Announcements

Keep your group informed with announcements. This guide covers how to send updates, post to your group feed, and communicate effectively with members.

Types of Communication

Homeschool Hive offers several ways to communicate with your group:

Type	Best For	Reaches
Announcements	Important group-wide updates	All members
Feed Posts	Casual updates and discussions	Members viewing the feed
Event Updates	Event-specific information	Event attendees
Direct Messages	Individual communication	Specific members

Posting Announcements

Create an Announcement

1. Go to your group page
2. Click Announcements or Post Announcement
3. Write your announcement:
   • Add a title (optional)
   • Write your message
   • Add links or formatting as needed
4. Choose delivery options
5. Click Post

Delivery Options

Choose how members receive your announcement:

In-App Notification

• Appears in members' notification feed
• Quick and unobtrusive
• Good for routine updates

Email Notification

• Sent to members' email addresses
• Higher visibility
• Best for important announcements

Both

• Maximum reach
• Members receive in-app and email
• Use for critical information

Schedule Announcements

Post announcements at a specific time:

1. Write your announcement
2. Click Schedule instead of Post
3. Select date and time
4. Confirm scheduling

Good for:

• Coordinating with events
• Posting during peak engagement times
• Preparing content in advance

Group Feed

What is the Group Feed?

The group feed is a social space where:

• Leaders post updates
• Members can comment and engage
• Discussions happen naturally
• Information is archived and searchable

Post to the Feed

1. Go to your group page
2. Find the post composer
3. Write your post
4. Add images or links (optional)
5. Click Post

Feed vs. Announcements

Feed Posts	Announcements
Casual updates	Important notices
Members must visit to see	Pushed to members
Open discussion	One-way communication
Less formal	More formal

Event-Specific Communication

Send Event Updates

Communicate with attendees of a specific event:

1. Go to the event page
2. Click Send Update or Message Attendees
3. Write your message
4. Choose notification method
5. Send

When to use:

• Schedule changes
• Location updates
• Day-of reminders
• Weather-related notices
• Cancellations

Update All vs. Specific Attendees

Choose who receives your update:

• All attendees - Everyone registered
• Confirmed only - Those who've paid/confirmed
• Custom selection - Choose specific people

Writing Effective Announcements

Best Practices

Be Clear and Concise

• Lead with the most important information
• Use short paragraphs and bullet points
• Include relevant dates, times, and locations
• Add links to more details

Include Action Items

• Tell members what they need to do
• Set clear deadlines
• Make it easy to take action

Example:

Registration Now Open for Spring Field Trips!

Our spring schedule is finalized with 8 exciting events:
- Zoo Visit (March 15)
- Nature Center (March 22)
- Science Museum (April 5)
- And more!

Action needed: Register by March 1 to secure your spot.

View all events and register: [link]

Questions? Reply to this message or post in the group.

When to Announce

Announce these:

• New events available
• Schedule or location changes
• Registration deadlines
• Important group news
• Policy updates
• Seasonal schedules

Don't over-announce:

• Avoid sending too many announcements
• Batch smaller updates when possible
• Reserve email for truly important items
• Members may tune out if overwhelmed

Managing Comments

Enable or Disable Comments

Control whether members can respond:

1. When creating a post, look for comment settings
2. Toggle comments on or off
3. Disable for one-way announcements
4. Enable for discussions

Moderate Comments

If you allow comments:

• Monitor for inappropriate content
• Respond to questions
• Delete problematic comments if needed
• Pin helpful replies

Announcement History

View Past Announcements

1. Go to your group page
2. Click Announcements or scroll the feed
3. See all past communications
4. Search or filter to find specific posts

Edit or Delete

For posted announcements:

1. Find the announcement
2. Click the options menu
3. Select Edit or Delete
4. Make changes or confirm deletion

Editing Sent Announcements

If you edit an announcement that was already emailed, the email won't update. Consider posting a correction instead.

Member Communication Preferences

Respecting Preferences

Members control their notification settings. Some may:

• Disable email notifications
• Only receive in-app notifications
• Limit which types of updates they get

Encouraging Engagement

Remind members to:

• Check their notification settings
• Enable email for important updates
• Follow the group for feed updates

Multi-Channel Strategy

For maximum engagement, use multiple channels:

1. Post to feed for general visibility
2. Send in-app notification for timely awareness
3. Email for critical must-see information

Example: New Event Launch

1. Create the event
2. Post to feed: "Excited to announce our spring zoo trip!"
3. Send announcement email: Full details, registration link
4. Follow up in feed: Answer questions, build excitement

Troubleshooting

Members Not Receiving Announcements

Common causes:

• Email in spam folder
• Notifications disabled in settings
• Email address incorrect
• Haven't logged in recently

Solutions:

• Remind members to check spam
• Encourage updating notification settings
• Use multiple communication channels

Announcement Not Showing

If your post doesn't appear:

• Refresh the page
• Check if it was scheduled for later
• Verify it wasn't accidentally deleted
• Try posting again

What's Next?

1. View analytics - Track engagement with your posts
2. Manage members - Handle member questions
3. Create events - Organize activities to announce