Creating Tickers

OVERVIEW

Tickers allow a Content Administrator to send important headlines directly to end users’ desktops and mobile devices that have the SnapComms App installed. The information is displayed as a scrolling news feed across the bottom of users' screens.

There are two Ticker display modes - Standard and Urgent.

Note: On a mobile device such as a phone or tablet, the list of headlines will appear as a bulleted list of items with no scrolling.

The Urgent Ticker display mode selection is only available with the Emergency Alerts License.
 

TUTORIAL VIDEO

TO CREATE A TICKER

1. On your Dashboard click on "Create Content"

2. Select "Build your own" and then choose "Ticker"

3. Select a Theme to use for the Ticker

4. Select a folder to save the ticker and give it a name:

EDITING SETTINGS AND CONTENT FOR THE TICKER

The initial view of a Ticker is a Summary View showing your organization's default values.

To edit the settings for the Ticker click on Ticker Settings.

• Ticker position: The positioning of the Ticker determines whether the Ticker displays at the bottom or the top of the screen. For Windows, the Ticker resizes the open windows so that it does not display in front of any open window. For the Mac, the Ticker does not resize open windows and so may appear in front of an open window.

• Scroll speed: This sets the speed of the Headlines scrolling across the users' screen.

• Direction: This sets the scrolling direction - left to right or right to left.

• Headline Scroll Frequency: This controls the number of times all Headlines will appear on the recipients' screen before the Ticker automatically closes. A recipient can choose to close the ticker at any time.

• Number of Occurrences: This sets the number of times the Ticker will be shown if not closed by the recipient.

• Recurrence Interval: This sets the time between each recurrence.

• Notification sound: This will cause a sound to play on the users' desktop when the Ticker displays.

• Remove When Read: Once the Ticker has been marked as read it will be removed from the Message History.

• Keep notifying when read: Selecting this option will result in the Ticker recurring for the user even if they have already read it.

NOTE: Recurrence Interval by default applies only to Tickers that have not been read (i.e. All Headlines have not fully scrolled and/or the user has not closed the Ticker). To force the Ticker to recur even if a user has read it, select Keep notifying when Read.

A Ticker is made up of 1 or more Headlines. Headlines can also be placed within a Category to allow for clear separation between different news items or groups of headlines.   Headlines can be simple text or can link to a URL when more information is required. Clicking on a Headline that is a link will open the URL in the users' default browser.

The Ticker Headlines and Categories can be edited directly in Summary View, but to add new content areas, click on the Designer icon:

To return to the Summary View  from the full Designer Canvas, click again on the highlighted Designer icon. 

For more detailed information on the Designer Canvas, click here.

Previewing and Publishing the Ticker

Use the Preview button to see how the message will appear to your end users:

Once you are comfortable with everything, press the Publish button to send it to your chosen Targets:

REPORTING

Standard Ticker with Headline(s) - No URL Link

A Ticker will be marked as read and successful in reports and in the Message History once it has scrolled all Headlines at least once, and the recipient has clicked on the close button.

Standard Ticker with Headline(s) and URL Link(s)

A Ticker will be marked as read and successful in reports if:  

• it has scrolled all Headlines at least once and the recipient has clicked on the close button.

Or

• if any URL link has been clicked on.

Tickers with multiple Headlines will be available to the recipient in the Message History until it expires unless the Remove When Read option has been enabled.

URGENT TICKER

Requires the Emergency Alerts License to use this mode.

Selection of the Urgent Ticker display mode can be set by clicking on Ticker Settings.
 

Urgent: Enabling this will ensure the Ticker is displayed on top of full screen applications including video conferencing platforms.
Note: Ticker will not be displayed if Snooze is enabled.

Using this feature will enable the following defaults:

• Headline Scroll Frequency: Remain Until Actioned will be enabled and cant be switched off.

• Number of Occurrences: Default will be switched to Recur Until Read, this cant be changed.

• Recurrence Interval: This setting can be set by the administrator. 

Ticker Success Criteria will apply for the Urgent Ticker, this is the reason why the Recurrence Interval can be amended by the administrator.

For further information on Ticker Success Criteria, please view our knowledge base article here.