A waitlist page has one job: to convince a stranger that something real is coming and that it's worth handing over their email. Most pages try to do that with a headline, three bullet points and a mockup. That works, but a short teaser video above the signup form almost always does it better. It shows the product moving, puts a human behind it, and gives people something they can share.
Here's how to make one without a big budget or a finished product.
Why a teaser video helps a waitlist page
People sign up for a waitlist on belief, not features. They need to believe the problem is real, the product is real, and the team will actually ship. Text can say all of that. Video shows it.
A 20 to 45 second teaser does three things a static page can't:
- Proves the product exists. Even a few seconds of a working interface beat a polished mockup, because visitors can tell the difference.
- Adds a face or a voice. Early adopters back founders as much as products. A founder on camera, or even just their voice, builds trust quickly.
- Makes the page shareable. A clip travels on X, LinkedIn and in group chats in a way a landing page URL never does.
Step 1: Pick one message
Before you open any editing tool, write the single sentence you want viewers to remember. Not three benefits, just one. For example: "Turn any meeting into a follow-up email in ten seconds."
Everything in the teaser should serve that sentence. If a shot doesn't support it, cut it.
Step 2: Choose a format that fits where you are
You don't need a finished product to make a teaser. Pick the format that matches your stage:
- Idea stage: a founder-to-camera clip explaining the problem, with a few frames of sketches or a Figma prototype.
- Prototype stage: a screen recording of the core action, trimmed to the moment the magic happens.
- Near launch: a short, cut-down version of your launch video, ending on "Join the waitlist."
The best teasers hold something back. Show the outcome, not every step, so people want to see the rest.
Step 3: Write a 30-second script
Keep it to three beats:
- Hook (0 to 5 seconds): the pain, in words your user would actually say.
- Reveal (5 to 25 seconds): the product doing the one thing from Step 1.
- Call to action (25 to 30 seconds): "Join the waitlist" with the launch timing.
Read it out loud. If it takes longer than 30 seconds to say, cut words, not beats.
Step 4: Capture the footage
Most teasers need only two kinds of footage:
- Screen capture. Record at high resolution with a clean browser, no bookmarks bar, and realistic demo data. Zoom in on the part that matters.
- Founder clip. Film on a phone at eye level, facing a window for light, with a cheap clip-on mic. Sound matters more than picture.
If you're not ready to appear on camera, a voiceover over the screen recording works well too.
Step 5: Edit for silent autoplay
Most people will see your teaser muted, so design for that:
- Add burned-in captions for every spoken line.
- Put the key message on screen as text in the first three seconds.
- Keep cuts fast, every two to three seconds.
- End on a clear frame with your product name and "Join the waitlist."
Export a 16:9 version for the page and a 9:16 vertical cut for social.
Step 6: Place it right on the page
Put the video directly above or beside the signup form, not further down the page. Set it to autoplay muted and loop, with a small play button for sound. Keep the file light so the page still loads quickly on mobile, and add a poster frame so something shows before the video starts.
Step 7: Measure what it does
Track signup conversion with and without the video for a week or two. Also watch:
- Play rate: are people starting it?
- Completion rate: are they reaching the call to action?
- Shares: is the clip getting posted without you asking?
If completion drops off early, your hook is too slow. Tighten the first five seconds before you change anything else.
When to bring in a studio
A scrappy teaser is perfect for validating interest. When you're close to launch and the video has to carry a Product Hunt day, a fundraise or a big announcement, it's worth investing in something more produced. Studios like Flowjam make launch videos for AI startups and work from the same principle: one clear message, a human story, and a clip people want to share.
The short version
Pick one message, show the product doing it, put a human in it, caption everything and place it right by the signup form. Thirty seconds is enough. The goal isn't to explain your whole product, it's to make someone believe it's coming and want to be first in line.