Simply put, product release emails introduce your users to new features and functionality. These emails are both a practical way to provide value to your users and increase their engagement with your product and brand.
Though it may sound as simple as writing a standard email, there is a lot to consider when creating a product release email strategy: targeting the right audience segments, creating messages that land with your users, and crafting emails that drive feature adoption and product adoption.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through how to create product release emails that help you meet your KPIs and engage your users. We’ll also go through examples of great product release emails to give you some inspiration as you create or refine your strategy.
What Is a New Product Release Email?
A product release email is an email update about recent changes to a product or service. Whether it’s for a SaaS platform or a mobile app, all release emails have the same basic building blocks:
- Subject line: This hints at something special, or mentions a value proposition, because it’s what determines whether or not users will open the email
- Hook: Typically, the hook is engaging text or a stand-out visual that makes your users want to keep reading
- Product value: All product release emails have to quickly and powerfully drive home what value a product release has for a platform’s users
- Optional feature list or video: Sometimes, product release emails benefit from having a full list of what’s new, or a video highlighting some of the main elements of this particular release
All of these components combined inform users about new features and functionality while making the value proposition clear and enticing.
Why are product release emails important?
Your team may already create conventional product release notes or changelogs to inform your existing users about new functionality. In that case, you may be wondering why you need product release emails, too.
Here are a few of the benefits of sending product release emails in addition to release notes or changelogs. Product release emails:
- Improve product and feature awareness among existing users
- Drive new feature adoption with targeted, value-based messaging
- Increase product roadmap transparency and build brand loyalty
- Convince users that their desired features are being (or will be) built and that their feedback is utilized
Last but not least, the most significant advantage offered by release emails over a revision history is reach. By directly emailing your audience at an active email address, you can reach a larger segment of your users than just updating your site’s changelog.
Types of New Product Launch Emails
In this section, we’ll take a look at the seven primary types of product launch emails.
1. New product release and update emails
New product launch and release emails announce new products, update users on the development cycle, and create anticipation for future and upcoming features and new product beta launches. They’re typically simple, informative, and include multiple updates at once.
2. New feature announcement emails
Feature announcement emails highlight new features and often include screenshots, GIFs, videos, and even testimonials from industry influencers who had early access. The difference between general release emails and new feature announcement emails is that the latter is typically focused on one specific feature.
New feature announcement emails often create excitement and momentum through a series of emails rather than just one. These emails are typically sent to users who have shown interest in a specific feature, as well as to the brand’s entire target audience.
3. Future roadmap release emails
Future roadmap release emails keep your users updated on your product’s release cycle and create anticipation for upcoming product changes.
These emails give your users a sneak peek at your product roadmap, building excitement for what’s to come. Not only that, but they can be used to recruit beta testers who can give early and actionable feedback before the release.
4. Pre-order and waitlist release emails
Pre-order and waitlist release emails are similar to future roadmap release emails, but they offer your audience an opportunity to pre-order or sign up while giving progress updates on the development process.
Waitlist release emails can also be designed as an engagement tactic by asking users to share a product with their network to move up the waitlist, get a pre-order discount, or join the product’s beta launch.
5. Teaser emails
Teaser emails are a staple in email marketing and are incredibly useful for building excitement around planned features and functionality. They give sneak peeks at a new feature—anything from the actual UI to the outcome of the functionality—and get users invested in the upcoming release.
Often, teasers precede other email types, such as pre-order or waitlist emails or official feature announcements.
6. Beta invitation emails
When the bulk of development and design work is done but your team is still iterating ahead of a planned release, beta invitation emails recruit users to try out a new feature and give feedback.
Beta initiation emails engage users with special access while also giving your team important insights that help you put the finishing touches on a feature before releasing it to all of your users.
7. Post-launch follow-up emails
After releasing a new feature, post-launch follow-up emails allow your team to get more feedback from your user base and promote feature iterations. Follow-up emails can include:
- Links to surveys designed to get feedback about new features
- CTAs to contact support or sales for help or feedback with new functionality
- Information about planned iterations for the new features to build anticipation and excitement
Since product and feature development is typically a continuously iterative process, your email communication with users about features continues even after your initial launch.
