Product launch email tips and examples to ignite your campaign
Cesar, Customer Support (left) and Milda, Customer Success (right)
Releasing new products is always exciting. The hard work is finished, and you’re ready for take off. But like a rocket nearing launch, your product needs fuel to make it off the ground.
Email announcements are a powerful propellant. They’re the best way to promote your new release to existing subscribers, and you won’t have to spend a penny on ads.
But creating an effective product launch email campaign for the first time isn’t easy. The good news? This article is packed full of tips and examples to help.
Why do you need a product launch announcement email?
Product launch announcement emails alert subscribers to your upcoming or recently released product. This greatly impacts sales, because your subscribers have a proven interest in your brand—they may even be existing customers. If they’ve bought once and continue to engage, there’s a good chance they will buy again.
You can send a single email to launch a product. But it’s often better to send multiple emails at different stages. We explain how to create a product launch email sequence later in this article.
Types of product launch email (plus templates) 📧
Products come in many shapes and sizes: from physical items to software, courses, and ebooks. Even new features and events can be marketed like a product.
Here are 5 types of product you might consider promoting. We’ve included sample product launch email templates for each example. Feel free to copy them directly or use them to inspire your own messages.
1. Physical product release
Send an announcement email whenever you release a new e-commerce product. Include links to your listings and tell people why they should buy. Create high-quality images to show off the product.
Hey {$name}
You’re one of our most loyal customers. To say thanks, we’re giving you the opportunity to try our new product first.
We think you’ll love it because [why people should use your product].
What’s more, the first 100 people to buy will receive a 40% discount. After that, [product name] will go up to its full price of [price].
Take advantage of the offer by hitting the link below.
Get 40% off [product name]
Once you receive the product, we’d love to hear what you think about it.
Tag us on Instagram or use #[productname] to show how you use it.
All the best,
[Name]
[Position]
2. Feature announcements
Releasing new software features is the secret to keeping customers happy. Ensure they are aware of the update by sending feature announcement emails. Explain what the new tool does and its benefits. Include links to the feature and further information about its uses.
Hey there,
We’ve got some big news: we just launched [feature name], a new feature that [what your product does].
We think you’ll love it because it helps with our customers' core challenges.
[Benefit 1]
[Benefit 2]
[Benefit 3]
The feature is available to all Pro plan members immediately. To celebrate the release, we’re also letting those on our Starter plan try the update for an entire month.
Hit the button below if you’re on either of these plans to start.
Try [feature name] now
Check out our blog post to learn more about the feature and how it helps you [main benefit].
We’re also hosting a webinar to demo the product and answer your questions. The webinar will run at [date/time], and you can reserve a spot via the link below.
Join webinar
We can’t wait for you to try the product. If you have further questions, reply to this email and we’ll get back to you asap.
[name]
[company]
3. Event invitations
Announcement emails promote events to the people most interested in attending: your existing audience. Send an email when tickets go on sale and in the days before your event. Use an RSVP button to segment your list into people who are attending and not, then send follow up emails to the former group.
Hey there,
We can’t wait to see you at [event name]. The event is jam-packed with influential speakers in [your industry], and we think this may be our best lineup yet!
To get involved, grab your tickets at the link below:
Get tickets
There are only [number] places available—be quick so you don’t miss out.
Here are the details in case you need a refresher:
When: [time/date]
Where: [place]
Price: [ticket price]
Check out this link for further information, including how to get to the venue and the best places to stay in [area name].
We hope you’re as excited as we are!
[name]
[company]
4. Book launch
Book launch emails announce your new project and explain why it’s worth buying. Start promotion early in the release cycle to drum up interest. Send emails for cover reveals, sneak peek content previews, and pre-orders—you can even automate these book launch emails.
Hey there,
I’ve recently been talking about [your book’s main idea]. Many readers have shown an interest in the topic, so I put my ideas into a brand new ebook.
The book discusses everything there is to know about [book topic], including:
[Idea 1]
[Idea 2]
[Idea 3]
It also contains exercises to improve how you [book idea], and a huge list of resources for further study.
This makes the book an essential resource for [book's target audience].
You can purchase the book via the link below. It normally costs [price], but you can get it for 40% off if you buy before [date]. Use the code [code] at checkout.
Buy the book
If you aren’t ready to commit, view a preview chapter by clicking here.
I’d also love to know your opinions. Reply to this email or contact me via [relevant social media channels] to share your thoughts.
