Hours spent fine-tuning that product landing page. Days spent planning a social media strategy. Weeks of work put into writing email campaigns.
Product launches are tough 🥵
One of the places that can make a launch sink or swim is your customer's inbox. And a big part of getting customers to take notice and open that email comes down to the product launch email subject line. Not to put too much pressure on you, but 47% of people will open (or ignore) an email based purely on its subject line.
Want to make sure your new product gets noticed?
This guide will teach you how.
Let's get started 👇
How to Create a Subject Line That Turns Heads
It may only be a sentence, but your email subject line can make or break a product launch. Here are some strategies to make sure your customers take notice 👇
Use action words
Any product launch is a super exciting time for an online brand.
But unless your subject line catches attention, it can impact how many people actually buy your products. Remember, you've only got a couple of words to pique your customer's interest, so we recommend adding action words to the subject line.
There are tons of action words you can use to create a sense of urgency and excitement around your product and nudge your customer to the checkout. We're talking about words like:
- Discover
- Try
- Boost
- Transform
- Improve
- Upgrade
- Reward
- Simplify
- Save
- Revolutionize
- Change
Now, just take an action word from the list, and add it to an existing subject line like "Improve” your workouts with our brand new (product name).
Keep in mind that there's a fine line between grabbing someone's attention and coming across as spammy. 69% of email recipients will report an email as spam based on the subject line alone, so don't go overboard with the emojis or "sale, sale, sale!" because it can have the opposite effect.
Keep it short
A successful product launch email subject line will be catchy and short.
A good rule of thumb (backed up by studies) is to keep your subject line under 50 characters to grab a customer's attention. There is a caveat to this. Most mobile devices will only show between 30-40 characters, so dig into your data to see how your customers read your emails to make sure the subject line is optimized for their inboxes.
Use the recipient's name or other personal information
It's no secret that customers love personalization.
Studies show emails with a first name in the subject line have a higher clickthrough rate than those that don't. Personalize the subject line with the customer's name and a possible benefit they can get from your new product to pique their interest. But as we've already mentioned, the subject line is precious real estate in your customer's inbox, so make every word (and letter) matter.
//[inject:ad-personalized-email]
Try Multivariate testing
Say it with me now: test, test, test.
Product launch email subject lines are like a science experiment. You should always test subject lines with different audience segments to figure out what is landing with customers.
The best way to find out the subject line that gets the best response is multivariate testing. It tests different multiple different subject lines, along with components and content, to see what is working best in a customer's inbox:
This is super useful if you want to try out strategies like emojis, discount codes or limited-time offers. You may think these are a good idea to build excitement around a new product launch, but the multivariate data will give you a solid answer.
Enough talk. Let's take a closer look at some product launch email subject lines that hit the spot 👇
20+ Product Launch Email Examples That Increase Sales
1. Trigger your customer's curiosity with a teaser email
Want to leave customers guessing?
Do it with a teaser subject line. This strategy tells the customer just enough about your product launch while leaving them wondering what all the fuss is about. A simple subject line "It's nearly time" or "Are you ready for this?" is enough to do the trick.
Here's an example from Havenly:
We love this subject line ("keep your eyes open") as it's cheeky, it suits the brand's vibe and most importantly—it doesn't give too much away. When the official launch is sent out the following week, Havenly's customers will be curious to see what the new product is all about.
2. Use FOMO
New products aren't always a sure thing. And it's not unusual to hold limited stock until you know it'll be a hit with your customers.
Use this to your advantage during the launch and inject some FOMO into your email subject lines. Get it into your customer's head that if they don't pull the trigger and buy now—they'll miss out.
Check out this example by Hawthorn:
The email's subject line, "Our Fall Fragrance is selling out", has just one aim: to jolt the customer to check out the new product on the brand's website. If the subject line entices the customer to open the email, the detailed graphic cleverly highlights some key fragrance notes to remind them what they are missing out on.
3. Plug the product quality
This product launch email subject line is perfect to send to existing customers who have already purchased something from your store. Instead of offering presale discounts or countdown clocks, these subject lines let the product do the talking.
We love this example by Imogene + Willie:
No flashy gimmicks or buzzwords—it simply says American-made 14oz black rigid selvage denim ⚡️.
