Your organisation’s learning plans should always revolve around Channels. The Channels created by your teams, will determine what subject-matters your Users will be able to focus on, and help them to find what they need, all in one place, ready to upskill!
There are four sides to managing your Channels: their creation and their maintenance, along with following them, and consuming their content.
Creating and Managing Channels
Take control of the content featured in your organisation’s Channels, by deciding what’s no longer relevant, and create new homes for themes and subjects important to your teams and individuals.
On your Dashboard panel, select Add Channel to open the slide screen, showcasing the fields for adding your Channel Name and Description. This only allows for one Channel to be added at a time.
💡Tip: Make your Channel Name simple and familiar - you want teams to easily find it via search. What are the most common ways specific disciplines/topics among your teams, are referred to? For example...
- 'Automotive Engineering' - yes ✅
- 'Car Mechanical Works' - no ❌
Don't try to use the title to describe how the Channel will be upskilling its Followers. For example...
✅ 'Product Innovation' for a Channel that holds content related to using innovation techniques and strategies, to build new products.
❌ And not 'Creating new products using new techniques'.
Instead, you can use the Channel Description to explain what the content featured within it, will focus on. Aim to use keywords that Users will likely search for. For example...
✅ The Channel 'Negotiating' will be best found by using a description with keywords (often listed), such as: "Learn how to sell using an array of negotiation techniques from objection handling and value propositioning, to emotional intelligence and rapport building."
❌ And not "Learn how to sell using an array of techniques that will help improve how you engage with prospects, and get deals across the line." Despite this description being true to the skill of negotiating, it doesn't make it easy for the relevant team members to find it, if they don't use "negotiating" as their search term.
Upon adding these details, you’ll be taken to the Channel’s landing page. This will always be empty by default, but you can begin designing the Channel’s image and adding the right content, from here.
Along with the Channel Name, the Description will be visible on the landing page, giving your Users an understanding of the subject matter the content in the Channel will focus on.
To enhance the Channel theme, select the Add Cover option (aka Header Image), and upload either from your computer, or the Unsplash library.
Note✨: The recommended aspect ratio (image sizing) to use is 4:1. This can be calculated using your image's height in pixels, multiplied by 4. So, for example...
Your image height is 800 pixels
Based on the 4:1 aspect ratio, the width would be 3200 pixels
Written as 3200x800 pixels
Adding Content manually
Start to populate your Channel by selecting the (+) sign, at the far right of the landing page (or via the Add HowNow Content option in the centre of the page). This will open up a slide-screen, allowing you to only add internal content that you have Authored.
Add one or multiple content items to the Channel, by selecting the (+) next to each and hitting the Add Content button. When looking for specific content, the following filters can be used:
Created by - great for filling your Channel with content authored by Experts within your team.
For example...
Mike, Stacey and Raj all have a Skill Level 5 (the highest) in "Empathy".
You create an "Empathy for Beginners" Channel
You use the Created by > Team content option
Empathy content created by Mike, Stacey and Raj appears, leaving out your own authored content that isn't relevant.
Language - for putting together Channels for regional/international teams or for upskilling key Users in a language needed for business.
Duration - are you implementing a new 'bitesize learning' approach to your L&D plans? Content less than 10 minutes can be filtered out, as desired.
Content Types - creating a Channel designed to level-up your Managers to Directors, would benefit from exclusively featuring Pathways, for a structured, chronological approach to Skill improvement.
Adding Content using AI Curation
Using the AI Curation option gives you the control to really zone-in on how you want your Channels represented, as you provide the algorithm with specifics.
Start by selecting the wand icon, to open the slide screen (or the Follow Content Sources option in the centre of the page). From here, you’ll have two fields that must be completed, before you save your changes:
What topics would you like AI to curate in this Channel? - this field allows you to choose multiple subjects that the AI will draw content from.
💡Tip: It's OK to be specific with the keywords that you use for AI Curation, however, remember the types of keywords that are often used by your Authors for internal content, and consider any language patterns/trends in the titles and descriptions of your organisation's Content Libraries, and third-party content.
