Communities

Cultivating community and collaboration are pivotal for user engagement. The "Communities" feature, housed within the Client Portal and the Memberships menu in the CRM, plays a crucial role in creating such an environment. Let's dive deep into understanding and making the most out of this feature.

Introduction to Communities

Communities are dynamic spaces within the Client Portal, designed to foster collaboration, discussion, and knowledge-sharing among members. Whether you're seeking answers, looking to share insights, or wanting to connect with like-minded peers, the Communities feature offers the ideal environment.

Accessing Communities

To get started with communities:

Login to the Client Portal: Use your registered credentials. If you're accessing child apps like Communities for the first time, you might need to sign up for the Client Portal. To get started please navigate to Sites > Client Portal. Please view our article on the client portal for more information.

Note: From your Client Portal Dashboard, you can now invite members to your client portal. Click on Sites - Client Portal Dashboard. Under Actions, you will see the option Invite to Client Portal.

Navigate to Communities: Once inside the Client Portal, you can find Communities listed among other child apps. Use the App switcher (located at the top right corner) for easy navigation.

System Location:

• This feature can also be managed by navigating to Memberships > Communities
• Here you would Add groups and access community Settings from within the CRM.

Creating Groups and Settings

If you don’t have a community yet you can promote collaboration and interaction by utilizing groups within your community. Create your first group as a starting point.

• Do so by clicking on the Create Group button
• This takes you to a create group page where you can create your new community group

Here you can choose:

• Group name
• URL
• Description

You are also able to utilize branding:

•  Brand color
•  Favicon
• Cover image
• Logo

• After creating a group it takes you to a preview that looks similar to how it will appear in the client portal.

• If you choose to go to Settings from the CRM you will see the options to setup your Client portal domain. Choose from a default setup or custom domain and click on the Update button.

Paid Groups

Paid Groups, introduces the capability to monetize both Public and Private communities on the platform. Admins and owners can now charge their users to access the content and features of the community group. 

• Go to your portal settings

• From the settings button, admins and owners can choose whether they want to set up their group as Public / Private.

• To add a price to your group, go to Settings, then Subscriptions, then, Add New Price

• Here, you can set up a one-time payment for your group. The one-time payment type will give members unlimited access to the group after the payment and once they have group access.

• Go to Settings > Subscriptions
• Click on "Add new price": Specify the Amount, Type it as a one-time
• Click "Add" and then "Save" to create the paid group with One-time Payment
• Additionally, to test a payment, turn on the Test Mode
• Once saved, the group description will reflect the same information to members who want to join

• You can also add a recurring payment. The recurring subscription type will give members limited access to the group after the payment and once they have group access. To set up the recurring subscription, follow the below steps:
  • Go to Settings > Subscriptions
  • Click on "Add new price": Specify the Amount, Type as Recurring, Trial Days (if any), Billing Period as Monthly or Annually
  • Click "Add" and then "Save" to create the paid group with Recurring Subscription
  • Additionally, to test a payment, turn on the Test Mode
  • Once saved, the group description will reflect the same information to members who want to join

Group Access

To grant access after receiving the payment:  

• Once the payment is made, admins and owners need to follow the same process of providing access to members for Private Groups (Go to People Tab > Click on the Filter > Requested > Accept or Deny Membership)

• For Public Groups, once the payment is made the user signs up and becomes a member right after
• Support for Custom HTML, CSS, and JavaScript:
  Admins can add custom JavaScript, CSS, and HTML code to each group.
  They can preview custom code before making it live to ensure everything looks and

functions as expected. Custom headers and footers can be added to each group, enhancing branding and user experience.

• How to Customize Groups

1. Access Group Settings:
   • Navigate to the group settings.
   • Select the Branding tab.

1. Add Custom Code:
   • Go to the Advanced section.
   • Add your custom HTML, CSS, or JavaScript code.
   • Use the Test Preview button to check your code.
   • You can choose to add custom headers and footers at this stage as well.

1. Apply Changes:
   • Once satisfied with the preview, enable the live mode to apply the changes to all users.

Notes: 

• All admins and owners receive email notifications about the payment made by a user with all the details, to join the group and subsequently request membership (as per group type)
• Similarly, the users also receive a payment confirmation with all the details about their payment 
• Once their membership is approved by the admin or owner. They are further notified about their membership and access to the group

Courses

• You can add a course inside a community too
• Inside your community, click on the Learning tab, then on Add Course

• Select the course and add it

Interface Overview

Upon entering Communities, you'll encounter a dashboard showcasing featured discussions, trending topics, and a sneak peek into the most engaged members.

Key Features within Communities:

Discussion Board: Engage in vibrant discussions, share your views, or seek advice.

Learning: A treasure trove of articles, guides, and helpful resources.

People: Connect with peers, discover experts, and expand your network.

