Channels are spaces that represent properties, buildings, companies, workplaces and retailers. In this guide, we'll explore how channel structures work, break down all of their configurations and settings, and provide some tips on access and visibility.
Channel structures
Channels are usually set up when your organization joins Activate. Each organization is a little different, but there are some common structures to know.
Every channel has a parent organization channel which groups every other related channel together. If you have multiple locations, you can collect them all in the parent to keep things organized and consistent. Members usually join their home office or location and switch to the other channels when they need to.
Some organizations use sub-channels—spaces outside of the main channels where people can create, test, and target their content across the other channels.
Channel types
Property Channels are used to describe an organization with one or more buildings. Property Channels can be designated as either having an Office or Multifamily Experience. A property channel can include one or more Tenant Channels.
Workplace channels—for organizations using Activate for Workplace—work the exact same way, but with features and language built specifically for getting the most out of Activate at the suite level.
When you combine different channel types and structures, you can create a digital ecosystem that matches the experience of your properties.
Tenants
Tenants represent the companies, businesses, and organizations that are in and around a building. They're a lot simpler than a property channel or a workplace channel—they're basically simple pieces of content you can use to create a digital map of your members' surroundings.
There are 4 specific types of tenant in Activate:
- Company: a business that rents or leases space in the building for their operations.
- Retailer: a business that sells goods to the general public.
- Restaurant: a business that sells food and beverages to the general public, like a cafe or bistro.
- Service: a business that provides a service to the general public, like a hairdresser or a gym.
White-listing
White-list a Channel to make sure everyone who joins has an email address restricted to a list. It's a good way to make sure the members only join from certain domains and use their work emails, rather than their personal email, so you can target your audiences better.
Go to Property Settings > Property details > Configuration. Select the blue plus (+) symbol under Email filters and add one or more email domains, like vts.com.