This is as some Curation results may return without any content options. So a topic such as "Strategic Asset Allocation" is less likely to give results, than more commonly used and broader terms like "Finance" or "Investment Management".
Do you have preferred content sources? - would you like the AI to draw solely internal content? Content from HowNow+ only? Or a blend from multiple sources? You can have content surfaced from any third-party library your organisation has integrated.
The Channel’s landing page will showcase all of the chosen Sources, as tabs, with the relevant content displayed for each one.
If a Content Source doesn’t hold any relevant content, the page will show as empty.
If a Content Library is permanently disconnected from your organisation's workspace, then the tab and all its content, will be removed from the related Channels.
Note✨: Points to remember here include:
HowNow+ (HN+) content can be added to a Channel by default, when imported from the Apps page, but can also be added to multiple other Channels, manually or using the AI Curation option.
When adding HowNow+ (HN+) content both manually and via AI Curation, do remember that later removing HowNow+ as a content source, won't affect the manually added content. For example...
10 HN+ Courses are added to the People Channel, via AI Curation
3 HN+ Courses are added manually
Later on, the Channel Owner removes HN+ as a content source
All 10 HN+ Courses will be removed, keeping the manual 3 courses.
This is because the content sources option is exclusively linked to the AI Curation process.
When content is displayed on a Channel's landing page, it will always be shown in order of the most recently published/added content, from left to right. If much older content is unpublished then republished later, it is considered newly published content.
Watch a video walk-through on creating and managing your Channels...
Dashboard
Managing your Channels can be done, via the Channels page on your Dashboard. Starting with the summary cards. You´ll get a clear overview of the following:
Channels - the total number of Channels that exist in your workspace. Use this to identify potential topic shortages or content may becoming too saturated.
Average Followers per Channel - Use this to set goals on Users achieving more access to different content subject-matters.
Average Views Per Channel - the number of users who’ve clicked to open. Higher views can often mean that type of content or topic is strongly preferred by your teams, or, that there is a potential Skill Gap.
Average No. of Content - that is assigned to a Channel. More quality content in a Channel will undoubtedly lead to more engagement overall.
To take a further look at the data surrounding your Channels, you will need to review the data table. This consists of columns displaying values such as…
Channel Owner - the individual who has created the Channel. Other Admins however, can edit the Channel, beside from the Owner.
Channel Followers - this will always include the Channel Owner.
Content Viewed - how many assigned Users have opened content that sits within the Channel.
No. of Content - how many content items have been assigned to the Channel.
Average Time Spent - calculating the time spent by a User on content that is assigned to the Channel you’re viewing insights for.
Last Activity - the latest addition or removal of content from the Channel.
Content Sources - whether 3rd-party content from publishers, internal content, HowNow+, or your org’s Content Libraries.
Editing a Channel can easily be done by selecting the 3-dot menu then Edit, where the slide screen will appear.
Note✨: Specific points to be aware of include…
Channels are not compulsory, so content can be published without them.
Both Channels created by your organisation’s Managers and Admins, and default Channels from the original HowNow library, can be edited.
Watch an overview of what the values shown on the Channels page, tell you...
Following Channels
The two main ways to follow Channels are by selecting a Channel from the side panel on your Homepage, or, using the search to find a specific Channel via the drop-down list provided, or the Search Results Page.
After opening the Channel page, you can start to Follow it, at which point the Channel will be placed in alphabetical order within your side panel list.
Side Panel
The side panel on the Homepage houses the Channel section’s quick view. The Channels that you follow/have created (#) or have been assigned to (padlock) - by way of a Group being assigned to the Channel - will appear listed under this section, in alphabetical order.
Padlocked Channels are those assigned to you, or you have created. You cannot unfollow from these, as they form part of your learning goals, set by your Manager/team lead.
You also can't unfollow the Channels you've created, as you are the Channel's Owner (something only Admins can reassign if removing Users from your organisation's workspace).
Selecting the (+) icon will open the slide screen to Add Channel.
