Although every Company has unique communications, there are some common tasks and tips which will help your training to run smoothly. One of the most pressing questions for Account Admins is, "How do we create a notification strategy?" Have you wondered that very same thing? Follow along with this article and learn more about notifications, how to plan your communication strategy and other important tasks and tips.

How do we create a communication strategy?

Messaging from the Emtrain AI Platform should be just one component of your communication strategy — use a variety of touch points for higher completion rates. 

What should our communication strategy include?

• Internal Email prior to the Campaign launch
• Personal message from CEO or other executive at a company-wide meeting
• Emtrain AI System notifications
• Slack or other internal messaging apps

Need more Ideas? Reach out to your Client Success Manager for additional recommendations.

How often should we send notifications?

The cadence for notifications depends on your Workplace Culture. The purpose of the reminders and past due notifications really is to bump the login link back up to the top of the inbox. This helps remind people of the need to do their training.

• Reminders. At minimum, it is helpful for a weekly reminder to be sent in addition to the day before training is due and the actual due date. 
• Past Due Notifications. Some send just one, some send messages. Most send weekly past due notifications. Frequency will depend on how you choose to handle the follow-up. 

What should the notification messages say?

For the system emails, we suggest using the Notification Templates as a starting point and editing the messages to "make them your own." We have some specific suggestions and best practices for the different types of notifications.

Welcome/Assignment

• Be sure to include the importance and reasoning behind the training campaign. This helps Users better understand why the training should be a priority.
• The focus should be on workplace culture instead of compliance. This lets employees know you care for them more than you care about "checking the box."
• For scheduled campaigns, you can announce a due date in any of the notifications. For open campaigns, direct Users to their Learning Environment for their specific due date. 

Reminders

• Craft different messages for different points in the campaign so that the reminders do not get overlooked for being "the same."
• Most campaigns should have weekly reminders at minimum so that Users receive the link by email repeatedly if they have not yet completed the training campaign. 

Past Due

• Messages sent after the deadline has past should be direct and concise, explaining the follow-up process that will take place for training delinquency.
• Many companies including messaging that direct supervisors will be notified if the training is not completed. One company indicates they will receive a meeting invite to discuss their delinquency with the Legal Department—that usually helps push them to quick completion! 

Completion

• Messages can communicate if you want learners to "do anything" post-completion. For example, complete an internal survey or submit the Completion Certificate to a particular department/person.
• This is a good opportunity to congratulate and thank employees for their part in upholding the Company Values and contributing to a positive Workplace Culture. 

Notification Creation

How are notifications created?

Notifications for campaigns can be created in a couple of ways.

• Watch our quick tutorial on how to Create & Preview Notifications
• Notifications may be created manually to add on an individual basis. 
• Notifications are copied in bulk when a campaign is duplicated. 

How can we encourage better readership?

While emails being opened and read depends on each individual employee, we do have a few tips to encourage folks.

• Letting employees know the training assignment is on its way helps tremendously with the open rate of the initial assignment. Employees may be cautious that this is a phishing attempt or other form of cyber attack if they know nothing of Emtrain prior to the assignment email.
• Notifications are set to send from no-reply@emtrain.com but this can be updated to include an alternate email address. Using a sent-from-name and/or sent-from-email address from your organization may garner a higher open rate. Additionally, you may use a reply-to email address should you prefer to have responses to the assignment and reminder emails stay internal. 
• The notification subject line is completely customizable. The subject should include a Call To Action to raise the importance of the notification. 

Can I preview how the email will appear in their inbox?

Absolutely! You are encouraged to send as many test emails to yourself or others so that you get a sense of layout, possible adjustments and are able to proofread until satisfied. You can use the Send to Individuals button on each of the email templates and enter any email addresses necessary for review.