iOS App Update Text Best Practices

August 31, 2012 BY: Adrian Crook

Seeing that notification badge for updates in the App Store is always exciting, as updates are like Christmas to users.

Of course, not all updates are going to be major changes or new content, a lot of them will be minor bug fixes and changes to things behind the scenes. Either way, good communication in these updates can:

  • Strengthen engagement
  • Increase loyalty
  • Cross-promote your other products
  • Build buzz for your next big content update

With these benefits in mind, we’ve generated some best practices at getting the most out this oft-overlooked line of communication. We’ve also collected examples of good and bad updates.

Get Specific

Address bugs, usability issues, etc.

This may be your chance to re-engage a user that was turned off by a bug or sloppy feature – you can only do that with specificsBe as transparent as possible – users are highly sophisticated when it comes to knowing your product inside and outWrite Updates From a User-Benefit Perspective. Make it clear what the user stands to gain in terms of quality of experience from downloading the update. Get them excited!

Write in Natural Language, as a User Story

Adding a “voice,” and personality to updates, as well as appreciation for user support (especially patience with bug fixes) is a great way to build loy
alty and reach out to the community in a fun way.

When writing an update in a voice, consider your audience and the nature of your game – e.g is it character-driven?Drape a layer of fiction over the update (e.g “We’ve found a new area to explore and have shared the coordinates with you!”)Acknowledge the users for their feedback, bug reporting, positive reviews etc.

You Have the User’s Attention, Take Advantage of it

This is a golden opportunity to build excitement for what’s coming next, and cross-promote your other products.

Mention that the next update is in the works, hint at content (new features, maps etc.)Cross-promote your other releases or any other company news (e.g. sales, new merchandise) you want to spread 
Tinytower

Ultimately, you can think of update text as just another way to engage with your users, a mini blog post of sorts. Use it to your advantage!