Regardless of whether the Channel has any content assigned to it or not, all Users will be able to find it, and begin to follow the Channel for any future content that gets added.
Get an overview of how to follow Channels in this video...
FAQs
What are some common questions you may find yourself asking as an Admin User? These potential queries have been outlined below, to give more clarity on Channel Curation.
Q: How is third-party content assigned by default to Channels that exist on our organisation’s workspace?
A: Keywords are used to distribute the following, non-internal content (‘internal’ being content created by your Authors):
HN+ Courses
Content Learning Libraries
Third-party content (from the library of HowNow publishers)
HowNow’s AI-generated curation places content into the correct Channels, based on its ability to match titles and descriptions to the Channels associated keyword(s).
Q: We no longer want to use a Content Source originally chosen for a Channel. What will happen if we remove it?
A: There are two different steps to removing a Content Source, which will have differing effects.
To remove a Content Source, strictly from a Channel, select the (-) removal icon. Users following the Channel, won’t ever be able to access content from the Content Source provider, unless they follow other Channels, where the Content Source still exists.
Removing a Content Source from the organisation’s workspace, requires disconnecting its integration completely. This action will prevent all Channels from hosting content from that Source, as the tab will be removed from the Channels’ landing pages.
Q: If we change the Title and Description for our content, what happens to the content in the Channel afterwards?
A: Changing the Title and Description for content will lead to the automatic, real-time update of Channels’ landing pages, to reveal the new set of content that matches that criteria. This is related to the AI Curation feature.
For example…
Henry follows the Leadership Channel.
The SCORM Course “Leading a team using AI” exists here.
The Author later changes the title to “Employee Empathy using AI”.
The automatic HowNow Channel sync - responsible for maintaining the content relevance in all Channels - runs in the background.
The Course would then be removed from the Leadership Channel and added to the Empathy Channel.
Q: Our team will change soon, meaning our Admin(s) need to delete/deactivate Users who are Channel Owners. How will their Channels be managed going forward?
A: There are a number of ways that the deletion/deactivation of Users who are Channel Owners, affect the management of a Channel…
When Owners whose Org User Role is changed from an Admin/Manager/Contributor, to a Read Only, a pop-up message will appear reminding the Admin that these Users cannot be downgraded.
When Owners have been added to your organisation’s workspace via an HRIS, they can’t be deleted.
If they are, however, deleted on the HRIS, then their Channel Owner status will be given to your organisation’s workspace Admin.
When Owners are deleted/deactivated manually, a pop-up will appear asking the Admin to assign another User as the new Channel Owner.
Q: Do I need to own content to be able to add it to a Channel?
A: To add content directly to a Channel, using Sources, you need to be the Owner. For your internal or HowNow+ content, you need to be the Author or Collaborator.
Q: Are Channels mandatory?
A: No, Channels are not mandatory - this is the case via all areas: Web, Extension, Mobile, MS Teams, and Slack.
Q: How do we prioritise/sort the content in a Channel?
A: Content is automatically categorised by provider - demonstrated with the tabs on the landing page. The order of content displayed for each tab type is as follows:
- HowNow Content (internal) tab - the latest published content appears first.
- HN+ content - the latest published content appears first (if added manually). the most relevant shows first if added via AI Curation. If both are used, then the
latest published will appear first.
- Content Libraries - is based on relevance.
- Third-party content (podcasts, articles, etc.) - is based on relevance.
Q: Will content curation on autopilot automatically publish content from HowNow+, or does the content need to be published first?
A: The content needs to be published first. However, if you want to make the entire HowNow Plus library available to your organisation, you can contact your Customer Success Manager, to arrange the HN+ library being set up for your workspace. This will allow for easier content curation within Channels and Pathways.
Q: I saw the term 'Topics' used in this article. What are they actually?
A: Topics are mini-prompts that you put in as an Owner/Admin trying to curate a Channel. Similar to the prompts used when creating Pathways, they help the system understand what you want, by using specific details.
Topics are designed to help you focus on the domains/skills/categories you want to 'curate' for your Channel.