement.
• Sales on day one and during early access: the ultimate test.
• Unsubscribes during the campaign: if they shoot up, you are sending too much.

How Mailrelay helps you

• Subscription forms and landing pages to open your waiting list, included in the free account.
• Groups and segments to separate the waiting list, customers and those who have already bought.
• Automations to schedule the sneak peek, date and early access sequence.
• Templates for launches, offers and events with countdowns.
• Statistics on opens, clicks and unsubscribes per campaign.

The free account lets you send up to 80,000 emails a month to 20,000 contacts.

Frequently asked questions about creating hype

What does creating hype mean?

Building anticipation for something before it arrives, so people look forward to it and want it as soon as it comes out.

Is it spelled hype or hipe?

Hype. It is an English word and Spanish uses it as is. “Hipe” is just a way of spelling it the way it sounds in Spanish.

What is the difference between hype and FOMO?

Hype is the anticipation for something that is coming. FOMO is the fear of missing out when it arrives.

What is FUD in marketing?

It stands for fear, uncertainty and doubt. It means sowing doubt about an option so the customer does not choose it.

How many emails should I send before a launch?

Three to six over two or three weeks is usually enough: sneak peek, date, early access, launch and reminder.

Jose Argudo

CMO at Mailrelay. Writes about email marketing, copywriting and conversion for small businesses and entrepreneurs.

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