Announcements: Step-by-Step Instructions

Available to Mid-Market and above packages, our Announcements feature is very versatile and can be used for various purposes including but not limited to announcing new programs or campaigns such as a nomination period or wellness initiative. See the below video for an overview of the Announcements feature.

 




Screen_Shot_2022-10-14_at_9.13.51_AM.png

Use the quick links below to jump to instructions for each topic:

Enabling the Announcements Feature as a Company Admin

Creating a New Announcement for the Stream Page as a Company Admin

Creating Email & SMS Campaigns Using the Announcements Feature

Viewing or Editing Past Announcements on the Stream Page as a Company Admin

Ways to Leverage the Announcements Feature

 

 

Enabling the Announcements Feature as a Company Admin

  1. Select 'Menu' in the upper right-hand corner of your screen
  2. Select 'Company Admin' from the drop-down menu

    Screen_Shot_2022-10-13_at_8.32.48_AM.png

  3. Select the 'Settings' tab from the left side menu

    Screen_Shot_2022-10-17_at_7.41.02_AM.png

  4. Select 'Announcements' from the right side navigation panel
  5. Toggle on the setting for 'Enable Announcements on the stream page'
  6. Toggle on the setting for 'Allow Comments on Announcements' if you'd like to be able to choose whether or not each Announcement will allow comments

 

Creating a New Announcement for the Stream Page as a Company Admin

There are two ways to create a new Announcement for the Stream Page. You can select the pencil icon next to the 'Announcements' section on the Stream Page to jump straight to the form in the Company Admin portal as shown below:



Alternatively, you can follow these steps:

  1. Select 'Menu' in the upper right-hand corner of your screen
  2. Select 'Company Admin' from the drop-down menu

    Screen_Shot_2022-10-13_at_8.32.48_AM.png

  3. Select the 'Announcements' tab on the left side menu within the Company Admin Portal, which will take you to the Announcements Overview page
  4. Select 'Post' in the top right tertiary menu



  5. Choose a title for your Announcement and type it into the 'Title' text box in the 'Post Announcement' module
  6. Include the details of your message in the 'Body' text box below that
  7. To make your Announcement visible in the Stream side bar, make sure this toggle is set to 'Visible', or you may leave it off to just save a draft message
  8. Choose whether to enable user commenting for the Announcement on the Stream Page by toggling the 'Enable Comments' option
  9. Once your messaging is finalized and you've selected all the options you want, click the 'Create Announcement' button to publish your Announcement to the Stream Page side bar

 

Creating Email & SMS Campaigns Using the Announcements Feature

If desired, you can use the Announcements feature to communicate a campaign or topic through email and SMS. To create an email or SMS Announcement, you will visit the 'Notify' tab on the Announcements page.

  1. Select 'Menu' in the upper right-hand corner of your screen
  2. Select 'Company Admin' from the drop-down menu

    Screen_Shot_2022-10-13_at_8.32.48_AM.png

  3. Select the 'Announcements' tab on the left side menu within the Company Admin Portal, which will take you to the Announcements Overview page
  4. Select 'Notify' in the top right tertiary menu



  5. Choose your recipients for your Announcement
  6. Toggle the email Announcement option on if you'd like to send your message via email
  7. Type in a Subject for your email Announcement into the 'Subject' text box
  8. Include the details of your message in the 'Body' text box below that
  9. Feel free to use dynamic content in your message, where applicable
  10. Toggle the SMS Announcement option on if you'd like to send your message via SMS

    NOTE: In order to use SMS Announcements, your user data must include phone numbers.

  11. Include the details of your message in the 'Message' text box below that
  12. Feel free to insert dynamic content where applicable
  13. Once your messaging is finalized and you've selected all the options you want, click the 'Create Announcement' button at the bottom of the page to send your Announcement out via email or SMS



Viewing or Editing Past Announcements on the Stream Page as a Company Admin

There are two ways to edit past Announcements on the Stream Page. You can select the 'Pencil' icon next to the announcement you want to edit directly from the Stream Page, which will take you to the form in the Company Admin portal as shown below:

Screen_Shot_2022-10-14_at_9.39.18_AM.png

Alternatively, you can follow these steps:

  1. Select 'Menu' in the upper right-hand corner of your screen
  2. Select 'Company Admin' from the drop-down menu

    Screen_Shot_2022-10-13_at_8.32.48_AM.png

  3. Select the 'Announcements' tab on the left side menu within the Company Admin Portal
  4. You will land on the Announcements 'Overview' page, which will show any Announcements that have already been created
  5. You can search for specific Announcements in the table to the right of the page, and see details such as when the Announcement was posted, who the author was, and the title of the Announcement
  6. In the 'Type' column, you can view whether the Announcement was a post, email, or SMS message based on which icon is showing
  7. In the 'Status' column, you can view the current status of the Announcement
  8. In the 'Audience' column, you'll be able to view the audience that the Announcement was sent to
  9. You can also take specific action on each Announcement from this table in the 'Actions' column, such as 'View,' 'Edit,' or 'Send a Notification' by email or SMS with the Announcement details by clicking the corresponding buttons within the table



  10. If you're looking to pull a report of your past Announcements, you have the ability to filter by Month, Quarter, Year, or Custom
  11. You can export any Announcement data you may need by selecting the type of file you want in the 'Export' tab, which will download a report straight to your device




Comments on Announcements

Users can leave comments on Announcements if comments have been enabled for any particular Announcement.



Deleting or Hiding Comments

Company Admins can delete or hide comments on Announcements by clicking the three dots next to the comment from the Announcements module in the Stream Page.



Ways to Leverage the Announcements Feature

  • Welcome to Recognize announcement (for launch)
  • 'How-To' and Tips for a few weeks after launch
    • How to send a Recognition
    • Recognition Best Practices
      Screen Shot 2023-10-09 at 11.20.53 AM.png
    • How to view the Rewards catalog
    • Badge / Company Value Spotlight
  • Recognition Reminders
  • Announcing when Tasks or Nominations are active
  • End of month reminders to redeem points
    Screen Shot 2023-10-09 at 10.56.50 AM.png
  • Highlight Top Recognition Senders and Receivers each month
  • Use Random Recognition Picker on the Company Admin Dashboard to choose a winner to highlight each month in an Announcement
  • Special Appreciation Day Announcements
    • Customer Service Week
    • Employee Appreciation Week
    • Nurses Week
    • HR Professional Day
  • Holiday Announcements/Office Closed Reminders
    Screen Shot 2023-10-09 at 10.52.28 AM.png
    Screen Shot 2023-10-09 at 10.51.35 AM.png

  • Team Building Activity Reminders
    Screen Shot 2023-10-09 at 10.51.48 AM.png

 

Additional Resources

Status
Product Updates
Videos
Articles
Share Product Suggestions or Feedback

Need additional help? Please don't hesitate to contact us at support@recognizeapp.com. Or, for urgent issues requiring immediate attention, call us: (866) 288-0373. Support is available from 9-5pm PST M-F, excluding holidays.