All You Need to Know to Create Winning Product Launch Emails

Your product is ready to go live in a few weeks. What an exciting moment!

Have you told the world yet?

If not, we’re here to help you figure out the best product launch email you can send to tell your audience all about your awesome product.

Specifically, we’ll discuss:

  • The 5 most common product launch email types
  • What your launch emails should contain
  • Internal and external launch email templates

Plus, we have also prepared some successful product launch email examples to get your creative juices flowing.

But first, let’s see what exactly a product launch email is.

What is a Product Launch Email?

A product launch email is sent by brands to their emailing list, announcing the launch of a new product or the release of a new version of an existing product.

In other words, a product launch email tells your subscribers the whens and whats of your upcoming launch, including details such as:

  • When the launch is happening
  • When the product will be available for purchase
  • What your upcoming product is
  • What features the product will have

The way you craft your email needs to build anticipation around your new product launch and get your target audience hyped about launch day.

How are you going to do that?

The first thing you need to do is determine what type of product launch email you need to use.

5 Types of Product Launch Emails

All product launch emails serve the same general purpose: to tell customers about your new product. 

But there are actually different types of emails that allow you to do that.

For instance, you can send over a teaser email that is meant to generate hype without giving away too much detail — following the Apple product launch model.

Or, you could just send an email that announces the product release in more detail.

It’s up to you to decide which email structure best suits your needs.

The point is that there are a couple of product launch email types you should be aware of.

Here are some of the most common types of product launch emails:

  1. Join the waitlist email: Build a waiting list and prompt users to sign up for product release notifications.
  2. Pre-order email: The early bird email that enables customers to place orders for your product before the launch.
  3. Event invitation email: Invite your customers to the launch event, a webinar, or podcast episode so they can learn more about your product.
  4. New product updates: Announce new feature releases for existing products.
  5. Announcement email: Tell your customers when to expect the product release.

Regardless of the type you’re going to use, there are some key elements that you should include in your email.

Let’s talk about that.

6 Product Launch Email Must-haves

What makes a great product launch email? 

  1. Subject line
  2. Opening line
  3. Product images
  4. Email body
  5. Call-to-action (CTA)
  6. Email sign-off

Let’s have a closer look at each of these key elements and see why they’re essential for a successful product launch email campaign.

1. Subject line

Let’s imagine you’ve already written and sent the email. Now we’re looking at it in a hypothetical inbox.

The first thing we’ll see is the email subject line (SL).

The subject line is the first contact your email will make with the customer. It’s what can make or break your open rates.

According to research, in 64% of the cases, the subject line directly impacts email openings. Moreover, over 30% of email recipients will open an email if they find the subject line to be catchy. 

But what makes a subject line catchy?

Here are some formulas you can use for attention-grabbing SLs:

  • Introducing {Product Name}: The {product type} that will {benefit}
  • The wait is over! {Product Name} available for pre-orders
  • {Product Name} is now live! Get yours to {benefit}

When crafting your subject line, try to keep it short and interesting while telling your customers what’s in it for them from the get-go.

Now, let’s go ahead and open the email.

2. Opening line

The opening line is what captures your readers' attention upon opening your email. Think of it as your hook

It's the decisive moment when the reader deliberates if your email is worth reading or not.

This is the place to use personalized content as it can boost engagement rates by as much as 50%.

That’s huge considering that the average person spends only around 11 seconds reading an email.

So, your opening line should be able to convince the reader that what you’re about to say it’s super important and would benefit them — all that in under 11 seconds.

How?

You can try to:

  • Make it relevant for your reader
  • Use personalization and make it feel exclusive
  • Address your customer's pain points
  • Talk about benefits and opportunities
  • Make it intriguing and evoke curiosity

You really got your readers hooked! Now you need to maintain their interest and feed their curiosity with high-quality visuals.

3. Product images

Although copywriting is essential in getting someone to open and read your email, it's not the only thing that matters.

Images play an important part as well.

In fact, according to Snov.io, emails containing images have a 4.5 % higher click-through rate (CTR) than emails that are solely text-based.  

