Engagement What's the best way to promote a new feature or update?

[Cedric]

We’ve all been there - launching a new feature or update, feeling excited, but not quite getting the feedback or engagement we were hoping for. Announcing that update feels great at first, but making sure your community knows about it - and more importantly, engages with it - is a whole different challenge.

Personally, what I can recommend is alerting members about the feature. If you're using XenForo, you have the option to send out alerts to every member, which can help capture attention quickly. In my experience, this method tends to bring in a much higher conversion rate than just announcing the update without any alert. However, it’s important to strike a balance - sending too many alerts can become annoying for members, so it’s crucial to use this tool wisely.

Another strategy I’ve found useful is the ability to tag a group of members in a post or topic. This also sends out an alert, and it works well for targeting specific groups that might benefit from or be interested in the new feature.

Ideas to explore:

• Do you use announcements, newsletters, or events to spread the word about new features?
• What has worked best for you in terms of getting members excited about new updates?
• How do you ensure members not only know about the feature but also understand its value and how to use it?
• Have you ever had a feature rollout that didn’t go as planned, and what did you learn from it?

Feel free to pitch in!

 

[Cory]

I have two sets of announcements on my board: a pinned "minor announcements" thread for less significant changes and new announcement topics themself for more significant changes. When it comes to very major changes, I will likely send out a bulk email regarding the major update to inform many users of the latest changes. I often request feedback before making major (and sometimes even minor) changes to the board to get a feel for what the user base wants to see.

 

[Bryn]

I also have a pinned thread for minor updates, but the more major ones have a thread of their own. I would also send out a bulk mail for anything really big, such as a new skin or perhaps when the forum gets a domain name of its own...

 

[Arantor]

For the small niche community I currently run, I've experimented with both news/announcement topics and talking about it in the Discord - it's a small group, the latter works better, because more people engage with it in practice.

 

[InMyOpinion]

This is such a relatable challenge! It’s always exciting to roll out a new feature, but getting people to actually notice and use it is a whole different story. I love the idea of sending out alerts in XenForo—it’s a great way to grab attention quickly, but I totally agree that it has to be used in moderation. Too many alerts and people start tuning them out.


Personally, I like to take a more interactive approach when announcing new features. Instead of just making a post about it, I try to show members how it benefits them. A quick demo, a step-by-step guide, or even a “Did you know?” type of post can go a long way in helping people see the value of the update.


I also think engagement starts before the feature even launches. Getting members involved in the process—whether through sneak peeks, polls, or asking for their input—makes them more likely to care when the feature actually rolls out.


I’ve definitely had rollouts that flopped because people either didn’t notice or weren’t sure how to use the feature. What I learned from that is: clarity is everything. If members don’t instantly understand why something is useful to them, they’re probably not going to bother with it.

 

[Cpvr]

I also have a pinned thread for minor updates, but the more major ones have a thread of their own. I would also send out a bulk mail for anything really big, such as a new skin or perhaps when the forum gets a domain name of its own...

This is how I do it as well. I have a sticky thread where I announce minor updates and mini changes to the forum on.

 

[Ravenfreak]

I have a section dedicated for new features and updates on TheeZone. Heck I do this on all my forums actually, I feel that you get more people keeping up with news if you have a section rather than one sticky thread.