Billboard Announcements (Admin Guide)
Billboard announcements appear as pop-ups when users sign in, ensuring important messages are seen.
Billboard messaging can be found in the Messaging Tools section of the platform found on the left navigation pane.
When to Use Billboard
Good uses:
Emergency alerts
Meeting announcements
Important deadlines
Election announcements
Policy changes
Not recommended for:
Routine updates (use email)
Long content (use documents)
Frequent minor announcements
Creating an Announcement
Go to Admin → Messaging → Billboard
Click "New Announcement"
Enter title (keep it short)
Write your message
Configure settings:
Start date/time
End date/time
Target audience
Require acknowledgment
Publish
Writing Effective Announcements
Clear headline - What is this about?
Key info first - Date, time, action required
Brief - Keep it scannable
Action oriented - What should they do?
Setup Options:
Pop Up vs Banner
Pop Up: The message will appear floating in the center of the screen upon login. Multiple messages will appears as individual "slides" that the user can flip through left to right before closing. A maximum of 5 messages can be presented.
Banner: This inserts a thin banner at the top of the page on login and while navigating. Users can dismiss or acknowledge.
NOTE: It is possible to present both a banner and a pop up - doing so will show you a yellow warning to be sure that is the intended user experience.
Text vs Image
Text: You draft the text only message that will appear. This is exactly as it sounds
Image: You choose to upload an image that will be displayed instead of any text. This is good for using services like Canva to design exactly what you want in the pop up.
Image Settings:
When using the Image option, add a Title (only you and admins see this), note the size of the image when developing it (600x300px) and 2MB max size.
Visibility Options:
One-Time (Default): Shows the message a single time upon user login and never again for that user. Note: Users can revisit the message by clicking "Announcements" in the top right of their home screen.
Every Login: Shows the message at every login even if the user has previously seen it and dismissed. This continues until the message is expired (see settings on when active)
Until Dismissed: Users can "dismiss" a message which prevents it from re-appearing, but if a user simply "x's" out of the message to close it, it will re-appear next login. Its a nuance but it is valuable in certain circumstances.
Targeting Options
All Users - Everyone sees it
By Role - Only certain roles - Only admins, board members, or ACC members for example.
By Group - Specific groups - use the groups feature to setup unique groups of users (users can be in more than one group)
Start Date & Expiration Date
Start Date: The first date the message will appear to users on login
Expiration Date: The final date the message will appear to users on login
Note: These dates affect the visibility of these messages in the "Announcements" button modal as well. The Announcements button allows users to view current actice messages even after closing or dismissing.
Acknowledgment
Require acknowledgment when:
Legal or compliance requirements
Policy changes
Safety information
Users must click "Acknowledge" to dismiss - you can track who has acknowledged.
Managing Active Announcements
View all active announcements
Edit or extend end dates
Track views and acknowledgments
Archive old announcements