Email on Acid recommends creating emails with the 60/40 rule in mind. This means that your emails should comprise 60% text and 40% images.

But the purpose of images is not just to make your email look pretty and engaging. 

Using images as a visual aid to back up your content can help your readers process the information you're delivering up to 60,000 times faster compared to a text-only email copy.

Therefore, you can use images, GIFs, videos, and other visuals through your email body to reiterate your message in an effective and engaging way.

Scroll down to see what else you should include in your email.

4. Email body

What are the beauty standards for the ideal email body?

According to Campaign Monitor, you should try and keep the content in your email body between 50 to 125 words.

Of course, this is not always possible.

However, you should do your best to keep it brief and easy to read.

To ensure you’re keeping your email body short and with a good readability score, you can:

  • Use bullet points
  • Write short sentences
  • Minimize the use of long words
  • Keep your paragraphs structured, short, and easily scannable

We’ve made it all the way down to the call-to-action (CTA) button — and it all comes to this:

What makes people click (the CTA)?

5. CTA

After you’ve told your product’s story, it’s time you tell readers what the next step is.

You can do that with a CTA button that prompts users to take action right after reading your email.

But how do you do that?

First, let’s talk about the copy: 

After you’ve got your CTA text right, you should carefully integrate it into your email design. 

When doing so, ensure you make your CTA button stand out by removing the clutter around it and using an eye-catching design.

Now all that’s left to do is sign off and you’re done!

6. Email sign-off

Even though we recommend closing your emails properly, email sign-off has become optional lately.

Either way, you still have to add some things after the CTA, including an unsubscribe button or a link to product demo booking.

In the case of an internal product release email, the sign-off becomes mandatory since you’re going to address your coworkers, stakeholders, and everyone else within your organization.

What’s an internal product launch email?

Internal Product Launch Email 101 (w/ Template)

An internal product launch email is a piece of internal communication sent over email announcing a new product release within an organization.

Depending on the industry and organizational culture, an internal product release email can contain information about:

  • Planned launch objectives
  • The unique selling point (USP) of the product 
  • Key product features and benefits
  • How and when the launch event is going to take place

But do you really need to send this email?  Or is it just a formality?

Why is an internal product launch email necessary?

When you’re working within a really small team, this type of email might not be so relevant. 

But when you’re part of a more complex organizational structure, an internal product launch email is essential as it helps you:

  • Make sure all employees, stakeholders, etc., are on the same page 
  • Create excitement for the launch
  • Coordinate your team for the last mile before launch day
  • Get ahead of scheduled marketing strategies with employee-powered  word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing

Let’s have a look at the template below to see how you can do all of the above efficiently.

Internal Product Launch Email Template

Below, you will find a product release email template that will help you effortlessly spread the word about the product launch among your colleagues, employees, and stakeholders.

Internal Product Launch Email Template

What about the customer-facing product launch email?

How am I supposed to write that?

Don’t worry, we’re covering that exact part in the next section. 

Have a look.

External Product Launch Email 101 (w/ Template)

An external product launch email is a customer-facing piece of communication about a product release sent via email to customers who previously signed up for a brand’s email list.

In some cases, external launch emails are not one-time events but rather a series of marketing efforts integrated into the product launch campaign.

Namely, some brands use a product launch email sequence to ensure customers are excited about the brand new product release from the pre-launch phase.

This involves multiple emails being scheduled and orchestrated before, around, and after the launch date to:

  • Build anticipation, generate buzz, and create a sense of urgency during the pre-launch
  • Keep customers engaged and boost conversions during and around the launch
  • Transform customers into brand ambassadors after the launch

Why is an external product launch email necessary?

External product launch emails should be at the top of your priority list. 

Why?

Well, let’s break it down into the three product launch phases.

During pre-launch, the external product launch email can help you build product awareness from as early as the incipient product developing stages, giving you the ability to generate demand before the release date. 

Not only that but it’s also a great tool to:

  • Offer sneak peeks to customers to create excitement
  • Provide early access and beta testing opportunities
  • Conduct A/B testing scenarios and create a data-driven product launch marketing strategy tailored to your audience’s preferences

During and around the launch it helps you announce that the wait is over and the product is now available.

