Once you've done all the hard work of creating and designing a product, you need to sell it. The most common way is a launch email campaign.
Tens of thousands of products are released every week on sites like Shopify and Amazon, or new SaaS features and products are getting in the line for attention. Unfortunately, most of them are just thrown out there without any marketing plan or support structure.
To stand a chance of success, you have to get your product in front of potential customers before it's released. This way, they'll know about it when it reaches the market, and they can start building up interest and excitement before you even turn on the sales funnel. An effective prelaunch campaign is the best way to make that happen.
Out of 1,000+ product launch emails we analyzed, these 10 really got our attention. They are definitely worth reading — and learning from! But before that, let's go over some must-know stuff about product launch emails.
What is a Product Launch Email?
A product launch email is an email sent to your subscribers that introduces your new product and provides details about the upcoming launch. They're typically sent once you've announced the new product in your blog or via social media, but sometimes they're sent before you've made any public announcements as well.
Launch emails are sent to build excitement and encourage people to buy your product on its launch date. They can also be used to launch products that haven't actually been released yet, such as an album or digital course.
Just a quick note here, it's also a logical practice to build up the hype with prelaunch emails. Prelaunch campaigns are basically an email drip sequence that introduces people to your product before it's ready for sale. They can include;
- freebies (ebooks, guides, tips),
- sneak peeks at the upcoming product,
- public voting,
- competitions, and more.
But whatever you do, make sure your prelaunch campaign emails get opened and read by as many people as possible.
TIP: Build your email list before the launch date. This way, you'll have the data needed to send the right messages to the right people at the right time.
Reasons for Sending Emails during a Product Launch
If you are launching a new product/service and have subscribers available on your website, you should email them. Even if they have not purchased your previous service or product, you can still send them an email informing them about the launch.
- It promotes new services/products.
The most important reason to create a launch list is to promote your service or product to the right people. By sending out emails to a list that you built in advance, you are able to target and engage with specific demographics of contacts. You will be able to gauge the level of engagement and interest in your product before it is launched hence saving you time and money.
- It assists in managing leads.
You can refer back to these leads when you're ready to launch another product or service. When you become aware of problems or questions, these are great opportunities for providing help and support.
- It's easy and cheap.
Once you set up an email list, it's free to send emails to people who have subscribed. However, social media marketing can be done at a cost, and it can be time-consuming as well if you are just starting out.
- It's measurable.
You know when you send an email, how many people open it, how many clicks on the links inside of it, and so on. Of course, it is possible to do this with social media as well, but only with the most popular networks such as Facebook and Twitter.
- It’s flexible.
You reach your customers whenever they want to be reached. You can choose to send an email at any time you like because doing so doesn't require a special app or platform that might not be available in your customer's country or region of the world.
6 Steps to Writing Great New Product Launch Emails
The following tips will help ensure your product launch is a success:
1. Build Anticipation
Start spreading the buzzword about the upcoming launch 1 or 2 weeks before the launch. Try not to give away too much about your new product/service/feature. Keep an optimal amount of mystery to stick to your customers' minds.
2. Craft a catchy subject line
The first step to writing an effective product launch email is to create a killer subject line. The subject line should be short, compelling, and immediately relevant. It's the first thing your audience will see when they open their inbox, so you must grab their attention right off the bat.
3. Plan it in advance
Planning for a product launch should be done months in advance. You'll need time to test your sales copy, pick your price point, map out your social media marketing campaign and set up your email marketing.
4. Make sure to include the launch date
Your product launch plan should consist of the date you're launching the product and when it'll be available for purchase. This gives people enough time to become excited about the product and decide whether or not to buy it.
5. Send at the right time
The second step to writing an effective product launch email is making sure that you're sending it out at the right time. If you send out emails too early or too late, you risk turning off your customers before they even have a chance to engage with what you've got to offer. It's best to send out product launch emails at times where people are most likely to be interested in what you have going on.
6. Include a CTA
Your email call to action determines whether you'll receive the expected amount of conversions or the right conversion goal. In that regard, there are a few tips to keep in mind for killer CTAs:
- Find the right placement for your email CTA.
- Exclusive offers and incentives typically bring more conversions.
- Choose the right colors with optimal contrast.
Best Examples of Product Launch Messages and Emails
1- Moment
Subject line: "It's iPhone 13 Preorder Day."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- Aligns another brand's launch with their product
- Minimal imagery and design
- It has a clear CTA that is far from sounding too generic.
