As a SaaS product manager, creating effective release notes example should definitely be on your plate in your breakfast. This topic really deserves to be on the menu. How can you notify your users about product updates and new features? That’s where the release notes come into play; they’re a crucial part of communicating with your users about what’s new and what’s changed.
People have a general idea about release notes: no one reads them. This may be partially true. Because the majority of release notes in the SaaS universe are sloppily and ordinarily written! However, we have seen the success of products that show the necessary importance and care in this field before!
I want you to imagine a puzzle consisting of many pieces. You have to assemble each piece in the correct order. Release notes examples are similar to this puzzle. Maybe there are not as many pieces as in a puzzle, but at least 4-5 different pieces should be together. Many different criteria can actually change the performance of the notes you create.
Creating the perfect example of release notes isn’t always easy. Because it requires a clear and concise writing style as well as a delicate balance between detail and brevity.
In this blog post, I’ll cover 5 points for creating release notes that people will want to read and be interested in. Whether you’re announcing a major update or a minor bug fix, these tips will help you announce them in a way that engages and informs your users. So let’s get started!
What are product update announcements?
Release notes are digital documents providing information about updates, fixes, and new features in a SaaS product. Release notes are usually written by software teams. (This is probably why they’re boring.) By writing these notes, product teams aim to inform users and increase their engagement with the product itself.
Moreover, you can have two positive effects for your product when you use the software release notes template. The release notes can work like a guide for your users. They easily understand what has changed and how it will affect them. They can also serve as a reference for users who want to know what features are available in a particular version of the software.
Some of you may be wondering if product update announcements and release notes example are the same things. In fact, the two methods are very similar to each other and are used for the same purpose. That’s why you can see that I occasionally use the concept of a product update announcement in the text instead of the release note!
How do you write release notes?
First, if you want to see the release notes best practices in your own product, there are some important things to consider. We will now take a look at these points step by step. We will have plenty of time for the details later in the article!
- Step 1 – Determine your audience: First of all, think about who will be reading your release notes. Are they customers, partners, or internal teams? Understanding your audience will help you tailor your language and messaging to their needs and interests.
- Step 2 – Identify the purpose of the release: Secondly, Why are you doing this update? Is this a bug fix, did you add a new feature to the product, or do you have important news for your users? It is easier for users to adopt an update when you clearly state why it was made.
- Step 3 – Use clear and concise language: Your announcements should be easy to read and understand, even for non-technical audiences. Divide the text into short paragraphs and bullet points. Don’t forget to add funny details, too. (like Slack)
- Step 4 – Include resources: In addition to listing updates, you can add articles and use cases for your users to better understand the new features.
- Step 5 – Test your product update announcement: Finally, before sending your announcements, you can get feedback from your team to see if the message is clear and the information is helpful. You can revise your texts based on this feedback.
What is release note with example?
Software release notes are a document that provides information about a new software product or update, also known as a release note. These notes are often distributed with the launch of a new product or an update and provide a brief description of the new product or specific changes made in an update. These product update announcements may include information about updates, new features, bug fixes, and important news.
Let’s continue with a real example!
If you really don’t have important information to share, it’s not a bad idea to add some jokes to it. 🤓
Keep your update announcements short and concise
First, you should design the language you will use when writing release notes example. No one wants to read unnecessarily long sentences and complex software terms. We can break down a prejudice that people have in general.
Please include the art of writing. The texts are easy to read and easy to follow, and when the improvements are more descriptive, no one will find a reason not to read them.
Also, try using formatting techniques, such as highlighting keywords, to make notes easily scannable. Keeping explanations concise is also helpful, but be careful not to oversimplify or be too vague.
For example, instead of just saying “bug fixed or new feature added”, try to describe specific improvements in more detail, such as “We fixed the app closing issue while on page X.” This allows the reader to better understand the changes without being overly lengthy.
This was the first criterion you should consider. Once I’ve explained all the criteria, we’ll have the release notes best practices we imagined.
Use the visual example to boost your message
One way to boost the effectiveness of your product update announcements is by including visual examples in your release notes. Studies have shown that images are processed 60,000 times faster in the brain than text. So, why not use visual examples? This can make it easier for your customers to understand the updates and get excited about them.
