Very rarely does a tech company put out a product and make no changes. There are constant changes, fixes, and updates to products constantly, as there should be for an evolving, valuable product. The problem is, without a good way to get in touch with users and let them know, they won’t see progress and may disappear.
Users have a notoriously short attention span with plenty of options and substitutes to choose from. In fact, the stats are downright worrisome: 86% of users never return after downloading or signing up and just 2.7% are still with you after day 30. So it’s vital you find an effective way to let them know the best is yet to come and it’s worth their time to stick around.
Top tips for effective user notifications about important announcements and news:
Communicate the value of your announcement early on.
A lot of companies make the mistake of thinking all users will be interested in technical updates and new features. They’re not. They’re interested only in the specific value to them and how they can use it immediately. Instead of communicating the technical details, get straight to how this will improve their experience or provide users more value. This will get you higher engagement with your product and help bring back in users who are moving away. If users see continual value coming their way, they’re unlikely to seek out other alternatives.
Make your announcements actionable.
Your announcements should not just inform, but inspire action. Don’t just send a user notification about a new feature, an update, or news, also make sure to create an opportunity to invite them to take action immediately. If you don’t get them moving towards a next step, your message will be out of sight and out of mind even if what you’re announcing is of value to them. You want to get users re-engaged with your updates. Simply working on better, more actionable CTAs on whatever communication method you’re using to reach users can make a huge difference. Use actionable words, colors, buttons if possible, and other visual elements to get users to take that next step to engagement.
Be sparse about sending emails to avoid being “cut off”.
Emails is still the main method of communication between companies and customers but toeing the line in terms of “spam” is getting more difficult. Don’t over run users with constant emails of small changes and minor news. They will learn to ignore them or unsubscribe. Save emails for when it is really important or you believe what you’re announcing is riveting enough to direct them back to your product. User rarely read all the way through emails so they need to be compelling enough to inspire immediate action. The same goes for push notifications. Have you ever had an app that continually sends you push notifications to the point where you turn off all notifications or delete it? That’s what you want to avoid by not reaching out to users in a way that is spammy and out of context.
Know how to avoid the spam folder.
Speaking of getting cut off, if you are going to make announcements via email, make sure you aren’t sending straight to the spam folder. If you check yours right now, there are likely a few companies that clearly missed the mark in terms of this. There are a few things you could be sending in your emails that are pretty normal that actually will set off spam filters for the majority of email providers. These include too many images, too little text, too many links, attachments, and certain words in the subject line that spam filters do not like. You can check out more on how to avoid the spam folder here: Top five tips for how to avoid the spam folder.
Use Beamer to send user notifications in context.
Sending emails and push notifications to reach users is out of context and it shows in the average engagement rates. An email about a new feature or update may get a 15% open rate and even lower click through rate. So how effective really were they and did it help get users engaging with your product? Likely not. It’s much more effective to announce updates and new features in context using Beamer. Beamer is an in-app or site newsfeed that blends seamlessly into your interface. You can create updates with screenshots, GIFs, video, and links to engage users. User can leave feedback in the form of comments and reactions just like in a Facebook feed so you get better, more direct data compared to email. You don’t have to manage responses or worry about sending the right email at the right time, just create updates and set them live in the feed! Users can find this information in once central place at anytime.
To keep users on for the long term and win users back who have fallen off, notify users of what you’re improving in an effective and engaging way. It doesn’t have to be as complicated and time consuming as emails and messages. Try Beamer on your site and in your app today to better communicate with users.
