How to Set Up a Strong Towns Slack Channel for Your Group

Some Local Conversations want to set up a Slack channel for their group in the Strong Towns public Slack workspace. There are a number of benefits, most especially its proximity to where discussions are happening among more than 3,000 other Strong Towns advocates. 

We created this quick guide to help you get your group on Slack.

1. Join the Strong Towns Slack Workspace

• Existing Slack Users: If you are already part of the Strong Towns Slack workspace, go to the Strong Towns logo and select “Invite more people.” Copy the invite link to share with your group members.
• New Slack Users: If you do not have an invite link or are not yet a member, email  local@strongtowns.org with the request to add your email address to the Strong Towns Slack workspace
  

2. Create a New Slack Channel

• Log In: Access Slack via your browser or app.
• Create a Channel:
  • Click the “+” icon next to “Channels” on the sidebar.
  • Choose between a Public or Private channel based on your needs:
    • Public: Accessible to anyone in the Strong Towns Slack workspace.
    • Private: Only accessible to invited members.
• Name the Channel: Use a relevant name for your channel, such as "DelPOP_general" for general discussions, or "DelPOP_comms-working-group" for specific tasks.
• Click “Create” to finalize the channel setup.

 3. Customize the Channel

• Channel Type:
  • For general group discussions: Create a public channel so that all members can participate.
  • For specific tasks or leadership discussions: Create a private channel if you want to limit access to specific members.

4. Invite Members

• You can directly invite members into the channel by entering their email addresses or by generating an invite link that you can email to them. Strong Towns Slack admins will approve all incoming requests. 
• If they're not added by you, tell your group members to find the channels you've created by selecting "add channels" and finding your group channel(s)

5. Finalize and Test

• Verify: Ensure your channel is set up correctly and members have access as needed.
• Test: Make sure the channel is functioning as intended by checking that members can join and participate.