- The email’s body text informs the recipient about the different versions of the product in a few words.
2- Mmhmm
Subject line: "Introducing mmhmm 2.0 Chunky."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- The video in this email makes it more engaging while introducing the new product features to users.
- Its colorful design unconsciously encourages the recipient to read its content.
- There are multiple CTA buttons in this email. One is “Preview the features,” and the other is “Meet mmhmm 2.0 Clunky.” As we mentioned before, multiple CTAs are perfect for longer emails like this one.
3- Minna
Subject line: "Cherry Cacao is Here!"
What makes this a great product launch email:
- It introduces the new product in an inspiring and almost poetic tone.
- This email is short and sweet. If you don’t have much to say about your new product, then do not try to overcomplicate your email either.
- Notice how the color palette of this email aligns with Minna’s new cherry cacao. Make sure that your product launch email’s color palette reflects your new product while harmonizing with your brand image.
4- Google
Subject line: "Introducing Pixel 4a."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- Google highlights its new products’ outstanding features to convince users to buy while addressing the most common problems their customer profile experiences.
- The professional product image in this launch email allows users to quickly check the product without clicking on any link so that the interested users can click the CTA to view it in detail.
- With this pre-order email, Google hypes up the expectations for the product and targets users with “exclusivity.”
5- Asana - Onboarding Users
Subject line: "Let us do the work you hate."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- It’s almost vital for SaaS businesses to introduce upcoming features well. Otherwise, you’d end up with a feature nobody uses. In this product launch email example, Asana introduces its Automation feature to solve users’ problems.
- Asana onboards users by giving a step-by-step how-to of its new feature
- The customized CTA button, “Say bye to busywork,” targets user problems to encourage conversion.
6- Avocode - Win-back + New Feature
Subject line: "Public Launch: Jira Integration."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- This launch email hits two birds with one stone by specifically focusing on users whose subscriptions are about to end or recently ended. In addition, it introduces a new product feature to win back old users.
- The short email copy is to the point and explains what the user can achieve with this new feature.
7- Figma
Subject line: "Say hello to Figma Plugins."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- Figma effectively introduces its plugins option launch with information cards that group plugins under a solution they provide.
- The email introduction starting with the “Say hello to Figma plugins” headline has a humanized voice instead of a robotic-sounding chunk of text.
8- Lyft
Subject Line: "Now Arriving; Lyft Scooters"
What makes this a great product launch email:
- The copy of this email has a friendly, upbeat tone that matches the lively pink design.
- There's a how-to section under the scooter gif, which is streamlined into steps. Notice how the overall email has a fun vibe. Even the final how-to step is “Wee!”
9- Mailchimp
Subject line: "🐵 📷️ 🎉 Introducing Instagram Ad Campaigns in MailChimp."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- Mailchimp announces a product update, a new sub-service with a relatively long introduction on how users can benefit from it.
- The CTA button is positioned at the end of the email body, encouraging users to read more about the use case of this feature in the blog post.
- There's a product walkthrough video on how to use these features. This practice is ideal for educating more users and increasing conversions.
10- Chubbies
Subject line: "Oops."
What makes this a great product launch email:
- Chubbies is known for its humorous tone, so what could generally be “too much” for another brand is actually more engaging for Chubbies. This product launch email definitely hits the bullseye in originality which is achieved with the look of text message bubbles.
- The humor continues even on the CTA button text; “Button for The New Shorts.”
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you write a product launch announcement?
Start making your launch announcement 1 or 2 weeks before the launch date. The main purpose of a product launch announcement is to provide information and generate interest in your new product. This can be done through several different avenues, including product description, product pricing, and product availability in your announcement.
How many emails should be in a product launch?
2-3 product launch emails in the 72 hours surrounding your launch data are optimal.
What is a good knowledge base?
A good internal or external knowledge base is one that is accessible, easy to use, and clear in categorization as well as definition.
What's the best time to send a launch email?
You should send it when you've got something big to announce, and people will take notice. For example, you might have:
- Launched a new feature on your website
- Released a new report or case study
- Created a music video or podcast episode related to your industry
- Received media coverage from a major publication or TV show
- Released a book that ties into your industry or offers valuable information for consumers and businesses in the industry.
How do I email soft launch?
- Pick a killer subject line.
- Start your email with a greeting.
- Write a clear but attention-grabbing headline.
- Use multimedia like images and videos for engagement
- Include multiple CTAs if the email is long.