Finally, after the launch, you can use email marketing to announce your customer retention strategies. 

For instance, you could use a post-launch email to showcase your referral program incentives

Or, you could promote other products from the same product line to customers who purchased the launched product.

The point here is to nurture customer loyalty and keep the conversation alive.

Have a look at the template below to get an idea of what an external product launch email can look like.

External Product Launch Email Template

In the image below, you will find an external product launch email template you can easily adapt to your needs.

In addition to announcing an upcoming product launch, you can apply a few tweaks to the template and also use it for:

  • New feature announcements
  • A follow-up email on your pre-launch email
  • Lead nurturing 
External Product Launch Email Template

External Product Launch Email Template

Now you’re ready to start crafting your emails.

But before that, let’s get inspired by other brands’ successful product launch emails.

4 Successful Product Launch Email Examples to Get Started

Before you get to all the copywriting, formatting, and email designing, have a look at the four product launch email examples we’ve gathered for you.

Get inspired by others’ success stories and see which example aligns with your brand guidelines.

Let’s have a look at the first one.

1. Digit

The first email example we’re going to check out is from Digit, a smart budgeting app.

Digit  Product Launch Email Examples

Image Source: ReallyGoodEmails

This email invites readers to join the waitlist so they can get early access to the app. It uses consistent brand colors and imagery, and concisely conveys the brand’s message.

Why we like it: The email copy is focused on the product benefits, it's short, and the header packs a punch. 

Plus, Digit used two CTA buttons instead of one, making the purpose of the email super clear from the get-go even for readers in a hurry. 

2. Fitbit Charge 5

Our next product launch announcement email features the Fitbit Charge 5.

Fitbit  Product Launch Email Examples

Image Source: ReallyGoodEmails

In this example, the email announces that product pre-orders are available while showcasing the most relevant features of the product and its benefits. 

Why we like it: The email copy is structured in an easy-to-read way. 

Moreover, the design makes use of suggestive pictograms instead of regular bullet points, drawing the reader's attention to the most important bits of the email.

The CTA button is well-highlighted in a bright color that makes it stand out against the gray-black background of the email.

3. Magic Spoon Cereal

The third product email example in our list comes from Magic Spoon Cereal.

Magic spoon  Product Launch Email Examples

Image Source:  ReallyGoodEmails

In this email, Magic Spoon Cereal announces the release of two new cereal flavors through a colorful design and an image to text ratio bigger than what we’ve seen so far.

What makes it special?

Why we like it: This email starts with a great hook, grabbing the reader's interest with a question.

The launch of the two new flavors is announced in the first paragraph and it's centered around action-focused phrasing.

Right under that, we can see the product images that are perfectly integrated into the email design.

Moreover, this email features a customer testimony right before the CTA button to establish trust.

In addition to that, they've also featured an Instagram post from an influencer to serve as social proof.

4. Hawthorne

This email from Hawthorne announces a new body wash formula with all the bells and whistles.

Hawthorne  Product Launch Email Examples

Image Source:  ReallyGoodEmails

The email copy in this example starts by explaining what the product can do for the customer and goes further to explain how. 

It feels almost like somebody is actually sending you the bottle of body wash while telling you why they like it. 

Why we like it: We love the imagery in this example! It’s so cozy and warm.

The email design is simple and sleek and it uses colors that not only align with the email purpose but also match the product description.

The product features are formatted in such a way to act as an arrow that leads to the CTA button.

Now, let’s wrap this up!

Before You Go

We hope that you’re ready to take on this challenge and start writing a product launch email that will not only allow you to announce your new product but also generate buzz.

If you have some time to spare before the launch countdown gets on your nerves, head over to our product launch page.

There you can find a wide range of useful product launch resources to help you coordinate a winning product release. 

Good luck spreading the word about your launch!

Written by:

Nikitas Filosofof

Nikitas is responsible for growth at Viral Loops and also helps customers on 1-on-1 basis to reach success with their referral campaigns. Let's connect on LinkedIn