# Coming soon posts: teasers that build a launch

[Canonical HTML page](https://gradiently.design/guide/coming-soon-post)

A single coming soon post is easy to scroll past. A short series that reveals a little more each time gives people a reason to come back, and a reason to care on launch day.

## The short version

- A coming soon post builds anticipation by hinting at something new without revealing all of it.
- A teaser series works better than a single post: hint, detail, date, then reveal, spread over one to two weeks.
- Each teaser should reveal one new piece of information, such as a colour, a shape, a name or a date.
- Keep every teaser in the same look as the launch post, so the reveal feels like the end of a story people have been following.
- Give people something to do before launch, such as turning on a story reminder or joining a waiting list.

A **coming soon post** tells people something is on its way and makes them want to know what. The best ones reveal a little, not nothing and not everything: a colour, a silhouette, a name, a date. On their own they're easy to miss, so plan them as a short teaser series, each post adding one new clue, ending in a reveal that pays off. That rhythm works for a product, a menu, a shop opening, an app or a new service.

## Plan a teaser series, not a single post

Think of the series as a story with four beats. Each post should stand alone for someone seeing it for the first time, and add something for the people who've been following.

| Beat | When | What it reveals | Example line |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Hint | 10 to 14 days out | That something exists | "Something new is brewing." |
| Detail | 7 days out | One clue: colour, shape, texture | "A first look at the colour." |
| Date | 3 to 5 days out | When, and how to be first | "Saturday 17 October. Turn on the reminder." |
| Reveal | Launch day | Everything, plus how to get it | "Meet the Ember tin. Out now." |

A four beat teaser plan. Shorten the gaps for a small launch; lengthen them for something people need to save up for or travel to.

Between the beats, use stories. A daily story frame keeps the launch in view without crowding the feed. Story countdown stickers let followers tap to be reminded when the time comes; the companion guide on [countdown posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/countdown-post-design) covers that final stretch.

## What to show in a coming soon post

The clue is the design. Choose something that's intriguing on its own and makes sense once the reveal arrives.

- **A colour:** the new packaging or collection colour, alone, full frame.
- **A crop:** a tight detail of the product, a corner, a stitch, a handle.
- **A silhouette:** the shape in shadow against your background.
- **A word:** the product's name, or one word that describes it.
- **A sound or a process:** a short clip from the workshop, kitchen or studio.
- **A question:** "Guess what's coming?" with a quiz sticker, revealed later.

Services and events need clues too, just different ones. A salon adding a treatment can tease the tools laid out on a towel. A café launching a winter menu can show a single ingredient on the counter. A studio opening a second room can post the empty space with fresh paint on the walls. An app can show one cropped corner of a new screen. In every case, the clue should be specific enough to spark a guess and honest enough that the guess turns out roughly right.

Colour hint: the new tin: `linear-gradient(160deg, #431407 0%, #9a3412 40%, #ea580c 70%, #fdba74 100%)`

A colour teaser in its purest form. Post it with one line, "A first look at the colour," and let followers guess.

A colour teaser works especially well when the colour later appears on the product, the launch posts and the packaging. Followers recognise it on launch day, and the series feels deliberate. [Behind the scenes content](https://gradiently.design/guide/behind-the-scenes-content) can double as a teaser too, as long as the frame stops just short of showing the finished thing.

## Design the teasers as a set

Every teaser should look unmistakably related: the same background, type and layout, with only the clue changing. Then the reveal uses the same look again, now with everything shown. That continuity is what makes people connect the dots.

A portrait teaser post reading Something new is brewing with Coming soon above it

The hint: almost nothing, set in the launch look. The background does the work.

A portrait launch post reading Meet the Ember tin, Out now, in the same design as the teaser

The reveal: same background and type, now with the name and how to get it.

This is where a distinctive background pays off. If your teasers sit on a generic preset gradient, followers can't tell them from anyone else's. A look that is clearly yours makes a near empty "Coming soon" frame recognisable at a glance. In Gradiently, a claimed Mark is that look, and no other brand can export with it. Design the set once, and with Pro one resize step gives you the story and feed sizes from the same design.

## How to write coming soon captions

### Avoid

- "Big news coming, stay tuned"
- Teasers for weeks with no date
- A clue that makes no sense after the reveal
- Promising more than the launch delivers

### Do

- "Something warm for autumn. Saturday."
- A date as soon as you're sure of it
- Clues that click into place on launch day
- Honest hints that match what arrives

Short captions suit teasers. Say just enough to make the clue land, then give people an action: turn on the story reminder, join the waiting list, or follow so they don't miss it. If you have an email list, send the same teaser there; it's the one audience you don't have to hope an algorithm reaches.

## Launch day: land the reveal

1. **Post the reveal early** Be ready before your launch hour. Pin the reveal post to the top of your profile for the week.
2. **Show it properly** Clear photos, the name, the key detail and exactly how to get it. This is the post people have been waiting for, so don't hold anything back.
3. **Follow up in stories** Link stickers to the shop page, then reshare customers' first posts, with their permission.
4. **Close the loop** Thank everyone who followed the series. A short "you made this launch" story goes a long way.

For the reveal itself, see [new product announcement](https://gradiently.design/guide/new-product-announcement) and [product launch graphics](https://gradiently.design/guide/launch-day-graphics). Opening a physical place? [Grand opening posts](https://gradiently.design/guide/grand-opening-post) cover the extras, such as address, hours and map.

## FAQ

### What should a coming soon post include?

One intriguing clue, such as a colour, a crop or a name, in the same look as your launch, plus a date once you're sure of it and an action like turning on a reminder.

### How many teaser posts should I do before a launch?

Three to four feed posts over one to two weeks usually works: a hint, a detail, the date and the reveal, with stories in between.

### How far in advance should I post coming soon content?

Around ten days to two weeks before launch for most products. Shorter for small releases, longer for events people need to plan for.

### Should a coming soon post show the product?

Not fully. Show a detail, a colour or a silhouette, and save the complete product for the reveal.