Communications Overview

Effective communication keeps your members engaged and informed. The Communications section provides tools for email campaigns, announcements, and message templates.

Accessing Communications

Navigate to Admin > Communications from the sidebar. Committee members can send communications to club members.

Communication Options

Email

Send emails to individual members or groups:

• Compose Email - Write and send a new email
• Email Templates - Reuse saved templates for common messages
• Email History - View previously sent emails

Announcements

Post announcements visible to members on their dashboard:

• Create Announcement - Write a new announcement
• Manage Announcements - Edit or remove existing announcements

Dashboard Overview

The Communications dashboard shows:

• Email Templates - Count of saved templates with quick access
• Active Announcements - Number of announcements currently visible
• Email History - Recent sent emails

Composing an Email

Step 1: Select Recipients

Choose who receives your email:

• All Members - Every member in your club
• By Status - Only active, pending, or expired members
• By Membership - Specific membership tiers
• By Team - Members of a specific team
• By Tag - Members with certain tags
• Individual Selection - Hand-pick specific members

You can combine filters to target exactly the right audience.

Step 2: Write Your Message

The email composer includes:

• Subject Line - Clear, descriptive subject
• Email Body - Rich text editor with formatting options
• Merge Fields - Personalization placeholders

Available merge fields:

• {{first_name}} - Member's first name
• {{last_name}} - Member's last name
• {{email}} - Member's email address
• {{membership}} - Their membership
• {{club_name}} - Your club's name

Step 3: Preview and Send

Before sending:

1. Preview how the email will look
2. Send a test email to yourself
3. Review the recipient count
4. Click Send to dispatch the email

Email Best Practices

1. Write clear subject lines - Members decide to open based on the subject
2. Keep messages concise - Get to the point quickly
3. Use personalization - Include {{first_name}} for a personal touch
4. Include a call to action - Tell members what you want them to do
5. Send at appropriate times - Avoid late nights and early mornings

Managing Announcements

Announcements appear on the member dashboard and are ideal for:

• Important club news
• Upcoming events
• Reminders
• Urgent notices

Creating an Announcement

1. Click "Create Announcement"
2. Enter a title and message
3. Set an optional expiry date
4. Choose priority level (normal or urgent)
5. Publish the announcement

Announcement Settings

• Expiry Date - Automatically hide after this date
• Priority - Urgent announcements appear prominently
• Pinned - Keep at top of announcement list

Email History

The history section shows:

• Subject line
• Number of recipients
• Send status (sent, pending, failed)
• Who sent it
• Date and time

Use history to:

• Verify emails were sent
• Resend if needed
• Reference past communications

Template Management

Templates save time for recurring messages. See Email Templates for detailed guidance on creating and managing templates.

Tips for Effective Communications

1. Establish a rhythm - Regular newsletters keep members engaged
2. Segment your audience - Different messages for different groups
3. Time-sensitive content - Use expiring announcements for events
4. Track engagement - Note which topics generate responses
5. Keep records - Email history helps with disputes or queries

Role Requirements

Different communication actions require different permissions:

| Action | Required Role |

|--------|---------------|

| View history | Any committee member |

| Send to all members | Secretary or Chairman |

| Manage templates | Admin |

| Create announcements | Any committee member |

Related Topics

• Email Templates