Read on Twitter
Most SaaS companies fail to create leverage with their feature update announcements
Here's how to create high converting feature announcement posts
Here's how to create high converting feature announcement posts
Creating an announcement blog post for a feature update causes two main problems:
1. Keyword cannibalization
2. Poor user experience for visitors
1. Keyword cannibalization
2. Poor user experience for visitors
1. Keyword cannibalization
When you have a successful feature launch, people will link back to your announcement blog post
You have a good chance of ranking for high-intent keywords
But feature announcement posts have terrible conversion rates
When you have a successful feature launch, people will link back to your announcement blog post
You have a good chance of ranking for high-intent keywords
But feature announcement posts have terrible conversion rates
This is made worse by the fact that SaaS products change all the time
Pivots happen
The feature you announce today might not exist in 12 months time
Pivots happen
The feature you announce today might not exist in 12 months time
That means when visitors who want your product search for buying-intent keywords, they find:
A low converting page
That's probably outdated
And maybe totally irrelevant
A low converting page
That's probably outdated
And maybe totally irrelevant
2. Poor users experience for visitors
When visitors land on your blog, you want them to find out quickly if your product is a good fit for them
What's good fit? https://twitter.com/iammarcthomas/status/1376484541901209602
When visitors land on your blog, you want them to find out quickly if your product is a good fit for them
What's good fit? https://twitter.com/iammarcthomas/status/1376484541901209602
When they're scrolling your blog archives, if they see feature announcements, it gives them an opportunity to make a speedy assumption
That they don't need that feature
And so this product must not be for them
That they don't need that feature
And so this product must not be for them
Remember how outdated feature announcement posts get?
Well, the cognitive load for a visitor of assessing whether your posts are relevant is just too much in most cases
So they leave
And never come back
Well, the cognitive load for a visitor of assessing whether your posts are relevant is just too much in most cases
So they leave
And never come back
Key: Feature announcement posts steer visitors away from thinking about the problem they have
in the context of the solution you offer
and towards thinking about whether your features are what they expected
in the context of the solution you offer
and towards thinking about whether your features are what they expected
Better feature announcements:
1. Convert more users
2. Stay up to date in years to come
3. Don't cannibalize key search terms
Now how do you do feature announcements better?
1. Convert more users
2. Stay up to date in years to come
3. Don't cannibalize key search terms
Now how do you do feature announcements better?
Weave feature announcements into pain point posts
In my experience, pain point content converts at upwards of 15%
In my experience, pain point content converts at upwards of 15%
Pain point content is:
- specific
- related to the buyer's problem
- evergreen
- specific
- related to the buyer's problem
- evergreen
Search your archive for content that addresses a pain point that could be solved in part with your new feature
Tip: Use 'site: http://yoururl.com "pain point"' to find relevant content fast on Google
Tip: Use 'site: http://yoururl.com "pain point"' to find relevant content fast on Google
How to work your new feature announcement into that post:
- Basic: weave mentions of the feature into your post's existing narrative
- Shoot a @loom announcing the video + embed in the content
- Embed a callout box into the copy with a screenshot (see example by @podia)
- Basic: weave mentions of the feature into your post's existing narrative
- Shoot a @loom announcing the video + embed in the content
- Embed a callout box into the copy with a screenshot (see example by @podia)
Tip:
Keep a spreadsheet of where I've mentioned features
This means that when the feature gets an update or gets killed off I can go back and update the post
Keep a spreadsheet of where I've mentioned features
This means that when the feature gets an update or gets killed off I can go back and update the post
If you enjoyed this, check out the blog post we just published
It also includes two ways to announce features to existing users:
1. Remarketing PPC campaigns
2. Segmented email broadcasts https://www.poweredbysearch.com/blog/how-to-announce-saas-feature-updates/
It also includes two ways to announce features to existing users:
1. Remarketing PPC campaigns
2. Segmented email broadcasts https://www.poweredbysearch.com/blog/how-to-announce-saas-feature-updates/
I tweet highly practical insights on B2B SaaS marketing all the time
Follow me if you enjoyed this thread or
this one: https://twitter.com/iammarcthomas/status/1388093338134405124
Follow me if you enjoyed this thread or
this one: https://twitter.com/iammarcthomas/status/1388093338134405124
