Youâve just wrapped up a massive update. Youâve written the perfect discussion post: crisp, clear, and maybe even a little witty. You hit âPublishâ and sit back, imagining the flood of likes, comments, and GIFs of confetti that are sure to follow.
Then you log back in the next morning and⌠itâs gone.
Well, not gone gone. Itâs still there, technically. But itâs now sitting three scrolls down, buried under bug reports, âhow do I?â questions, and someoneâs off-topic debate about the merits of light vs. dark mode (again).
The big post that was supposed to drive excitement has quietly slipped into the background noise.
Enter Announcements - your secret weapon for keeping the spotlight exactly where it needs to be.
𧡠The Power of the Pin
Every community has cornerstone conversations that you want and need members to see. With Vanilla, you can feature a discussion so itâs highlighted prominently at the top of Discussion pages, and even showcase it through the Announcements Widget on your homepage.
Think of it like pinning a note on the office corkboard â except your entire community canât miss it.
You can use Announcements to:
- Announce new product releases or roadmap updates
- Highlight upcoming events or webinars
- Showcase member spotlights or success stories
- Reinforce onboarding or community guidelines
Unlike a fleeting banner or temporary post bump, featured discussions stay visible until you decide itâs time for a change.
đ§ A Quick How-To
You can make a discussion an announcement two different ways:
- When creating a post - Select one of the radio buttons shown below to either limit the announcement to just the Category or also include it on the Recent Posts page.
- Edit an existing post via its (...) menu - Select Announce to display a dialog where you can select the same options shown above.
đ Pro Tip: Rotate and Refresh
Donât let your Announcements become part of the furniture. Rotate and/or change them up regularly to keep your homepage dynamic. Whether thatâs every couple of weeks or in sync with product release cycles, keeping things fresh will draw eyes.
Even better, create a simple âFeatured Content Calendarâ to remind yourself (or your team) when itâs time for a refresh. Communities thrive on activity, and your featured posts can subtly set that rhythm.
𧊠Why It Matters
Featuring content isnât just about visibility. It's also about direction. It helps guide members toward the conversations that matter most, reinforces your communityâs purpose, and keeps engagement flowing in the right places.
So the next time you publish that canât-miss post, donât let it drift away into the feed.
Give it a pin, and let it shine.
And I know how we all love documentation, so read more here about our Announcements feature!
