What it is and what it's for#
The news section is the programme's internal channel: what you tell people, what you celebrate and what you remind them of. Unlike an email, here you can see who has read it and people can comment.
There are three formats, with different purposes:
| Format | What for |
|---|---|
| News post | Content that gets read and commented on. It lives in the feed. |
| Pop-up notice | A message that interrupts people when they come in. For anything that cannot be missed. |
| Notification | An alert on the phone that brings people back into the app. |
How to set it up#
1. Channels#
Before publishing you need at least one channel. A channel groups news posts and defines who sees them.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Name and description | Identify the channel. |
| Locations and organisational units | Who receives it. Empty means the whole project. |
| Active | A deactivated channel hides its news posts. |
Start with a single general channel. Multiplying channels at the start splits the audience and makes everything look empty; split them when the volume asks for it, not before.
2. News posts#
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Headline | What people read in the feed. In every active language. |
| Body | The content, with formatting, links and images. |
| Author | Who signs it. Signing with a real name works better than signing with the name of the programme. |
| Image | The cover image in the feed. |
| Channels | Where it is published. |
| Publication date | When it starts being visible. Lets you leave content ready in advance. |
| Featured | Pins it to the top of the feed. |
| Order | Its position among the rest. |
| Send by email | As well as publishing it, sends it to the email address of whoever receives it. |
3. Comments#
News posts accept comments and likes, and a comment can be replied to. An administrator can withdraw any comment.
Opening comments is a culture decision, not a configuration decision. If you open them, you have to read them and reply: a thread of unanswered complaints is worse than never having opened the channel.
4. Pop-up notices#
A pop-up notice appears on top of everything when someone enters the app. Use it sparingly: to welcome people, to announce the end of a campaign, for something that cannot be missed.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Title and body | The content, in every active language. |
| Image | Optional. |
| Active dates | Between which dates it is shown. |
| Scope | Specific locations, organisational units or groups. |
| Welcome notice | Reserves it for each person's first visit. |
| Apply to new users | Also shows it to anyone who joins after it was published. |
| Order | If more than one applies, the order in which they appear. |
What the employee sees#
- The feed with the news posts from their channels, featured ones at the top.
- They can comment and like posts, and mention colleagues.
- The pop-up notices currently active, when they come in.
- If they have notifications enabled on their phone, an alert when there is something new.
Frequently asked questions#
Can I find out who has read a news post?
Yes. Each person's read is recorded, which lets you see the real reach of a communication instead of assuming it.
Can I schedule a news post?
Yes, with the publication date. Until that date it is not visible.
Can a published news post be edited?
Yes. If the change is substantive and a lot of people have already read it, publishing a correction is more honest than rewriting it quietly.
How many pop-up notices can I have at once?
Technically several, but stacking notices on entry is the quickest way to teach people to close them without reading. One at a time.
How often should I publish?
One post a week, sustained, is worth more than five at once and then three blank weeks. An empty feed is the clearest sign that a programme has been abandoned.
Limits and warnings#
- Anyone who is not in a channel sees no news. If a channel is segmented and a person has no location or organisational unit assigned, they are left out.
- Sending by email cannot be undone. Once it goes out, it's out.
- Pop-up notices are shown once per person. They do not work as a recurring reminder.
- Notifications depend on each person having them enabled on their phone, which is their decision and not under your control.
- A pop-up notice with no end date stays active indefinitely. This is the most common oversight: finished campaigns still welcoming people months later.