Zenler's New Community Feature: A Comprehensive Support Guide

Zenler's new Community feature introduces a robust social platform integrated directly into their learning management system. Here are the key features and benefits:

Customizable Community Structure

Categories and Subcommunities

• Create main categories to organize content
• Add multiple subcommunities under each category
• Flexible organization allows for tailored community structures

Customization Options

• Set community titles and taglines1
• Upload custom logos and cover photos for each community
• Apply brand colors to maintain consistent aesthetics

Privacy and Access Control

Granular Privacy Settings

• Public: Visible to all, including search engines (great for SEO)1
• Private: Visible to logged-in members only
• Secret: Accessible only to invited users or those added by admins

Course Integration

• Ability to link communities to specific courses
• Automatic access granted to students upon course enrollment

Content Creation and Management

Rich Post Creation

• Add text, images, emojis, and links to posts1
• Format text with headers (H1, H2) for improved readability and SEO
• Create featured posts for highlighting important content

Post Management

• Edit, delete, or pin posts to featured sections
• Like and comment functionality for engagement

User Experience

Intuitive Interface

• Clean, modern design similar to popular social networks
• Easy navigation between communities and feeds

Responsive Design

• Works across various devices, ensuring accessibility

Administrative Tools

Member Management

• Add or remove members from communities
• View member lists for each community

Notification System

• Admins receive notifications for new posts and interactions
• Helps in monitoring community activity efficiently

SEO Benefits

Indexable Content

• Public communities and posts can be indexed by search engines
• Unique URL slugs for each community improve discoverability

Future Enhancements

Planned Features

• Embed code support for videos (coming soon)
• Continuous development and feature additions

Benefits

1. Increased Engagement: Creates a social learning environment, fostering student interaction and collaboration.
2. Brand Consistency: Customization options ensure the community aligns with your brand identity.
3. Flexibility: Multiple privacy levels and course integration allow for versatile community setups.
4. Improved SEO: Public communities can boost online visibility and attract new students.
5. Centralized Platform: Eliminates the need for external community tools, keeping everything within Zenler.
6. Enhanced Course Value: Adding private communities to courses can increase perceived value and student satisfaction.
7. Easy Administration: Intuitive tools for managing content and members streamline community oversight.
8. Scalability: The ability to create multiple communities supports growth and diversification of offerings.

Zenler's new Community feature provides a comprehensive solution for course creators to build, manage, and grow engaged learning communities directly within their platform.

Zenler has introduced an exciting new community feature that rivals platforms like Facebook and Mighty Networks. This game-changing addition allows you to create a private, Facebook-like experience for your users directly on your site. Let's explore the key features and setup process.

Setting Up Your Community - Quick Guide

Accessing the Community Dashboard

1. Log in to your Zenler dashboard
2. Navigate to the "Communities" section
3. Click "Go to Community" to open the new community area in a new tab

Configuring Basic Settings

1. Go to "Settings" in the community dashboard
2. Set your community title and upload a logo
3. Choose privacy settings (public, private, or secret)
4. Set your primary branding color

Creating Categories and Communities

1. Click the "+" button to create a category
2. Add a category name and tagline
3. Create additional categories as needed
4. Use the "+" button again to add communities within categories

Customizing Your Community

1. Choose an icon for each community
2. Set privacy levels (public, private, or secret) for individual communities
3. Add cover photos to categories and communities
4. Create and format posts using the built-in editor

Key Features

Post Creation and Formatting

• Add titles, body text, and emojis to posts
• Format text with headings (H1, H2) for better SEO
• Insert images and links into posts
• Pin important posts as "featured" content

Member Management

• View and manage members within each community
• Add new members directly or through course enrollment

Feed and Notifications

• Access a main feed showing activity across all communities
• Receive notifications for new posts and replies

Adding Communities to Courses

1. Go to your course settings
2. Under pricing options, select "Add to Community"
3. Choose the appropriate community (private or secret) from the dropdown

Student Experience

• Students can access public communities without logging in
• Login is required to post or comment
• Students enrolled in courses gain access to associated private communities

Admin Features

• Monitor community activity through the main feed
• Receive notifications for new posts and interactions
• Easily manage multiple communities from a central dashboard

SEO Benefits

• Public communities have unique URL slugs, making them indexable by search engines
• Properly formatted posts (with H1 and H2 tags) can improve search engine visibility

Zenler's new community feature offers a powerful way to engage your audience, foster discussions, and create a vibrant learning environment. As with all Zenler features, expect continuous improvements and additional functionality in future updates.

Find out how you should be running your community with our Blog produced from our workshops.