[name]
[company]
5. Courses
Use your course launch email to tell recipients how it benefits them and how to sign up. Consider using time-capped discounts to encourage early registrations. Mention extra benefits people get when they buy.
Hey there,
We’re always speaking to students to learn about their challenges. A common issue is [what your course teaches].
With that in mind, we created [course name]. It builds upon our existing courses by going into more detail on how to [issue mentioned above].
It teaches you:
[benefit 1]
[benefit 2]
[benefit 3]
We’ve been trialing the course with test students over the past few months. The results have been insane.
[student name] was able to [result]
[student name] managed to [what they did]
We’re expecting interest in this course to be sky high. To celebrate its release, we’re offering a 50% discount to anyone who signs up during the first week.
Hit the button below and sign up before [offering closing date] to get the discounted price.
Sign up for [course name]
As with all our courses, you get far more than access to online lessons.
Other benefits include:
Membership to exclusive communities
Downloadable resources to help you achieve your goals
Access to our online learning platform
Expert help from our team
Exercises to test your new knowledge
You can find out more about the course and its benefits here.
Thanks for reading,
[name]
[company]
How to create a product launch email sequence (Plus examples)
The above examples are effective ways to promote your product. But the secret to a truly successful launch is sending multiple emails over time. This maximizes the number of people who see your emails.
The average email open rate is 27.9%. If you send one email, only a quarter of your audience will hear about your product. Sending multiple emails increases this number significantly.
People also receive product exposure multiple times. This cements the idea of the product in their mind, builds hype, and gives more opportunities to buy.
Common types of email found in a launch sequence include:
Announcement email
Prelaunch email
Launch email
Reminder email
Last chance email
Update emails
This is a lot to think about, but you can automate most of these messages. Use MailerLite’s email automation workflow builder to create them in advance and schedule them for predefined times. You won’t worry about sending emails when you’re busy with your product launch.
Automate your product launch emails
MailerLite has everything you need to build, automate, and test your launch campaigns. It’s a stress-free and effective way to generate sales.
Announcement email
Your announcement is a teaser email that tells your audience about your upcoming product. Mention a specific release date, or simply list the product as “coming soon.” Consider offering a discount coupon or early access to people who register interest at this point.
Get inspired ✨
This email from VeryGoodCopy announces a new course. It provides an approximate release date, information about contents, and the opportunity to join the waitlist. The email encourages signups by highlighting that early supporters receive a steep discount.
Prelaunch email
Use prelaunch emails to officially announce your launch. Include a link to a landing page where people can find out more. Consider allowing early birds to pre-order your product to guarantee sales upon its release—encourage this by offering a discount or freebie to early signups.
Get inspired ✨
This prelaunch email from Freeletics tells recipients about an upcoming program. It explains the benefits and ties them in with the Halloween challenge, subtly encouraging people to sign up in advance. The Halloween-themed email design, gif, and email copy are outstanding.
Launch email
Send this email on launch day. Include links to your landing page and third-party platforms where people can buy your product (Amazon, Gumroad, etc.). All launches need to use this email.
Get Inspired ✨
This email from Typeshare has all the elements of a good launch email. It introduces the new product and explains how it helps users. The offer to unlock a template pack is attractive to the email recipients and is showcased with clear CTAs.
Reminder email
Send a follow-up email a few days after your launch. Use it to re-establish the details mentioned in your first email and offer ways for potential customers to find out more. You can include interesting data from your sales process, like its position in best sellers lists.
Get inspired ✨
This email from Empire Flippers starts with a reminder about the signup deadline. It provides a link to a webinar that interested parties can use to learn more.
Last chance email
Send last chance emails on the last day of your launch to encourage undecided people to sign up. Make it clear that people need to buy before the deadline, and stick to this rule.
Get inspired ✨
This example from AppSumo has many elements of an effective last chance email. These include a countdown timer, a 10% discount offer, clear CTA buttons, and well-written copy.
Product update emails
Don’t stop sending emails once the launch period finishes. Sending regular emails will remind anyone who didn’t buy your product that it still exists. These emails should be less promotional than your earlier message. You can still promote the product, but you need to include value beyond this.
At this point, you can also send emails to the people who did buy your product. Collect post purchase feedback and ask for reviews on any relevant platform.
Get inspired ✨
This email from Article Forge works by providing further insight into a common question people have about the product. It doesn’t push the software too hard, but the information may convince people to buy.
