Making users aware of features

How do you go about announcing new features and encouraging your users to actually use these features? Depending on your audience, you may have a memberbase that doesn't really like change, but you frequently add new things to improve their experience; but the members really aren't up for trying them out, let alone using them.

How do you get them to take advantage of the features?

 

Excellent timing!

Just upgraded to 3.8 from 3.7 and was documenting some of the newer features.

• Sticky to announce forthcoming changes and indicate about when they will happen
• Edit that first post to give updates and document new features
• Hope some people start using the new features and others will notice
• I've given up on everyone being aware of the sites features and can only do so much

 

You can never force users to use new (optional) features.

All new features are geneally announced in the forums feedback forum (or equivelent).

 

When adding something new I try and get a few of the more respected members to use the feature and create some buzz. I also add it to my long running, well all of 1.5 month old since thats how old we are, listing of "How Do I..." articles. Being a technical writer by trade I tend to get a bit detailed and point out every little thing in a new feature.

 

I havea thread in our Site Announcements forum and I add posts to it when I think there are certain features my users may be interested in. I did several posts in there when we upgraded from 3.6 to 3.8 all about the profile customization, the albums, and the social groups. It helps them to see me post screen shots and explain some of the options.

 

I usually start a new thread in the Announcements section and encourage them to post if they have questions or problems with the new feature.