Community groups are like the heart of an online gathering place. They help people talk, share, and learn together. But, just like a school or a club, these groups need some rules and people to look after them. Let's break down how this works, using a group in a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) platform as an example.
Understanding Member Roles
Think of a community group as a team. In this team, there are four important roles:
- Owner: The top boss. They can do almost anything in the group, like changing rules and even deleting the group if needed.
- Admin: These folks help manage the team. They can add or remove team members and give others some special powers to help.
- Moderator: Think of them as referees. They make sure everyone plays by the rules and keep the group a friendly place.
- Contributor: These are the team players who talk, share, and learn together. They can post stuff and show they're active.
Each role has different jobs to keep things organized.
Role Permissions
Different roles can do different things:
- Contributors - Can create posts but can't moderate, manage members, or delete the group.
- Moderators - Can create and moderate posts but can't manage members or delete the group.
- Admins - Can create and moderate posts and manage members but can't delete the group.
- Owners - Has the most power, with the ability to do everything.
| Role | Create Posts | Moderate Posts | Manage Members | Delete Group |
| Owner | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ |
| Admin | ✔️ | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ |
| Moderator | ✔️ | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Contributor | ✔️ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
Inviting Members to the Group
To get people to join your group, you can share a special link with them. Right now, you might have to use email or text messages to send this link. In the future, it might get easier with new ways.
Modifying Member Roles and Access Control
Owners and Admins can decide who can do what in the group. If you want to change someone's job, follow these steps:
- Go to the "People" section in the group.
- Find the person you want to change.
- Click on the three dots next to their name.
- Pick the new job you want them to have.
This helps make sure everyone in the group has the right responsibilities.
Changing Member Email/Phone Visibility
Users can click on their initials on the top right to access their View or Edit Profile area. From here, they can access the Social Media tab to choose whether or not they wish their Email/Phone to be visible.
Removing Members from a Group
Owners and Admins can also kick someone out of the group if needed:
- Go to the "People" section in the group.
- Find the person you want to remove.
- Click on the three dots next to their name.
- Choose "Remove from Group."
This makes sure the group stays a good place for everyone.
Migrating Members from Existing Communities
Sometimes, a group might move to a new place, like changing schools. Here's how to make that move:
- Create a new group in the new place.
- Make sure it looks the same as the old one, so people recognize it.
- Send messages to your old group members, telling them about the move.
- Make a welcoming post in the new group to say hi to new members and explain how things work.
FAQs
Q: Can I set up an automated invitation for new clients added to my CRM?
A: As of now, Communities doesn't support automated invitations. However, it is a feature we want to add in the future. You can manually invite new clients by copying and sharing the group URL.
Q: I have a large list of potential members. Is there a way to invite them all at once?
A: You can invite multiple members at once by sending out a mass email or SMS campaign with the group URL included. This makes it easy for them to access and join the community.
Q: Can members invite others to the group, or is this feature exclusive to admins and owners?
A: Typically, members can share the group URL with others, effectively inviting them. However, to maintain control over group membership, Admins and Owners can remove anyone they do not wish to allow in a group. Private Groups are in the timeline for later
Q: I sent an invitation, but the member hasn't joined yet. Can I resend the invitation?
A: Absolutely. It's possible the invitation was missed, or they haven't had a chance to join yet. Simply resend the group URL to give them another opportunity to join.
Q: Can I personalize the invitation sent to potential members?
A: Invitations can be personalized within your CRM, email, or SMS platform when you share the group URL. However, the Communities platform currently doesn't support the personalization of invitations within the system.
Q: What happens when an invited member tries to join the group?
A: When an invited member clicks on the group URL, they are directed to the group where they can request to join. They are admitted automatically upon signing up.
Q: Can I track who has accepted the invitation and joined the group?
A: Yes, within the "People" tab in your group, you can see all the members of your group, including those who have recently joined. This allows you to keep track of membership and engagement levels.