Get Inspired by These SaaS Product Update Email Examples
Your company is always on the move and launching or updating features. You want to shout from the rooftops about your shiny new toy, especially if it’s an update that’s been long-awaited. How should you let your audience know, though? One component of your SaaS product launch or update strategy is email.
Today we’re going to cover seven SaaS launch email examples, as well as tips on who should receive emails, and what you should say.
Let’s go!
What is a SaaS launch or update email?
Before we set off together on an adventure into SaaS email examples, we need to find some common ground. When I talk about launch and update emails, I’m referring to emails that:
Introduce a new feature
Let users know you’ve improved an existing element
These are not emails that say, “Hey, our new product finally launched!” I can see how these lines aren’t so clear, but right now, I don’t have a word to separate these categories.
Do you have any ideas?
Perhaps “new kids” vs. “glow-ups.”
Nonetheless, SaaS product launch or update emails are messages that let current users (or leads) know that you’ve improved upon your product. Think of them as a “here’s what we’ve been working on” message.
Who should receive a product update email?
Now that we’ve covered the premise of product emails, it’s worth stopping to ponder about who should receive them. From my perspective, there are three ways you can use product update emails.
First, you might send roundups to everyone.
If you make a lot of small updates each month, you may choose to create a monthly newsletter-style email. Sending these messages to everyone keeps your entire list up to date. Sometimes you’ll also see major launch emails go to every user, regardless of their status, because the company wants to cast a wide net.
Second, you can target launch emails at relevant segments.
Imagine you have a time tracking and payroll software, which both employees and finance/HR heads use. If you launch a new reporting feature to count and track hours worked, who do you think would benefit from it most? The decision-maker users who are in charge of monitoring everybody. If the feature has a clear use case, tell the people who need it.
Third, you can use features as leverage, particularly during winback or re-engagement.
Did a user leave in the past because your features were limited? Highlight everything you’ve added when you reach out to them about giving you another shot.
7 SaaS product emails
GetBusy
Everyone wants to feel like their opinion and input matters, and GetBusy makes sure users know that. In their feature launch email, they started out by mentioning their “new feature request” poll.
Sender Name: Matt at GetBusy
Subject Line: Introducing: task tagging ✨✅
Preview Text: Team, client and personal organization. Introducing: task tagging
What I like:
They start the email with social proof—this was a highly requested feature among users
There’s a simple graphic at the top to illustrate the feature
They present four use cases/ways to use the feature, along with visuals
Example tag categories can help users get out of their head and on their way
Wistia
If you prefer messages that are short, sweet, and to the point—this is an example for you. Along with introducing a new feature, Wistia states the perspective of their values (“Accessibility matters”) and shows off a checklist to make adding this step to your workflow easier.
Sender Name: Team Wistia
Subject Line: New! Accessible player + in-app checklist
Preview Text: These Wistia updates will make it so more people who like yo...
What I like:
They take a stance with “Accessibility matters”
They bring down barriers to getting started by noting there’s a checklist to make it easy to get started
Wistia went on to send a few more emails leading up to and after the launch:
ChartMogul
While simple emails can carry simple updates, some changes are worthy of a few more words. In this email from ChartMogul, the CEO writes a letter about the company’s journey to where they are today and why they’ve made the update.
Sender Name: Nick from ChartMogul
Subject Line: Announcing the world's first Subscription Data Platform
Preview Text: Introducing the ChartMogul Subscription Data...
What I like:
Being able to say “the world’s first” is a power move
There are previews for a video about the product, as well as from the CEO. These link to an in-depth blog post about the update
They acknowledge the role of users like you in being able to learn and evolve
Having it as a letter from the CEO adds weight to the announcement, and like it truly is a big shift
Groove
I love that Groove invites users along for the ride with their “2020 Roadmap” email. The email (and related blog post) gives users items to look forward to (and perhaps, stay subscribed for). I’m sure it also offers some accountability to the team.
Sender Name: Alex from Groove
Subject Line: [NEW] Groove’s Product Roadmap: What to Expect for the Rest of 2020
Preview Text: Hey Steph, This isn’t a best-kept...
What I like:
Look—simple text emails work!
This email has been somewhat segmented, because there’s a CTA to start a trial (since I’m not currently a customer)
This is another company that lets it be known they listen to users and feedback
Zendesk
Zendesk proves that not every update needs brand new features. Instead, Zendesk made a bundle of existing features available to more accounts in response to COVID-19 interruptions.
Sender Name: Your Zendesk Team
Subject Line: Introducing our complimentary Remote Support Bundle
Preview Text: Zendesk is here to help
What I like:
The preview text, email copy, and the fact that the bundle is free for six months sends a message that Zendesk is committed to helping
They start the email by relating to the user and some new challenges they’re facing
They put their company goals and the fact that they want to help before the actual list of features
They've linked content about how others and are adapting, so there’s something for everyone to take from the message
Loom
I love lists of threes, and Loom seems to feel the same way. The email is light on text, but bold and eye-catching.
Sender Name: Loom Onboarding
Subject Line: Introducing Loom for iOS 🚀
Preview Text: The fastest way to record and instantly share a video from your...
What I like:
The CTA is in a nice, contrasting purple
Headers for each section tell you what you need to know, but there’s also supporting text for context
Screenshots from the app help you visualize the interface
Todoist
There may come a point when you’re simply updating too much, too frequently, to have a standalone email for each. Plus, not every small tweak needs to clog up your audience’s inbox. If you prefer to send a monthly roundup of updates, here’s an example.
Sender Name: Todoist
Subject Line: What's New: Time-saving iOS workflows, a new Gmail add-on and more
Preview Text: From: Todoist
What I like:
They acknowledge a previous, larger update (in case you missed it)
Headers for each section include benefits (“Build time-saving workflows”)
Each section has a description and a related link
Screenshots from the features help break up the text
They invite users to join a beta program to be involved in future launches
They link to useful content to help you work better (and use Todoist more effectively)
Feature launch and product update emails keep users “in-the-know,” encourage segments to get more from their subscription, or entice lapsed users back. As with any email, you’ll have the best chances for success if you target (or adapt messaging for) different segments. You could also choose to tell everyone about monthly updates, and then follow up with specific segments if they aren’t taking advantage of the new tool just yet.
Have you seen any awesome product update emails lately?