Best Practices for New Feature & Product Launch Email Campaigns
To create effective new product release email campaigns, you can follow a few best practices to maximize the value to your users and help your team drive feature adoption.
Here are our top six tips for creating impactful product launch email campaigns:
1. Segment emails to the right customers and users
Your product probably has a diverse audience, with each user type having its own workflows and behaviors based on their needs.
For example, a couple might use Dropbox to save and organize memories of their kids, while a design studio will likely use it to store and share assets with clients. Likewise, a freelancer would use Airtable’s relational database to track client relationships, collect pending invoices, and track ongoing assignments. In contrast, a startup might use it as a basic CRM for managing opportunities.
Depending on your audience’s size and diversity, certain features might be universally valuable, while others might cater to the needs of a particular segment. Instead of blasting emails to users for whom a new feature is less relevant, you can focus on engaging those most likely to use a specific feature based on their current usage history.
This creates less noise and gives users in each segment confidence that you’ll only appear in their inbox when you have something truly valuable to offer them.
2. Write a strong email subject line
According to conversion rate optimization agency Invesp, 47% of recipients decide whether or not to open an email based on the subject line, while 69% would report an email as spam using the same judgment.
To enhance the chances of your release emails being opened, your subject lines need to be:
- Attention-grabbing without being clickbait
- Concise & straight-to-the-point
- Alluding to an exclusive sneak peek that intrigues users
- Complemented by a captivating preheader that supports your subject line
3. Write thorough, yet condensed copy
When you’re crafting release emails, there’s always the risk of writing short, snappy copy that gets users to open an email but doesn’t engage them all the way through. On the other hand, if you try to lecture users on too many details, you’ll be too verbose and cause people to lose interest before your CTA.
You should aim to strike a balance—write enough to draw your users in, in as many (or few) words as it takes to keep them engaged from the moment they open an email until they click through.
Tip: You can test different versions of your email with varying text lengths. See which version is most likely to get users to click on your CTA, and then you’ve found your sweet spot.
4. Use GIFs, videos, and other visuals
Visuals are a powerful complement to words, and some users may process your visuals better than your text. The idea is to create an engaging picture of how a new feature works to build anticipation and understand the value proposition.
Levels.fyi is an online platform that helps engineers and tech employees compare roles, career levels, and salaries at different companies. In 2023, they launched a new “jobs” feature where users can search and apply for tech roles at companies like Meta, Google, and Instacart. But instead of drafting an email with a large wall of text, its email was just under 90 words, while they used the GIF below to show their “jobs” functionality in action.
Similarly, when they launched their product’s reporting function, Spreadsheet.com included a GIF showing the on-screen motions required for users to pull data from multiple worksheets and workbooks into a combined view they could share with anyone on their team.
For the launch of their “simple tables” feature, Notion inserted a GIF of the new feature in action to offer users more context on how it works and inspire them to try it out.
It’s vital to have some sort of engaging visual in most types of product release emails to best engage users and make sure that they don’t have to think too hard to envision your new functionality and its relevance to their workflows.
5. Have an end-of-email CTA
A CTA at the end of your release drives home your overall messaging and makes it easy for users to click through and complete whatever action you want.
Here are a few simple tips for adding CTAs to the end of your product release emails:
- Highlight your CTAs and make them stand out, typically as a clickable button
- Make it simple, and give users minimal CTA options to avoid decision paralysis
- Add UTM codes to track engagement from each campaign so that you can learn which CTA types get the most engagement for future email campaigns
6. Create an email drip campaign for your launch
According to 2019 email engagement benchmarks published by Mailchimp, the average open rate for emails across all industries was roughly 21.33%, with clickthrough rates at just 2.62%. At that rate, even if you have a highly engaged community, it’s unlikely you’ll ever get more than a third of your community’s eyes on any of your email campaigns.
