10 Product Update Email Template Examples & Best Practices

As a business owner, you probably tweak your products and services fairly often, striving to meet the changing needs of your customers. 

How do you let them know, though, when you’ve come up with something new? Or fixed something that wasn’t working quite right? 

Enter: The product update email. 

It’s the perfect way to share updates with your customers, to tell them what you’ve been up to and why it’s awesome for them. 

In this guide, we’re going to cover some best practices for sending product update emails and give you some examples so you can hit the ground running. 

Who to send these emails to really depends on the update itself. If it’s something very specific (like bug fixes or a new feature, for example) it would be best to only send it to subscribers who are already using the product being updated.

This is because the information about the update is most relevant to this audience and also adds the most value. For customers who aren’t using the product yet, information about something like a bug fix is somewhat trivial and just clutters their inbox. However, if you have an update with broader appeal, it can be appropriate to send it to non-users as well. 

Now that we’ve covered the basics, we’re going to share some pro tips with you in this next section. 

When it comes to email marketing, it’s always important to personalize your content so that it’s relevant and adds value for your readers. And it’s no different with product update emails. 

Let’s say you’re an affiliate marketer, for example, and want to share an update about a product you’ve recommended in the past. This information is going to be the most relevant for subscribers who have purchased or shown interest in that product already. 

If you’re using Flodesk as your email service provider (ESP), you can do this by setting up segments in your dashboard. That way, when someone clicks on a specific affiliate link, they’ll automatically be placed into a specific group called a segment. Then, you can customize your email based on the attributes of each segment. 

Read next: How to Launch an Affiliate Email Marketing Campaign & Boost Commissions

This may sound a bit like we’re splitting hairs at first, but stick with us. Features describe what a product does in general. They’re typically attributes that set it apart from the competition. Benefits, however, describe why those new features matter to your target audience. 

Using benefit-focused messaging allows you to communicate exactly how this update will help them. Consider:

For example, let’s say you run a meal prep business and want to let customers know about your new ready-to-heat packaging. However, the term “ready-to-heat” is just a feature. 

Instead, communicate the benefits of this feature, like how much time it will save because customers can just pop the whole thing in the oven—no prep work, no dishes, no stress.

Remember how one of the goals of sending a product update email is to foster engagement with your subscribers? Stories are a great way to do just that. 

Stories actually release oxytocin in the brain, which helps us deepen our connection and bond with each other. As Natalie Franke recommends in the Flodesk University course, “3 Tips to Connect with Your Audience in Emails”: 

“Use stories to pass along your learning to your audience to provide value to them directly and open a gateway that allows them to see a little more about you, your brand, what you have to offer from the human lens and the human element. Storytelling ultimately helps people to connect with you more deeply and what you have to offer.”

Franke suggests telling a story that showcases a transformation, like a ‘before and after’, or one that shows your humanity and positions you as the protagonist, and has an element of proper redemption from failure. You can also use stories with a surprise, a moment where you learn something new or a time you came across an added value that you never saw coming.

In a product update email, the story can center around the update itself— how you and your team came up with the new features, how you developed them, or a story about a customer who’s already using them. 

It’s important not to go overboard with product update emails, sending something about every little tweak or new feature, for example. That’s a sure-fire way to end up with a lot of annoyed, unsubscribing customers. 

Instead, think about your updates in terms of how much value they add to your customer’s life and only send the ones that really matter. Not only will this ensure that your emails add value but it goes a long way to building trust and credibility as customers realize that you’re not going to constantly spam them with irrelevant content. 

Email marketing graphics are important for so many reasons. Here are a few that apply directly to product update emails: 

As you can see, there are a lot of ingredients that go into crafting a successful product update email, from segmenting to graphics to storytelling. But without a good subject line, none of it matters. 

47% of recipients choose whether or not to open emails based on the subject line alone. So if your subject line doesn’t get the job done, you’ve lost half of your readers before they even see what’s in your email. 

With that in mind, here are a few best practices when it comes to writing killer subject lines: 

Read next:

How to Write Persuasive Product Launch Email Subject Lines (22 Examples)

11 Win Back Email Templates to Inspire You!

Now that you have a few tricks up your sleeve, we’re going to show you some examples of awesome product update emails. 

Hey (name)! 

