Best Tips to Announce New Product Feature Update in 2024

Announcing a new product feature can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. You want your customers to love the new update, but you also don't want to bomb the rollout. 

Questions will start popping up in your mind! 

Will you get a good response from your customers? Will they like the change?

There are many things to take into consideration when you're deciding on how you want to announce a new product feature update.

And if it's not handled correctly, your new product feature update will fall on deaf ears. So how can you ensure that you not only announce your new product feature but also do it in a way that will make people want to try it out?

That's what you are going to learn with this article. 

Let's figure out how to roll out your new product feature announcement!

Why is Announcing Product Feature Update Important?

Product updates show that you're constantly listening to feedback and working to provide the best user experience. These updates and release announcements are important because they invite customers to learn more about using your product most efficiently. 

By doing this, you set yourself apart as a SaaS company that knows how to communicate with its customers in a way that is both satisfying and helpful.

But the challenge starts when you roll out your product update. The reason is that people don't want to try out their hands on new updates as they are skeptical about the update and its usability. 

Think of the last update you made to your product; aren't you skeptical about its usability? 

If you are, there is no difference between you and your users. You must understand that people don't want to test out the new update because they are afraid of losing their data or facing a host of new bugs in the system.

This is a major reason why companies face many problems when it comes to rolling out new product feature updates. They have to deal with the user's doubts and skepticism, which can be hard.

On the other hand, the benefits of rolling out a new product release announcement are immense. 

• You get to keep your users updated with the latest features, which helps retain them. Also, you will be able to attract new customers and help them understand the value of your products.
• Re-engage users who are evaluating competitors or dissatisfied with existing limitations to reduce churn. It provides a clear path forward for users who have been using your product or service for some time and are ready to take the next step in their journey.
• Show your existing users that you listen to their needs and move quickly to improve loyalty. If a user has a problem with your product, they want to feel like it's being solved as soon as possible. When you can do this consistently and visibly, it builds trust in your brand, which leads to loyalty.

The challenge here is to make your users understand the importance of the new update and how it will help them. So let's look at how you can announce your new product feature update in a way that pushes your users to utilize it. 

Also check out: Best strategies to SaaS product marketing

Different Ways Through Which You Can Announce Your New Product Feature Update

There are many ways to inform users about the new product features update. But you must be selective in selecting the best method that fits your needs and your audience. 

Here are some of the effective ways to let your users know about the new product feature update:

1. In-product announcement 

This is one of the most used ways to inform your users about your new product feature update, and the most straightforward way is to use the tooltips. 

Tooltips are those small pieces of text that pop up when you hover your mouse over an element on a webpage or app. They give you more information about that element or process. In other words, they're like brief explanations in a text box. 

While rolling out a new product update, you can use these tooltips to educate the user about the new product feature update at a glance. 

Here is an example of how Wix used this tooltip to introduce their new feature, 

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By using tooltips, you can drive the user to try the feature without frustrating them with banners or videos. 

Here is a step-by-step guide on how you can optimize your tooltips to educate your users, 

• When creating an announcement, ensure to include key information in the first line so that it will be seen by users who skim or only read the preview text.

• When highlighting use cases, tailor them to specific user segments so they will be more likely to see the value in your new feature. For example, if you target project managers, focus on how your new feature can help them manage their team.

• Before you ask users to take action, make sure they're aware of the new feature by sending them messages. For example, you might want to send three messages: the first to motivate them to try the feature, the second to explain how it works, and the third to drive them to take action now.

• Set a trigger for the announcement to get the best timing and placement. For example, it will pop up when the user logs into their account or hover on the new feature. 

In-app feature announcements improve product adoption because they make it easier for users to find and use a feature, and they can see the value it provides.

2. Email newsletter announcement 

Announcing new product feature updates through email is still one of the most effective ways to get the word out. However, it only works well if your email stands out and demands attention. If not, your announcement email will likely get trashed or sent to spam.

Announcement emails are best used for presenting what's been changed or updated. The best way to do this is by highlighting the benefits of the update and how it will help your subscribers, just as Storylane did, 

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You also need to ensure that your email stands out from other emails in their inboxes. Make it easy for people to learn more by including links or buttons that allow them to do so.

The average open rate of an email falls between 17-28.88%. So if you want to increase your open rate, you must ensure that your email stands out from the rest. 

Here are some tips that help you tailor a perfect mail that drives your user from their inbox to your product,

• Make sure your subject line is catchy and relevant to the user.
• Use powerful words like "you" and "now" in your subject line to make it more engaging.
• Keep the paragraph length to 2–3 sentences and 1–2 paragraphs maximum so that users don't lose interest while reading it.
• Make a GIF about your new product feature update and write the copy focused on the benefits of your new feature.
• Use the power of storytelling to make your email more interesting. Tell your users how they can benefit from this new product feature update and how it will change their lives better.

3. Blog post announcement 

Having a blog is a smart way to let people know about product updates while being able to explain the problem, solution, and benefit more effectively than an announcement email or website updates page would allow. 

You can include extra notes, videos, and pictures to help communicate your message more clearly. Consider this example from the Storylane blog, 

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A blog can also help you communicate with prospects browsing your competitor's products. For that, you have to consider your SEO efforts too! 

Here is how you can use your blog section to update your users about your new product feature update, 

• Make the blog colorful with multiple screenshots and videos. 
• When explaining a new feature to customers, it's important to connect it to how it can help them. For example, if you're describing a new activity feed, explain how it can make it easier to see events from multiple places without switching screens. This will help customers see the tangible benefits of the feature.
• Create multiple blogs around the new feature to help them get the most for their bucks. 
• Repurpose your blog into a social media post and newsletter to attract new users. 