Drip campaigns can help you break up your release emails into sequences that drop in over time (e.g., a week or a month) and increase the chances that your users will engage with your sequences at some stage, even if they ignore some of the emails.
Drip campaigns help you engage users without drafting a giant wall of text, which is useful particularly for complex platforms and dynamic features that might require a lot of context.
Your product launch email sequence doesn’t need to be complicated. Instead, you can go for a simple email drip campaign like the following example:
- Email #1—Two weeks before launch: Craft a product release email that teases your upcoming launch or new feature rollout. Don’t give too many details away; this email aims to build anticipation and excitement.
- Email #2—One week before launch: This is your big reveal, your opportunity to make an impression with a powerful announcement. Tell your customers and users exactly what the new product or feature is and include visuals, product highlights, and CTAs to read more.
- Email #3—Launch day: It’s time to share your excitement with your customers and encourage them to upgrade their accounts or purchase your new functionality. Tell users how to access the new feature and include product tutorials like short demo videos, a link to your release notes, or an in-app tutorial when users click from the email into your app.
- Email #4—One week post-launch: Ask users for feedback with a quick survey, and include a CTA for those users who still haven’t tried the new feature.
Using AI to Draft Your New Product Launch Emails
The incredible rise of AI has influenced so many of our workflows, and product launch emails are no exception. AI can help you create better product launch emails faster.
Here are some prompt examples that you can use to create product launch emails with ChatGPT:
- “Write a product release email for a SaaS platform targeting (user type) announcing an AI-powered feature called (feature name) that (functionality)”
- “Generate a witty launch email for a new mobile app (app name) targeting Gen Z that (app functionality)”
- “Create a launch email for (product name) targeting (user type) that has just released a feature that solves a huge pain point (describe pain point briefly)”
What you generate will likely need some tweaking, but it’ll be a starting point far better than a blank page. Many email marketers find that using AI to get started on an email campaign saves hours each time.
22 Examples of New Feature and Product Launch Emails
In this section, we’ll look at 22 of the best new product announcement and feature release emails from recognizable B2B brands and break down exactly why each is effective. Use this section as inspiration for your own email strategy.
1. Ahrefs
Ahrefs’ May 2023 product update captures attention with an embedded YouTube video that provides a roundup of all its new features and product updates. For those who prefer to read more traditional release notes, Ahrefs included a link to its product updates blog.
2. Loom
Loom is an asynchronous video platform you can use to record and share bite-sized videos without leaving your browser. This update email introduces a redesigned version of their Chrome extension that makes it all possible.
Instead of a text breakdown of the redesign’s pros and cons, the image shows that you can now toggle through different cameras, microphones, and screens, and trigger effects right from the add-on itself.
3. ClickUp
In this update introducing default templates for new tasks, Team ClickUp emphasizes its message with a still image of a user toggling options on a dashboard, with a brief text explanation beneath.
It’s effective because it’s light on text and does much of the work with visual cues that users familiar with ClickUp will understand.
4. Elementor
Elementor is a free WordPress website and web page builder for non-technical users. This email targets users who are already invested in the Elementor and WordPress ecosystem and would love to be updated on how to get the most out of the platform.
A single click redirects to a demo recording—in less than 40 words, readers can get the gist of the update and decide whether they want to view the rest of the webinar recap. The simplicity and bold CTA make this an effective update email.
5. HockeyStack
HockeyStack is a marketing analytics and attribution toolbox that helps users track every interaction an entity has with your business. This edition of HockeyStack’s bi-weekly product updates shows an attribution feature that tracks when viewers from companies of interest are browsing your website, including the device they’re viewing on and their approximate location.
This email works because it captures your attention with one image and shows the level of detail you can get into your potential customers’ activity on your website, which is an extension of the product’s overall value proposition.
6. Confluence
In the March 2023 edition of its monthly digest update, Confluence introduces a Tasks HQ on its dashboard where users can see all their tasks and filter through items using variables such as date created, status, etc. But, instead of a text-only brief, this email combines:
- A screenshot of the tasks HQ feature
- A one-line summary that promises users they’ll never lose track of tasks again
- A bold CTA for users who want to learn more
The combination of visuals, short and descriptive text, and a stand-out CTA encourages users to read and experience more.
