So you create the perfect product. You do research. You validate it with the user. You spend month in discovery. This solves a big challenge. And of course, it is designed to perfection.

But six months later, your perfect product is overlooked. Nobody knows how to use it. Nobody understands its value. Nobody wants to try it. And you feel frustrated because you know you did everything right.

While you succeeded in the first half product development life cyclechances are you didn’t spend enough money in the second half. Most product teams focus too much on the first half of the equation—neglecting their post-launch strategy. Let’s talk about how you can do it right, next time.

Influencing users starts with communication, but it mostly fails

To achieve your goals, you need to do three things: Collect the right data, stay close to customers, and most importantly, become an expert at shaping user behavior. The ability to consistently shape user behavior is the difference between those who consistently achieve ever greater goals, and those who fail to achieve their goals without knowing why.

What does a product team look like? Increase awareness of new products. Teach users how to complete tasks. Encourage users to take action. Encourage them to change their behavior and way of thinking.

Your product communications are aimed at shaping user behavior. In most companies, conditions are not good. Users never see your messages, and they ignore the messages they receive Do see. Silent tools and teams limit your ability to reach users outside your app. And no one knows what works—or why.

Better product communication is within reach

Some product teams have mastered product communications by using data and automation to coordinate messages across multiple channels, even at scale.

These include:

1. Use multiple channels to ensure users see your message
2. Personalization based on user role, work to be done, admin level, geography, etc. to increase engagement
3. Unify and automate email and marketing journeys
4. Gain a clear understanding of the impact of your work

The result is a personalized messaging journey that users love because these companies deliver the right message, to the right user, at the right time. Most importantly, this messaging strategy produces meaningful results.

We’ve studied these companies and noticed their four big takeaways always seems right.

1. Use multiple channels and messages

HubSpot research shows that to get someone to respond to a sales message, you need to “touch” them with surrounding messaging 8 times and through various channels. This also applies to product communication. It means:

• Don’t rely on one message or communication channel to get your point across.
• Create a strategic approach that reaches users through multiple touchpoints.
• Coordinate messaging across a combination of in-app guidance, email, and other channels.

Different channels have different strengths. Guides are more effective than emails, but what if users don’t log in to your app at all? The more channels you use to reach users, the more likely they are to take action. Your product communication is a journeynot a one-time interaction.

2. Very personal communication

People don’t ignore personalized messages. This is because most people are overwhelmed by the number of messages they receive, so any sign that a message is intended specifically for them and them alone will improve performance. In fact, personalization reducing acquisition costs by 50%, increasing revenue by 15%, and increasing marketing ROI by 30%.

There are many ways to personalize messages, but in product communications, behavior is the most important. You must:

• Tailor messages based on what your customers are actively using in the app.
• Tell them How to use the feature or tool as well as possible.
• Only trigger these messages based on what users do in your app, such as regular use of tools.

Teams that do product communications right deliver behavior-based messages to ensure they don’t fall on deaf ears.

3. Lean on your friends

“Highly personalized”, “multi-channel”, blah blah blah. All these fancy words mean nothing if you can’t do it internally. Simply put, most product teams get pushback when they start talking about messaging to users.

The most effective teams have a close relationship with Marketing, and plan product communications with their Product Marketing partners. This paves the way for entering messaging channels outside of the guide, and doing the same thing Right road. Make sure you:

• Work with marketing, customer success, operations, and revenue to deliver thoughtful and intentional communications.
• Consult with legal to send messages to the right people and comply with global regulations.
• Implement governance programs and adopt them product communications best practices to provide a positive end user experience.

4. Measure and repeat

You can’t improve what you can’t measure. The best teams carefully track the impact of communications on user behavior, understand behavioral outcomes, and measure them real the impact of their work. They are visible outside go to rates and click and focus on:

• How many users achieved the desired product goals?
• Which messages were most effective in driving behavior change (and which messages underperformed)?

Your product communication is more than just a message—it’s a conversation between your product and its users. By implementing these four tips, you too can change the way users interact with your product to drive the adoption, engagement, and ultimately, the business growth you need.

And as your product communications become more sophisticated, it’s important to establish rules and best practices for building messaging journeys the right way.

This blog is based on Why some products soar and others stall: The secret to great product communication. Watch the webinar, or take a tour of Pendo Orchestrate to find out how You can unlock the power of strategic user engagement.