The above emails are dedicated to promotion. But you can also advertise your product in your regular email newsletter. Consider creating an announcement section that contains this information.
Best practices for effective launch announcement emails
By now you should have some good ideas for your product launch emails. Take them to the next level by following these best practices.
⌛ Nail your timing
The timing of your product launch emails is key to building anticipation and maximizing sales.
Send your first announcement email early in the process. This could be weeks before you plan to launch—just make sure to set up a landing page and start collecting email addresses.
You can then continue building anticipation with further emails closer to your release date.
Initial announcement: When your product is nearing completion. You may or may not have a specific release date in mind.
Pre-launch: During the week before your launch date.
Launch: As your product goes live.
Reminder: 3-5 days after launch. Send multiple updates when relevant.
Last chance email: The day your opening offer is set to close.
Update emails: After your initial launch period.
🧪 A/B test in real time
You only get one chance to launch your product. A/B testing ensures you make the most of it by testing the effectiveness of launch emails and landing pages.
Elements you can test include:
How email subject lines impact your open rate
How buttons or offers in your email affect click-through rate
How different versions of your landing page convert
Key is to track your data in real-time so you can make changes before it’s too late. You can even automate these tests and allow your email marketing software to run them for you.
With MailerLite, you can set up two versions of the same email and then set up a test that goes out to a specified percentage of your list.
The A/B testing feature will check which email performs the best based on your chosen metric (open rate, CTR) and send this version to the rest of your list.
Watch the video below for more on how to do this.
📝 Include these email elements
Effective product launch emails tend to have several things in common. When writing your campaign, include the following elements.
Engaging subject line: Grab the recipient’s attention and make them want to open your email. Check out this article for email subject line tips.
Compelling offer: An offer is more than your product. It’s all the ways you encourage people to buy, from positioning to discounts.
Clickable calls-to-action: CTAs encourage people to click through to your offer. Create effective calls-to-action by making yours the climatic point of your email.
Social proof: Social proof builds trust and shows your product benefits. Use pre-release beta testers to generate reviews or highlight results from past campaigns.
Sense of urgency: You want people to buy now. Create a sense of urgency with limited offers and email countdown timers.
You don’t need to use all these elements in each email. But putting several of them together in a cohesive unit creates impactful messages.
📢 Cross-platform promotion
Your emails are essential to your launch, but they shouldn’t be the only part. Promote your product on multiple platforms to maximize the number of people that see your product.
Use your email to promote these different channels. Include social sharing buttons or embed social posts in your email to increase engagement on social networks.
Include links to your listings on other platforms where you are promoting your product. These platforms may collect customer emails and alert subscribers when products are released, which can help boost sales further.
Need more new product launch email examples? We got you covered
The best way to create effective emails is to learn from what others are doing. Get your creative juices flowing with our favorite examples of product release emails.
E-commerce product launch email: Satisfy Running
This super visual email from Satisfy Running perfectly fits the company’s branding. The images showcase the products and provide direct links to relevant listings. The copy effectively highlights the benefits of each product.
E-commerce product launch email: Pro:Direct Soccer
This email announces new Nike soccer cleats and showcases them with high-quality images. The email is stuffed full of products and deals that may appeal to the reader. It has plenty of offers, such as 10% off for students and the opportunity to split payments.
Feature release email: Bubble
This email announces a major update on the software platform Bubble. It highlights why the new functionality is important and invites recipients to a live stream demo where they can learn more. The email has links to third-party site listings to increase engagement on these channels.
Course release email: Copyhackers
This course release email from Copyhackers opens and closes with strong social proof. The main body is filled with the benefits of the course, and an embedded video provides more information.
Ebook release email: Freelancer
This book release email has a strong offer: the first 1,000 people to buy get the book for free. If your mailing list isn’t as large as Freelancer’s, try the tactic with a smaller number of free books so you don’t lose out on sales. Or offer a discount to the first people who buy.
Are you ready to launch? 🚀
You’ve created your product, which means your journey is half done. A well-planned launch keeps you going in the right direction.
The two main takeaways from this article are:
Don’t just send a single email. Create an entire campaign to build anticipation and increase awareness.
Tailor your emails to your product type and the stage in your launch. An email announcing a new physical product differs from a course signup reminder.
Get these two things right, and you’ll be well on your way towards creating product launch emails that sell.
Is your product ready for takeoff?
MailerLite is the fuel you need to get off the ground. Our platform contains tools to build, automate, and test your campaigns to generate sales more effectively.