Now, imagine you are a customer who loves Imogene + Willie products and has purchased a couple of pairs of jeans before. This nod to your product preferences could be all it takes to get you to take a closer look 👀
4. Get into your customer's head
That iPhone in your hand? Hard to imagine life without it, but it didn't exist 20 years ago. Same as that movie you wanted on Netflix last week.
But these products weren't always can't-live-without-it parts of people's lives. The best product launches plant a seed that helps a customer envision their life with the new product.
Here's a fun example by A24:
For avid filmgoers on A24's email list, the subject line make room on your shelf for the Hereditary screenplay book is enough to pique their interest and open the email. Once they do, they'll see a list of features, like the film's original script and shot lists. It's no iPhone, but a cinema buff will be lining up to buy it.
5. The clean & simple launch
It is possible to hit the mark by just mentioning the product itself in the subject line of a launch targeted at existing customers or VIPs.
Check out this product launch by Aesop:
With a subject line that simply says The Skin Care+ range, the launch focuses on the new product's ingredients and exclusive customer support. For brands with an established customer base, this is a great example of reminding them why they love your existing products and what the new line brings to the table.
6. Focus on the flavor
If you sell a product people can eat or drink (or smell), trigger their senses in your subject line.
If a candle shop launches a new fragrance or a coffee roaster talks about a new roast, I can guarantee you the person reading the subject line will immediately start to imagine what it smells like. Tapping into a customer's taste buds is a great way to grab their attention and most importantly—get eyes on your new product.
Here's a bold example from Austin Eastciders:
The product subject launch line, "Our Newest Flavor Is Here! 🍂", has a cute emoji to note to the change in season. And like some of the other examples on our list, it's enough to get existing customers to take a look at the newest edition to see if it's something they want to try out. Once the customer has opened the email, the product speaks for itself and the brand's color really makes this launch pop!
7. Highlight your happy customers
The last (and possibly most powerful) strategy to write a product launch subject line is to let your customers do the talking.
If your launch had early access for VIPs, use it to collect feedback and reviews from customers who loved it. These turn into a total goldmine when you launch the product to the general public, as their positive comments help drive customers to your site.
Here are some examples:
- "See why thousands of customers gave (product name) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐''
or
- "The presale reviews are in. (Product name) is helping people (product benefit)"
The right email marketing software can do a lot of the heavy lifting if you want to create these subject lines. Sendlane can send automatic email review requests to customers post-purchase and collect feedback. These star ratings and comments can then be used to supercharge your product launch subject lines!
16 Product Launch Email Subject Line Templates (Copy & Paste)
- Are you ready for next week? We are.
- Get first dibs on (product name). Launching Friday.
- The wait is finally over. Introducing (product name)
- Introducing (product name) by (brand name)
- We're launching (product name). Your invitation is inside.
- Our most exciting announcement yet! 👀
- (Product name) has landed. Pre-order yours today.
- (Product benefit 1, product benefit 2). It's now possible with (product name).
- (Product name) sale starts now. Here's a cheeky 5% discount.
- You asked, we listened: say hello to (product name)
- The countdown is on! Presale for (product name) is open.
- Inside: The most important date for your calendar this year.
- See what our customers are saying about the new (product name)
- 24 hours left to sign up for (product name) prelaunch
- Welcome (season) in style with our new (product name)
- New flavour. Same quality. Say hello to (product name)
//[inject:ad-demo]
Launch a product in style with a killer subject line
The best email product launch campaign in the world is nothing if it doesn't get opened.
Your strategy should start and end with a focus on nailing the email's subject line. In those 50 characters, you have an opportunity to create excitement, connect with your customer and spark their imagination. It's not rocket science, but it does require you to know what your customers want.
If a segment of customers loved your last product, keep the email to them simple and let your new line do the talking. Or if your brand is fresh and still needs to make its mark, a subject line that leans into presale success and curiosity may have more success.
Whatever you do, remember to test out different strategies and listen to customer feedback. A tool like Sendlane can help you fine-tune product launch email subject lines so they land better with customers.
Take it for a test drive today with our 60-day free trial!
Want to learn more about emails? Check out our similar posts:
How to Segment Emails Based on Buyer Persona: Step By Step
6 Best Triggered Email Examples for Your Automation