To create a visual example, you could use screenshots or videos to show the changes in action.
In addition to helping to clearly communicate the updates, seeing the updates in action can help generate buzz and build anticipation for the release, which can ultimately lead to increased adoption and customer satisfaction.
Overall, incorporating visual examples into your product update announcement can be a powerful tool for boosting the impact of your product update announcements.
Personalize your message to your audience
Now we are on step 3!😎 By making sure your messages fit the needs and interests of your audience, your users will find it easy to use your updates.
One way to personalize your product update messages is by segmenting your audience into different groups and creating special messaging for each group.
For example, if you have a business-to-business (B2B) product, you may want to create separate messaging for product managers or operations managers. Each of these groups has different needs and priorities, so it’s important to tailor your messaging accordingly.
In addition, each segment may have a unique communication channel preference.
- X Segment: Use emails 📧
- Y Segment: Use social media channels. 💻
- Z Segment: Use in-app notifications. 🖥
You can determine channels according to the communication channel that each segment uses most.
Overall, personalizing your product update messages according to your audience can help to increase engagement, build customer loyalty, and drive the adoption of new features and updates.
Encourage feedback and use these for product development
When announcing updates to your product, this is a great opportunity to gather feedback from your users. This feedback can be incredibly valuable for future product development, as it gives you a direct understanding of what your users like and dislike about the product.
The first method to encourage feedback is to include a section in your release notes specifically for collecting user feedback. This can be as simple as including a survey link or a feedback form for users to fill out. You can also encourage users to leave comments or reviews on social media or online forums to get a wider range of opinions.
Another way to encourage feedback is to ask for users’ opinions about your product update directly. This can be done through social media, email newsletters, or even in-app messaging.
Don’t be shy and ask them to leave feedback!
Slack Release Notes Example
We went forward step by step, and we learned the whole process. The time to see a real example has come. When it comes to product update announcements, this company is a brand! Yes, the release notes I’m talking about are Slack release notes example. Slack is a widely used communication platform for teams and businesses, and they are developing new features according to companies’ needs.
Slack release notes example stand out because they contain short and clear messages. They use bullet points and headings to make it easier to read and to separate updates by interests. Also, unlike other SaaS products, they don’t use many software terms. They are aware that all these announcements are not read only by software developers. I have to admit, their humor style is pretty funny.
Moreover, instead of giving all update announcements on the same page, Slack has created separate pages according to operating systems. You can easily follow the announcements according to the computer or phone you use. You don’t have to go on a hunt to find your own update announcements among announcements that don’t concern you! 🏹
How can we use AnnounceKit for product update announcements?
If you’re looking for a tool to help with your product update announcements, AnnounceKit is an excellent option to make your efforts easier. So, how does AnnounceKit make your announcement efforts easier?
- You can choose the most suitable theme for you and your customers among the various themes.🖼
- You can create your announcement texts in just a few minutes thanks to the AI writing assistant.🤖
- You can make announcements to your target users by segmenting them by role, location, previous activity, or any other feature.🎯
- You can schedule the announcements you create to share whenever you want.📅
- With AnnounceKit, you can easily send the announcements you make to your users through different channels with just one click. (Integration with Slack, Twitter, LinkedIn, and so on.)📧
- You can grab the attention of your website visitors by enabling boosters for important announcements.🧐
- It’s always good to collect feedback. You can gather feedback from your users about announcements and updates and make changes to your future plans. 🗝
- Dozens of more great features are waiting for you in AnnounceKit. I cannot write till the morning these great features lol. 😎
You can embed all these widgets and boosters on your website in just a few steps. You can start the free trial version of AnnounceKit without wasting your time. I am sure that you will be satisfied when your trial ends and you will visit the pricing page to find the plan that suits you!
Conclusion
To sum up, effective release notes examples are an important part of any product update announcement.
By keeping it concise, using visuals to boost your message, personalizing your message to your audience, and encouraging feedback, you can create release notes that will effectively communicate your updates and keep your customers engaged with your product.
With tools like AnnounceKit, it’s easier than ever to create professional and effective release notes that will help you stay connected with your customers. 🚀
