Top 7 Upsell Email Examples and Strategic Upsell Email Template
Whether an e-commerce business or a Saas brand, you can always upsell an add-on or a premium feature.
Upselling is the technique of offering a more expensive product than the original. It requires complete product knowledge and consumer insights. But, once you have the data, retaining existing consumers and persuading leads to become loyal fans becomes easier.
We have consolidated outstanding upsell email examples to inspire you and help you succeed with your email marketing journey.
Upsell Email Best Practices
An effective upsell email isn’t pushy. Instead, it reads friendly, offers genuine value, and follows industry best practices, like below:
- Know your customers: Understand your email subscribers’ needs and preferences by categorizing them into segments.
- Craft compelling subject lines: State the offer or benefit in the subject line. It can be “Exclusive access” or “Limited time offer” to encourage immediate action.
- Create a sense of urgency and scarcity: Highlight discounts, bonuses, and limited-time offers that make customers feel special. Clients can use Campaign Refinery’s evergreen flash sale feature and include a third-party countdown timer.
- Use strong call-to-actions: Use action-oriented language like “Buy now” or “Claim your offer” and include a link or button to the product page.
Let’s now move on to the best upsell examples.
Upsell Email Example #1 — Otter.ai
In this upsell email example, Otter.ai illustrates what customers are missing out on by not upgrading to the Pro product. The email highlights the benefits in the heading, followed by a short explanation of the product’s features.
The brand then provides a brief overview of the features in a list. This can help customers skim and grasp the basics.
Otter.ai uses social proof at the end by demonstrating how many well-known brands use the tool for their meetings and collaboration needs.
What We Like About Otter.ai’s Upsell Email
- Otter.ai uses a clean email design and spacing.
- It uses legible fonts.
- The information is streamlined for easier viewing.
- The email is well color coordinated.
Upsell Email Example #2 — Athletic Greens
Athletic Greens uses email marketing psychology principles to persuade customers to act. The brand uses green to showcase its closeness with nature and wellness and encourage consumers to upgrade.
Users can save $20 monthly by upgrading and getting a free welcome kit with a stainless steel jar and shaker. The protein powder will also be delivered on the customer’s schedule. Users can change the frequency or switch the delivery dates to match their preferences.
This strategy puts consumers in control and makes them feel valued. Athletic Greens includes testimonial advertising right after the benefits section to increase the likelihood of upgrade purchases.
You can include a high-quality image and add social proof to validate customer brand experience.
What We Like About Athletic Greens Upsell Email
- The brand uses monochromatic colors that are pleasing to the eye.
- It distinguishes the call-to-action by using a contrasting color.
- It clearly outlines what the user will receive after the upgrade.
Upsell Email Example #3 — Harry’s
In this upsell email example, Harry’s starts by highlighting the value of the combo. The foaming gel and after-shave moisturizer are well photographed and placed next to each other. At first glance, the image portrays the importance of using the products together for enhanced results.
The brand increases trust through its email body copy by mentioning the product’s rigorous testing process for over a year. Although the email is short, it captures customer attention through its snappy product photography and decent introduction.
You can include similar high-resolution product images to showcase their features and benefits. Remember to use proper email format and include essential information such as your address and social media links in the email footer.
What We Like About Harry’s Upsell Email
- The email is short and crisp.
- The CTA is well placed, right after the body copy.
- The brand uses sharp product photography.
Upsell Email Example #4 — Animoto
Animoto’s upsell email example is bundled into a mini-brochure email template. The email starts with the benefits of upgrading in bold letters and then showcases different voice-over video templates.
The brand packs information in a mini-guide at the end, allowing customers to learn the product in-depth before committing.
You can use the same principles and add videos to enhance the overall look and feel of your emails. Another way to grab attention is to use a video sales letter — a pitch in the form of videos.
What We Like About Animoto’s Upsell Email
- It’s simple and gets to the point.
- The email copy is brief and points out the essentials.
- The brand uses lots of videos to capture attention.
Upsell Email Example #5 – McDonald’s
McDonald’s might be well-known for stealing customers’ hearts with their persuasive email content. This upsell email example does the same — it grabs attention through an image with a person holding the product.
The email has multiple CTAs but keeps them tied in with a common theme — to persuade customers to buy coffee, regardless of the time. The email then gets to the offer “Buy five and get one free” to entice readers into clicking the CTA. For users aligned with eco-friendly products, McDonald’s explains about their certifications and associations.
Using an offer, email coupon, or discounts can help increase the chances of purchases. Customers are most likely looking for a sale, and it’s better when the upsell email presents it. You can also introduce a countdown timer to emphasize limited time.
What We Like About McDonald’s Upsell Email
- McDonald’s uses an intriguing image to capture attention.
- The email uses varied colors to keep it lively and aligned with brand values.
- The brand parts the email into sections for better focus.
Upsell Email Example #6 – Zapier
In this upsell email example, Zapier introduces the product’s new features, helping teams test the product for 14 days. Note how the email is personalized and recommends the product by highlighting its features and benefits.
The brand clearly mentions that users get access to the premium support team should they have questions or concerns.
You can implement similar strategies to increase the appeal of your offer. For example, if you’ve worked with high-profile clients, include their logos in your email as a trust badge.
What We Like About Zapier’s Upsell Email
- It includes the logos of trusted companies.
- The CTA is placed prominently.
- There’s a clear explanation of product benefits and features.
Upsell Email Example #7 – Bannersnack
Bannersnack’s upsell email example is a perfect way to convince a user to purchase the premium plan. The email clarifies that by upgrading to a premium account, customers can save 45%.
This figure is essential to demonstrate the cost-effectiveness of upgrading. The brand places the CTA after a question, urging customers to rethink their decision.
The tiny banner-like element differentiates the pricing structure for yearly and monthly billed. This highlights the effectiveness of choosing the yearly plan.
What We Like About Bannersnack’s Upsell Email
- The email mentions it’ll only take 2 minutes of the customer’s time.
- It compares the billing side-by-side to show the value of yearly upgrade.
- The CTA is clean and well-placed.
Timely upsell email campaigns can impact the overall campaign metrics. That’s why focusing on your campaign templates, design, copy, and timing is critical.
Below, we’ll review an upsell email template you can use as is or modify.
Upsell Email Template
Subject Line: Elevate your experience with [Product name].
Hi [Recipient Name],
We’re excited to share an exclusive opportunity to enhance your [Product Name].
[Highlight the benefits of the upgraded product or feature]
We’re offering a special discount on this product for a limited time.
[Include a clear CTA such as ”Upgrade now” or “Learn More”]
You can learn more about product features on this [Link to the product page]
Thank you for being a loyal customer.
Best,
[Your Name]
[Your Company Name]
If you need more inspiration, you can learn more about this selling technique below:
Build Your Upsell Email with Campaign Refinery
Crafting a great upsell email requires a deep understanding of your audience. While it’s not impossible to achieve this manually, it takes a lot of time and resources.
A quicker and more efficient way is to use Campaign Refinery’s intuitive tools to build your upsell funnel. You can pick an email campaign template, segment your audience, monitor analytics, and reach customers’ inboxes every time.
We’re hyper-focused on getting your emails to subscribers’ primary inboxes with email security protocols and a high-speed sending engine. Good email-sending practices and quick email delivery allow clients to notice a 6x increase in email deliverability rates.
Join Campaign Refinery as a client and enjoy premium features and the best email deliverability on the market.