7. Grammarly
This invitation to Grammarly’s AI content production product is particularly effective, although it doesn’t use visual aids to make its point. It’s effective because:
- It’s exclusive (We haven’t launched, but we can give you a sneak peek)
- Has a clear, highlighted CTA (Join our beta…).
- It’s contextually relevant— most users have a reason to care about an AI content production tool as they learn more and more about tools like ChatGPT and their relevance to writing.
It’s also worth noting that since Grammarly is related to text and targets users who write words, their users may have a greater appetite for a text-heavy email. It’s a great example of creating an email campaign that fits the vibe of your product or platform.
8. Airtable
In this edition of Airtable’s monthly newsletter, the email leads with a story about automating repetitive work and then introduces a new option enabling you to preserve records and databases so that you can continuously reuse them.
This email is effective because it leads with a relevant and engaging story, pivots to the value proposition quickly, and has a hard-to-miss CTA.
9. Scribe
Scribe’s product release email introduces AI-generated titling and explains that users can now record Scribe guides, with AI suggesting a name for it based on the content itself. It ends with a simple CTA that invites users to take it for a spin after less than 50 words of explanation.
This email is effective because it quickly and simply addresses a typical user pain point – naming content.
10. SpotDraft
SpotDraft is a content lifecycle management platform that helps teams draft, review, and sign contracts faster. In this product release email, SpotDraft shares its intake forms release, which customers can use to ensure they collect essential information when users submit contracts for review.
There’s a video linked in the email to show how the feature works, while the still image does a lot of work, providing helpful context for users who might not want to check out the video initially. This email is a great example of how you can use visuals both within the email and on the platform to get users excited about new features.
11. InvolveMe
InvolveMe is a no-code builder for creating interactive websites, forms, calculators, funnels, and quizzes—basically, any dynamic and interactive content.
This product release email introduces a bunch of new third-party integrations and offers a clear CTA. This email is simple and easy to understand, and it links to further information so that users can set up their desired integrations within a few clicks.
12. Peerlist Inbox
Peerlist is a professional social network for people in tech—developers, product managers, founders, and investors. Recently, Peerlist launched a messaging feature so that users can DM their peers on the platform.
There are three things this update email gets right:
- It introduces the feature right away without a convoluted explanation
- It explains why the team shipped it (popular demand, i.e., we listen to you!)
- It has a screenshot of the messaging feature on the desktop to show how it works
13. FAX.PLUS
FAX.PLUS is cloud-based software for sending faxes online. The team recently expanded into making e-signature software, and this update email shares that with users and invites them to try it out at a discounted rate.
It’s simple, to-the-point, and has a clear CTA for users who want to try it out. It also offers users motivation for clicking the CTA in the form of a financial incentive.
14. Tandem Chat
Tandem is a virtual office that helps remote teams collaborate on documents, applications, and projects in real-time through shared plans. Since it was founded, Tandem has had a generous free tier accommodating up to four team members.
This email shares that Tandem’s pricing is changing soon and that existing users can lock in early-adopter discounts by upgrading before their new pricing tiers kick in within a month after the email.
One particularly effective element of this email is that it explains the new pricing in a simple, bulleted format that users can scan and easily understand the impact of the changes.
15. Cal.com
This email update by Cal.com leads with a brief explanation of the changes the team shipped recently. The product screenshot shows that users can now change how often specific events can be booked, either daily or monthly.
This simple screenshot shows the user exactly what the new feature looks like, and doesn’t require much explanation for a seasoned user to understand the value proposition and its relevance to their workflow.
16. YouTube
This update email from YouTube shows an embellished address icon that invokes the idea of social media handles that users know from using other social platforms, but may not yet associate with YouTube.
The visual is followed by two brief paragraphs explaining that users can now customize their channel handle, plus explains how the policy will affect personalized channel URLs. There is a big, clear CTA so that users can move forward with creating their handle, whether or not they’ve read all of the text.
