Beta/Alpha Feature Playbook

This Beta/Alpha Feature Playbook ensures a smooth process for launching new features, engaging users, and collecting actionable feedback to drive continuous improvement.

Objective

• Lead Generation: Engage with customers/users during the alpha/beta testing phase to gather feedback and generate leads for new features.

Challenges

• Tracking Customer/User Interest:

Current feature requests are tracked in ClickUp for the product team, but there is no clear system for tracking feature requests from sales.

• Feature Request Tracking System:
• Product: Feature requests are tracked via ClickUp.
• Sales: No formal system for tracking, though HubSpot properties have been created to track feature requests.

Launch Process

1. Feature Development Tracking:
• Use a public roadmap to gather feature requests.
• Collect requests from customer feedback.
• Track outbound campaigns to inform prospects of new features.
2. FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) Campaign:
• Landing Page: Create a page that clearly outlines the following:
• Where? The feature is live.
• What? Overview of the feature.
• Why? Reason the feature was developed.
• How? Example use cases of the feature.
• Who? Identify who has access to this feature.
• When? Timeline for when the feature is available.
• Feature Tracker: Create a HubSpot form to collect the following details:
• Name
• Whether the user is a current customer
• Intended use for the feature
• Email address for notifications
• Company name
3. Beta/Alpha Feature Launch:
• Send an email to subscribers who showed interest in the feature (collected via the FOMO campaign).
• Follow up through LinkedIn for added engagement.
• Gather feedback via a HubSpot template for more structured responses:
• Customer Success: Move users to the appropriate sales deal stage if interactions are likely to result in an expansion of services.
• Customer Support: Log customer feedback to improve the feature and facilitate further product development.

Communication Example for Alpha Access

Subject: Welcome to the [FEATURE] Alpha Testing!

Dear [Name],

Thank you for showing interest in our new feature, [FEATURE]. You've been selected to access the alpha version! Before you start, here are a few important instructions:

1. Version Control: Please make a version of your design before using the feature, as it’s still in alpha.
2. Limitations: Currently, the feature has a few limitations, including [specific limitation].
3. Cache Refresh: You may need to refresh your cache to enable the feature.

We hope you enjoy testing the feature and look forward to hearing your valuable feedback. It’s a gift for us!

Best regards,

[Signature]

Feedback Collection

Goals:

• Collect structured feedback on the feature’s usability and limitations.
• Monitor engagement from alpha/beta users to inform future product iterations.

Tools:

• Use HubSpot for tracking and organizing customer interactions.
• Use ClickUp to manage feature requests from the product development perspective.

Launch Tracking

Best Practices

• Transparency: Always communicate the current limitations of the alpha/beta feature.
• Engagement: Follow up consistently with users to encourage ongoing feedback and engagement.
• Track Feedback: Log all feedback through a centralized system like HubSpot to ensure it informs product decisions.