How to Write Product Update Emails: Tips and Examples

You’ve added a new feature to your product or made changes that your customers should know about. Now the question is: how do you tell them? One way is through a product update email. But a generic email isn’t enough. You need to make sure your customers understand what’s changed, why that change matters, and how they can benefit from it. After all, nobody wants to read a long email filled with technical details they don’t understand.

So, how do you write a product update email that gets your message across clearly? Let’s go through some practical tips and examples to help you get it right.

Product Update Email Tips You Can Learn From

Identify Your Target Audience

Before sending a product update email, consider who will benefit most from the information. Not every update needs to reach your entire email list. Segmenting your audience helps you share relevant updates with the right people.

For example, if you’ve fixed a bug or resolved an issue, notify the existing customers affected by the problem. There’s little reason to send that update to potential customers who haven’t used your product.

On the other hand, if you’ve introduced a new feature that could attract new users, consider sharing it with a wider audience, including leads who may find it useful. The key is to match each update to your recipients’ needs and interests.

Personalize Your Product Update Emails

Writing personalized emails helps make product updates more relevant to your customers. Rather than sending the same message to everyone, tailor your content to their interests, needs, and how they use your product. This shows customers that you understand their priorities and helps them see the value of each update.

Let’s say your customer support teams use your CRM software. Highlight features that help them resolve queries faster or manage support requests more efficiently. By focusing on updates that address their specific needs, you can make your emails more useful and encourage customers to explore the new features.

Focus on Benefits, Not Just Features

When you email regarding a product update, don’t just mention what’s new. Instead, explain how the change benefits your customers. Technical descriptions alone won’t guide readers on why the update matters to them. So focus on what they can actually do with the new feature and how it improves their experience.

Here’s an example: If you’re introducing cloud functionality to your CRM software, don’t just announce that customer data is now stored in the cloud. Explain how this lets users access their data from different locations and collaborate with their teams more easily.

Make Your Product Update Engaging

Don’t focus too much on technical details when sending a product update, as this can overwhelm readers. A short, relatable story is one way to show how an update works in practice and why customers might find it useful.

For example, if you’ve made a product that helps businesses manage daily tasks and added a new automation feature to it, describe how a customer could make efficient use of that feature so they spend less time on repetitive work. This gives readers a practical idea of what the feature does and how it could fit into their own workflow.

Share Updates That Matter

You don’t need to email your subscribers about every small product change. Too many updates, particularly those that offer less value to the recipient, can cause people to lose interest in your emails. Just focus on important changes that matter. It could be a useful new feature, a major improvement, or fixes to issues they’ve reported. For minor changes, a product changelog or in-app notification could be a more appropriate approach.

Use Visuals to Show What’s New

Using visuals can make product updates easier to understand. You could use screenshots, GIFs, short videos, and simple diagrams to help customers see what’s changed without reading lengthy explanations.

Here are some examples:

• You’ve redesigned your dashboard. To demonstrate it better, include a screenshot or highlight the changes.
• You’ve introduced a new workflow; a short video or animated GIF can show how it works.
• If the video is hosted elsewhere, add a clear thumbnail or link so readers can watch it easily.

One important thing is to keep visuals relevant to the update and make sure the email remains easy to read on mobile devices.

Maintain Consistency When Sending Update Emails

Consistency matters when you’re communicating with your customers. That means you must send product update emails on a fixed schedule regardless of what you have to share. Send updates when there’s something meaningful to announce. For major releases, you can send a dedicated email. For smaller changes, you can group them into a regular product update newsletter.

Keep Your Emails Brief and Clear

The most important point. No one wants to read lengthy or complicated emails just to understand what’s new. Keep your product update emails short, use simple language, explain how the feature is used, and how it benefits the reader. Also include a clear call to action if they need to take the next step. If an update requires more explanation, link to a detailed guide or help page instead of putting everything in detail in the email.

Put These Email Tips Into Practice

Product update emails are a useful way to keep customers informed about new features, improvements, and important changes. But the main point is to make each email relevant, the explanation clear, and give readers a reason to take action. Keep your message concise, use visuals where they add value, and send updates when you have something worth sharing.

Need help making your email marketing more effective? Kinex Media can help you develop email marketing strategies that connect with your audience and support your business goals. Get in touch with our team to discuss your needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What should a product update email include?
A product update email should include a clear subject line, a brief explanation of what’s new, the benefits for customers, and a relevant call to action.

2. How often should you send product update emails?
Send product update emails whenever you have meaningful and necessary changes to share. Avoid emailing customers about every minor update to prevent inbox overwhelm.

3. What makes a product update email effective?
An effective product update email is concise, relevant to its audience, easy to understand, and focused on how the changes benefit customers.