17. Spreadsheet.com
Spreadsheet.com is an online spreadsheet platform that gives a lot more functionality than tools like Google Sheets or Airtable.
This product update covers the recent changes to the product, but particularly notable is the embedded GIF showing users how they can generate reports by pulling data from several worksheets in their account, all in a few clicks. It’s effective because it’s a simple visual that shows a complex task done quickly and easily.
18. Bonsai
Bonsai is a time-tracking, invoicing, and expense management solution for freelancers and small business owners. In this product release email, Bonsai shares that you can bundle multiple invoices into one and collect payment for them all at once. To do this, they show a screenshot of such an invoice bundle live from their product’s dashboard.
This visual, followed by a descriptive and bold CTA, motivates users to try out invoice bundling and makes it feel simple.
19. Atlantic Money
Atlantic is a money transfer platform that lets users send up to ₤1 million for a flat fee of £3 per transaction. This product release email is more of an engagement tactic designed to retain the attention of those on its waitlist for access when it eventually launches.
This email gives users a sense of satisfaction with its lack of CTA – there’s nothing that they need to do except sit back and wait for access. It’s a part of a drip campaign leading up to a launch that generates excitement ahead of the big day.
20. ActiveCampaign
At first, this particular product release email from ActiveCampaign’s email software seems like it tries to communicate a lot in one email. But it’s all cleverly broken up so that users can absorb it quickly.
This email also uses some creative tactics to get the point across, such as:
- Pattern interrupt: the deliberate (underlined) typo shows the new spell-check feature at work by standing out
- Context: ActiveCampaign framed its spell check feature like users would see it while creating an email inside their email editor
- Clear CTA: Try out these new features – nothing more, nothing less
- A clear breakdown: The bulleted list neatly explains the rest of the upcoming features
Below is another ActiveCampaign email, a teaser for their automation builder product update. In the email’s hero image, there is a link to a blog that previews the upcoming changes in more detail:
After the hero image, there are embedded GIFs showing what the update will look like inside the feature itself. The email ends with two CTAs: one to request early access to the beta launch of the new feature and one to sign up for its Q3 product launch event.
21. iStock
iStock launched its new AI-powered background removal tool and announced it with the email below. The hero image of the email serves as a powerful demo of the feature, and the email copy points out that this feature is only available to iStock subscribers.
The CTA leads directly to an opportunity to try the new feature, and likely leads to some solid conversions for iStock.
22. The Juice
The Juice is a content distribution tool that helps marketing and sales teams drive traffic and engagement to newly published content. It recently launched a new feature in collaboration with Copy.AI that allows readers to summarize content into short, one-minute briefs that include key insights and themes.
The new feature email effectively utilizes a simplistic design. Its plain text format ensures that the campaign will have high email deliverability rates and gives a straightforward explanation as to what’s so valuable about this feature.
New Features Click Better With Whatfix
With Whatfix’s digital adoption platform (DAP) and product analytics software, product teams are empowered with no-code tools to analyze, build, and deliver contextual in-app guidance and self-help user support to segmented groups of users.
With the Whatfix DAP, your team can increase the adoption of new features by:
- Creating user onboarding checklists that ensure users don’t miss new features that they may not have heard about
- Including strategically timed product tours and feature walkthroughs, introducing new and existing users to new functionality
- Triggering in-app pop-ups that show users new features at exactly the relevant points in their workflow
- Giving users access to Self Help, a dynamic knowledge base where they can get more guidance for best utilizing new features
Connect your product tutorial videos, documentation, release notes, third-party links, and more with Self-Help
With Whatfix Product Analytics, you can:
- Determine the adoption rate for new features
- See how different product iterations affect the feature adoption rate
- Look at the feature adoption and user behavior of different customer segments
- Identify friction in new workflows so that you can react to it and increase overall adoption and successful usage of new features
With Whatfix’s product analytics, analyze your product experience to identify and fix drop-off areas, improve user onboarding, measure adoption, segment users, and more
Ready to enhance your product releases with Whatfix? Schedule a demo today!
