12.2 Organizing Discussions with Channels

Purpose:

Channels act like specific topic-based forums or discussion threads within your main Group. Using channels is essential for keeping conversations organized and preventing your main group feed from becoming a chaotic jumble of unrelated posts.

Creating and Managing Channels:

  1. Navigate to Channel Settings: Go into the specific Community Group → click Settings (gear icon) → select the Channels tab.
  2. Click + Create Channel.
  3. Configure the New Channel:
    • Channel Name: Enter a clear, concise name for the discussion topic (e.g., "General Announcements", "New Listing Brainstorm", "Buyer Consultation Scripts", "Close Master Q&A", "Success Stories & Wins", "Off-Topic Watercooler").
    • Channel Description: Briefly explain the purpose of this specific channel and what kind of posts belong here.
    • Icon: Click the icon selector and choose an Emoji that visually represents the channel. This helps members quickly identify channels in the sidebar list.
    • Channel Type:
      • Open: The channel is visible and accessible to all members of the parent Group. This is the most common type.
      • Private: The channel is only visible and accessible to specific members of the parent Group that you manually grant access to. Content within a private channel is hidden from other group members who haven't been granted access. Useful for sub-committees, specific project teams, or tiered access levels.
  4. Click Save. Repeat the process to create as many channels as needed to logically structure your group's discussions.
  5. Reorder Channels: In the Channels list within the Group Settings, you can typically click and drag the channels up or down to change the order in which they appear in the group's left-hand sidebar navigation for members. Place the most important or frequently used channels near the top.

Managing Access to Private Channels:

  • Granting Access:
    1. Go to Group Settings → Channels tab.
    2. Click the pencil icon to edit the desired Private Channel.
    3. Navigate to the Members tab specifically for that Private Channel.
    4. Click + Add Members.
    5. Search for and select users who are already members of the main parent Group. Only existing group members can be added to a private channel within that group.
  • Removing Access: Go to the Private Channel's Members tab → find the member → click the ... menu next to their name → select Remove Access.
  • Automation: Access to Private Channels can also often be granted or revoked automatically using specific Workflow actions like Grant Private Channel Access or Revoke Private Channel Access (See Chapter 10.4). This is useful for scenarios like unlocking a "VIP Q&A" channel when an agent reaches a certain sales level or completes a specific training module. Context: Workflows are the tool used to automate sequences of actions based on triggers within Close Master (See Chapter 10).