4. Social media announcement 

Social media is a great place to announce new product feature updates and get information out to customers quickly. However, this speed can sometimes be inefficient, as information can get lost in the sea of other content. 

Your customers follow you on social media because they care about your brand, so you should only share announcements that will positively impact them.

Think about it, will you like to be flooded with constant product updates? Probably not, and neither will your customers.

You should only announce new products on social media if it's something that people will care about. If you're releasing a new version of an existing product, then hold off until you have something truly exciting to share.

Here is an example from Storylane on their product feature launch, 

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Here is what you need to keep in mind while creating updates to share on social media,

• Keep it brief and to the point. You don't want your customers scrolling past an announcement they don't care about, so ensure that you only share relevant and important information.
• Make sure to include a link to the full announcement on your website. This will save people from scrolling past your post and help them get the necessary information.
• Make sure that you include a call to action. Your customers want to know what they should do next.
• Ensure you create thumb-stopping creatives to let your user recognize the new product feature update. 

Choose the Right Audience for the Right Features

When you're planning a new product feature update, it's essential to identify the right users for each new feature. Otherwise, you risk making announcements that fall on deaf ears. Sure, existing users need to be informed about new product feature updates and how to use them. But that's only part of the puzzle.

Announcing a new feature is like giving your lapsed customer a new reason to fall in love with your product repeatedly. It's an opportunity to remind them why they chose your product in the first place and why it's still the best option for solving their problems. 

Plus, it's a chance to show them that the product is constantly improving and evolving to meet their needs.

Here is how you can make your announcement that hits the mind of the right users, 

1. For existing users

The hardest part of launching a new product feature update is getting existing users on board. You not only have to tell them about the new feature and how it can help them, but you need to show them how to work the new feature into their current workflow. 

It's crucial to communicate the value of the new feature and why it's important. People generally don't like change, so you must be strategic when rolling out a new product feature update.

Segmentation 

Use audience segmentation to keep your message clear and ensure it hits the right person. Here is how you can segment your audience, 

• Firmographic data: You can segment the audience based on their industry, job titles, and more.
• Behavioral segmentation: It lets you segment users based on the features they are using, time spent on your product, and the most used feature or tool. 

Use case: You can use this segmentation method when rolling out a specific feature update for a segmented audience. You don't want to send a message to users who don't need the update and could confuse them, do you? This will help you reach out to a specific audience and ensure they are aware of what's going on with the feature that they are using the most. 

In-product engagement 

The best way to catch your audience's attention is by interacting with them while they are active on your product. Through tooltips and interactive product demo, you can quickly demonstrate how the new product feature update enhances their experience with your product.

Tooltips are small, text-based pop-ups that appear when users hover over an element on your website. They provide quick information about what the user is hovering over and can be used to explain how a new feature works. 

Here is how MOZ uses tooltips to update users, 

Interactive product demo are short guides that show users how a new product or service works. These guides use animation to illustrate concepts and processes without requiring reading quickly.

Here is how Ignition uses a Storylane's interactive product demo to update their users, 

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No-code software like Storylane can help you educate users on new features and announcements with simple drag-and-drop widgets. Using elements such as checklists, interactive tours, hotspots, and tooltips, you can create a customized experience to help users get the most out of your new feature.

2. For lapsed/potential users

When you're trying to reach out to potential users, or even people who have used your product in the past, your communications will have more in common with marketing and sales than with user onboarding. 

That means you'll need to be more creative in your approach and think about ways to get people interested in what you have to offer.

Answering these questions is a great place to start when you're planning on announcing a new feature:

• Who needs to hear about the new feature?
• What do they need to know about it?
• What's the best way to reach this audience?

With that information in hand, you can figure out how to fit the announcement of the new feature into your more extensive communications strategy for that audience.

You should deliver your message through a perfect channel to prove that your product has more to offer than ever before. It can be a newsletter, social media post, or even a blog post. But make sure you have a clear goal and know exactly what your audience wants.

A seamless way to announce product updates 

Even though you have multiple ways to announce your new product feature update, creating separate content for each platform will be time-consuming. And chances are high that people may not consider any of your voices if your content is too long! 

So, how can you create a great piece of content that will work on multiple platforms?

The one-stop solution is integrating a product tour that walkthroughs your recent update. In fact, 71% of people prefer video content to any other form of marketing content. 

Thus the best way to capture those eyeballs in one stroke is to include an interactive product demo across all the channels to inform them about the new product feature update. 

You can simply achieve this by recording how your new feature works with Storylane and embedding the link to the video across all platforms. 

The best thing is, that you can even analyze how people have interacted with your video and make improvisations to cater to the user's needs! 

You're ready to roll out your new product features!

Now you know all the ingredients you need to spice up your announcement. The next step is to ensure that your users have the best experience possible when they receive it. We mean here that you must ensure that your message is well-organized has a clear structure, and is easy for users to understand.

No matter how beautiful and innovative your new feature is, it won't mean anything if your customers don't use it. The only way to ensure that your new feature gets adopted is to ensure that your users understand its value and how to use it. 

One way to do this is by providing a simple tooltip walkthrough or a short demo video that shows how the feature works at a glance. But how?

With the help of Storylane!  It helps you create the tooltip or interactive demo in the best way possible with the no-code editor. With Storylane in your toolbox, you can keep your users updated with all the new features while pushing them to use it. 

Still, scratching your head on how it even helps your new product feature update a SUCCESS? Schedule a free demo, and we will help you figure out how.