We just added (most requested feature) to our (product) and we think you’ll love it! Here’s a quick rundown of how you can use it: 

Give us a shout if you have any questions! 

(Signature)

Hey (name)

Get a feel for our (insert product name)! 

We want to make sure that any piece you buy is just right and fits your style. So we put together sample kits and added them to the store. 

Sample kits are just (insert price) with (insert type) shipping. 

(Signature)

Hey (name), we fixed the (insert problem here. Example: broken blog post link or technical issues with premium features.)! Sorry it wasn’t working right, hope it wasn’t too much of a headache for you!

Thanks for the grace, fellow human. 💖

(Signature)

Hey (name)! 

It’s been an exciting time here at (insert company name) lately. To keep the fun going, we have a new addition to the (name of the collection) to share with you. 

Here’s why we think you’ll love it: (List benefits)

We only have a limited supply right now so don’t miss it! (Insert link to shop)

(Signature)

(Briefly describe the benefit. Example: “Pay the way you like” or “Send emails faster”)

(Company name) has partnered with (partner name) to bring you (describe benefit in more detail). 

Have any questions about using (name of partner or integration)? Drop us a line. 

(Signature)

Hey (name), 

I can’t wait to share some exciting news with you — (insert product name) is back! 

If you’re as excited as me, click on through to get you some! If you’re new to (company name or blog or community) and have no idea what I’m talking about, lol, here’s the scoop: 

(explain why this product or service was popular in the past and why it’s coming back)

(Signature)

Read next: 3 Steps to Send Out Your First Flodesk Email

Hey friend!

I’ve been SO excited to tell you about the new product we’ve been cooking up and today’s the day! Yay!!!

I’m giving you first dibs on (new product description, Example: signing up for a new class). 

Here’s the scoop: (describe the new product)

(Insert button or link to buy or sign up)

(Signature)

For more, check out our post on announcement email templates!

Hey (name)! 

Nice to meet you.

I’m (name of an expert at your company, Example Amanda, Creative Director at ABC Company). My goal is to help you get the MOST out of (product or service name).

So I’ve created this quick guide with my top 4 hacks to (goal of your product). 

Hack #1

Hack #2

Hack #3

Hack #4

I can’t wait to see what you come up with! 

(Signature)

Hey (name)! 

Don’t miss out on our (name of new event). 

(Insert most important details here like date/time/location/perks)

(Insert CTA button)

Top ten reasons to join us! 

(List benefits)

(Signature)

Need a bit more inspo for marketing your upcoming event? Here are 20 event invitation email examples that are bound to get you RSVPs

Hey (name)! 

Have you heard the great news? (Insert product name) is coming soon to (company name) and pre-orders open in just (insert timeframe)! 

(Briefly describe the new product and its benefits)

I just have one question, (ask subscribers to give you their opinion on something that can still be determined about the product). 

(Insert CTA button with phrase like “Talk to me” or “Drop me a line”)

Psst, get inspiration for your new product launch with these amazing product launch templates

Now you have all the insider tricks and tips to send amazing product update emails that people love to get! Whether you’re announcing brand new features, reeling in new subscribers, or letting users know about bug fixes, you’ve got this. 

And if you don’t have an email template builder or service provider yet, we’re always available. From stunning email templates to immersive forms, Flodesk makes it easy for beginners and experts alike to build their email lists, engage their audiences, and convert subscribers into customers—all without a website.

Good luck out there and happy emailing! 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s go over some basic questions about product update emails. 

It’s a type of email you send to subscribers letting them know about a new product or about brand new features you’ve added to an existing product. 

Also, a product update email doesn’t have to be about physical or material goods. It can be about a service or digital download or whatever it is that your business offers. For example, many of our members (users) at Flodesk are small business owners with service-based businesses, like photographers or coaches. 

So just know that instead of saying “product or service update email” throughout this whole article (it’s a mouthful, right?), we’ll say product update, and this means whatever your business offers to customers.  

The best product update emails rely on things like carefully-crafted subject lines, stunning graphics and compelling CTAs to generate user engagement. (Flodesk makes email marketing beautiful—and truly easy to use. Try out Flodesk for free!) 

From minor product updates to announcing a big change, product update emails help you boost engagement with subscribers. This can help improve customer retention and satisfaction, increase conversions from free trials to paid accounts, drive traffic to your website and more.