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Quick Start Guide

Get started with setting up and organizing communications efficiently in Communicate.

#initial-setup #organization #channels #categories #scheduling #campaign-management

Quick Start Guide

Welcome to the Communicate App! This guide will help you get up and running quickly, so you can start organizing your church communications efficiently.

Your Quick Start Guide to Communicate App

Get Up and Running in Minutes – Watch Our Step-by-Step Walkthrough!

1. Initial Setup

Before you can start scheduling communications, you’ll need to set up your Channels and Categories.

Setting Up Channels

Channels represent the different mediums through which you communicate, such as Email, Instagram, or Pre-Service Slides.

  • Getting Started:
    • Some Channels are already included in the app for you. Feel free to use, edit, or delete these as needed.
    • To add more Channels, click on the Channels icon in the sidebar. You can create as many Channels as you need to match your current communication strategy.

Setting Up Categories

Categories help you organize your campaigns and communications. They also make filtering easier when using the Timeline or Calendar views.

  • Getting Started:
    • Think about how you want to organize your communications. Common examples include “Outreach,” “Events,” and “Youth Ministry.”
    • You can add as many Categories as you need. Remember, you can always adjust or add more Categories later as your communication strategy evolves.

2. Creating a Campaign

With your Channels and Categories set up, you’re ready to create your first campaign.

Adding a New Campaign

  • Essential Information:

    • To get started, you only need to provide a Title, Start and End Dates, Category, and Color for your campaign.
    • Once these basics are in place, you can start scheduling communications immediately.

  • Additional Details:

    • While the essentials are all you need to begin, you can always return later to add more details to your campaign. This will help create more robust campaigns and streamline your communication efforts.

3. Scheduling Communications

Now that your campaign is set up, it’s time to schedule your communications.

Using the Communications Schedule

  • Campaign Focus:
    • If you prefer to focus on scheduling communications for one campaign at a time, use the Communications Schedule at the bottom of the Campaign page. This view allows you to concentrate on a single campaign’s timeline.

Using the Calendar View

  • Comprehensive Overview:
    • For a broader view, the Calendar allows you to see all your scheduled communications across multiple campaigns. This is useful if you need to adjust or manage communications across various campaigns simultaneously.

4. Utilizing Templates

Templates can significantly speed up your scheduling process and help maintain consistency across your campaigns.

  • Benefits of Templates:

    • Templates allow you to apply a predefined set of communications to a campaign, saving time and ensuring consistency.
    • They’re especially useful for repetitive tasks or events that follow a similar communication pattern.

  • Getting Started with Templates:

    • For more detailed instructions on creating and using Templates, refer to the Templates Documentation (link to be provided).

5. Additional Resources

For more detailed guidance, explore our Documentation. If you have further questions, reach out to us at [email protected].

Quick Tips

  • Campaign Naming: Keep campaign names simple and descriptive. For example, name your campaign “Easter” or “VBS 2025.”
  • Start Small: Start with the essentials, and then gradually build out your campaigns with more details.
  • Consistency: If possible, try to maintain a consistent start day for your campaigns (e.g., always starting on a Monday), which can make template application easier.
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