Group Channels: These are thematic or topic-based categories within a community group that aid in organizing discussions and facilitating relevant conversations. Admins have the exclusive privilege to create these channels.Admins also have the capability to manually rearrange the order of channels or choose to sort them alphabetically. 

User Roles and Moderation: Depending on your role (admin, moderator, or member), content creation, approval, and management functionalities might differ. Community admins and designated moderators can manage content, ensuring discussions remain healthy and productive.

Setting Up Your Community Profile

Before you deep dive into discussions:

Complete Your Profile: Provide relevant details such as name, email, contact information, and preferences. Navigate to the profile by clicking on the Profile icon and clicking on the View or Edit Profile button. This not only personalizes your experience but also builds trust among community members.

Profile Integrity: Always ensure your profile information is accurate, as it influences interactions within Communities and other child apps.

Profile Features: Beyond the basics, consider adding a bio, skills, areas of interest, and even a profile picture to enrich your community presence.

Profile Security: Communities, integrated with the Client Portal, employ stringent security measures. Nonetheless, always ensure your login credentials remain confidential.

Engaging Effectively in Communities:

Start or Join Discussions: Browse through available topics or start your own. Remember to adhere to community guidelines.

Harnessing the Learning tab(coming soon): The base acts as both a learning platform and a space to contribute knowledge. Explore and even consider contributing articles or resources.

Active Participation: Beyond discussions, actively participate in polls, webinars, workshops, and other community events.

Connecting with Fellow Members: Discover members with similar interests, and don’t hesitate to reach out or collaborate on community-driven projects.

Ban Members: Group Admins and Owners can now ban members from a group.

1. Web: Go to members tab, click "More options" next to the member, select "Ban from group."
2. Mobile: On the communities homepage, click "Manage," select "Members," click "More options" next to the member, select "Ban from group."

Report Content: Users can report any post or comment within the group.

1. To Report: Click "More options" next to the post/comment, select "Report."
2. Web (Admin): Go to settings, select "Reported content" tab.
3. Mobile (Admin):: Click "Manage," select "To Review."

Invite Members: Inviting members to join a group is now more accessible.

1. From Group Info Card: Select the invite option to send invitations.

Dark Mode: Dark mode can be easily accessed from the top navigation bar.

1. Top Navbar: Click on the dark mode icon.

Course Info Sidebar: The course info sidebar is now scrollable, making it easier to navigate through the information.

1. Scroll: Navigate through the sidebar to access all course information.

Favicons with Transparent Backgrounds: Favicons with transparent backgrounds in .png format are now supported.

1. Upload: Use .png favicons to integrate with the platform's design.

Bug Fixes: A variety of bugs have been fixed to enhance the overall user experience.

1. Issues Fixed: Leaderboard on mobile, role changes for group owners, UI breaks due to RBAC changes, PDF viewing/downloading on mobile, removal of older attachments, navigation from no-communities screen on mobile, multiple user actions interrupting UI.

Creating Group Channels:

Multiple channels are available within each group to categorize discussions and facilitate organized conversations. Only admins have the privilege to create these channels. 

• To create a channel, locate and click the "Add Channel" button in the group interface's left bar.

• A modal window will appear, prompting you to provide specific details for the channel creation.

GIF 1

How to create a post

Members can create rich posts within the group, each associated with a specific channel. Before creating a post, ensuring the desired channel has been created is important. Here's a rephrased version of the process:

GIF2

• To create a new post, navigate to the desired channel within the group.
• Enter a suitable title for your post within the channel, summarizing the content or topic.
• Provide a detailed description of the designated area for context and additional information.
• You can include attachments such as videos, PDFs, images, and GIFs to enrich your post.

Channel Dropdown

You can choose which Group Channel you want to post in and create a new Group Channel when adding a new post.

Discussions Timeline:

To get a comprehensive overview of what is happening inside your group, navigate to the home timeline. It is the designated space where you can view posts from all members across all channels in one convenient location. Regularly checking the home timeline lets you stay informed and engaged with the ongoing conversations and updates within your group.

Transitioning Between Communities and Other Child Apps

While Communities is your hub for collaboration, remember it's part of the broader Client Portal. This means, using the app switcher, you can swiftly move to other functionalities such as membership courses or affiliate management.

FAQs about Communities:

How are Communities different from other child apps within the Client Portal?

Communities focus on collaboration and discussion, whereas other apps serve specific purposes like courses or affiliate management.

Do I need separate credentials for Communities?

No, your Client Portal credentials grant access to Communities and all other child apps.

Can I customize notifications from Communities?

Yes, adjust your settings to get alerts for discussions you're part of, new events, and more.

Communities offer an enriched experience that allows users to learn, share, and connect. By fully leveraging this space, members can foster meaningful relationships and gain valuable insights. The Communities feature, nestled within the Client Portal, isn’t just a space; it's an experience. From robust content management tools to enriched engagement avenues, it offers a dynamic environment for every user. By leveraging its full potential, community members are not just participants but key stakeholders in its evolving digital journey.