Product release notes act as a direct line of communication with your customers or users. When used effectively, they open up a unique engagement channel that keeps your users excited about what’s coming next. Sharing release notes also helps set the right expectations. It is a great way to retain frustrated users who might be in the dark about bug fixes or new features and to let users know that their feedback was used to make meaningful changes.
Given that customers are now switching brands at an alarming rate, your product release note could make the difference between a customer leaving or staying to enjoy a new product feature.
Best Practices for Writing a Product Release Note
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Keep Product Release Notes Brief
Why: Attention spans are short, and most readers will not engage with overly lengthy documents.
How:
- Use concise sentences and bullet points to convey key information quickly.
- Focus on the most important updates or changes.
- Limit each section to a few sentences to ensure readability.
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Avoid Technical Jargon
Why: Not all users have a technical background. Using complex terms can alienate a significant portion of your audience.
How:
- Use simple, everyday language that is easily understood by all users.
- Provide explanations for necessary technical terms or include a glossary if needed.
- Get feedback from non-technical team members to ensure clarity.
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Help Users Explore New Features
Why: Users need to understand the value and functionality of new features to fully utilize them.
How:
- Provide a brief overview of what each new feature does.
- Include step-by-step instructions on how to access and use the new features.
- Use visuals like screenshots or short videos to demonstrate new functionalities.
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Write Release Notes as They Matter
Why: Enthusiasm can be contagious. Showing genuine excitement can make users more interested and engaged.
How:
- Highlight the benefits and improvements brought by the new features.
- Use positive and enthusiastic language to convey your excitement.
- Share any relevant background or stories about the development process to create a connection with users.
Distribution of product release notes
Product release notes should drive engagement. The recommended channels include;
- Emails
- App store
- Blog post
- Social media
- In-app messaging
Examples of product release notes
1. Slack’s multichannel release notes
This Slack release note is a great example because;
- It ensures its users will never miss frequent updates on social media and the App Store.
- The posts demonstrate the value by focusing on a single update.
- The social and in-app updates are short and sweet but have links to in-depth release notes.
- The App Store lets users know that Slack is continually monitoring for bugs and making improvements.
- Its personality shines through across all channels.
Slack makes a special effort to write unique release notes. Use the compact space of a product release note store to show users what you do.
2. HubSpot’s in-depth product update webinar
This is a great example because:
- It has long-form content, a great feature for releases that may change how users use your product.
- It also uses a webinar format which is an ideal way to teach website visitors with short attention spans how to use new features.
- HubSpot allows readers to choose their own adventure so they only see updates that are relevant to them.
- These releases are SEO-friendly help docs. That is, they are searchable and have value.
As HubSpot has demonstrated, it’s always a good idea to use break feature releases down into teachable parts in cases where the update might affect your user’s workflow.
How to make a bigger impact with great product release notes
Your team always works hard on each new feature so you shouldn’t sell yourself short. A product release provides an opportunity to share these features with your users and potential users. Ultimately, it will help you to re-engage users, build excitement, and extend your brand’s reach.
Use PR to boost your product
Do you think your new product feature could appeal to new clients? If so, then building a PR campaign could help you reach a wider target audience and draw those new clients in.
The PR experts at Pressfarm are skilled at creating the kind of content that captures attention and inspires target audiences. By writing winning press releases, developing engaging feature articles, and designing creative media kits, we have what it takes to help your startup make a splash.
In addition to creating memorable content for your brand, Pressfarm can develop a personalized media outreach strategy to get this content in front of the right eye. For starters, the PR team can build personalized media lists to help you connect with the best journalists in your niche. Moreover, thanks to our distribution process, your startup will gain more online visibility by featuring in relevant search results across various search engines. Find a package that works for you and start generating the publicity that your brand deserves.
