COVID Communication with Apps

Published March 28, 2020 Archived announcement

Grandstand is committed to helping you communicate important COVID-19 information through your app. Grandstand has built-in tools to allow your users to search, filter, and find key information on any new regulations or tips that affect your audience. Here is a quick overview of ways you could use your Grandstand app to communicate important information to your audience.

1. New Rules & Regulations
   Many local and state regulations are changing faster than your audience can keep up with them. With Grandstand Lists, you could create a new List Group called COVID-19 with separate list items for each new regulation. For example, the Associated Beverage Distributors of Nebraska wanted to give their delivery drivers, distributors and others better access to the quickly-evolving state alcohol rules. They took a dozen PDFs, copied out the text and created new List Items for each one. They also added tags that included dates so that app users would know which regulations are the newest. Mixed with the search feature at the top of their COVID-19 page they quickly created an invaluable tool for their members that is easy to update and gives their users faster access than what static PDFs on a website could have given.
2. Key Location Information
   Using Grandstand maps, some apps are creating COVID-19 specific maps that show locations around their city with resources specific to COVID-19. Other apps are creating maps that show the new delivery/curbside hours for specific restaurants and businesses. If you would like to create a new map for your app and your package does not allow it, please notify us in the Live Chat and we will make sure you have access.
3. Push Notifications
   Any strategy around new COVID-19 information should include a push notification to let your users know that you have new information. These should also be used sparingly to notify users of new hours, cancellations, etc.
4. Quick Forms
   Included in every package is the option to create forms for your app that could be used to seek volunteers, supplies, or other emergency-related content. These form answers can be emailed directly to a user in your organization, or simply saved and collated for later use.
5. Single Source for Multiple Social Media Feeds
   Many organizations are using social media as their main news source, and Grandstand's newest Social/News upgrades allow you to bring all of your social media under a single umbrella. Depending on your app version, you may be able to create news and social collections that bring your Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and even RSS feeds into a single page. This is helpful for your users as they can be assured they are seeing all of your news and not just a fraction of it for the social media platform they prefer.
6. Distance Education
   Stay tuned for more information from Grandstand on how you can use our tools to enable your distance education.

For the benefit of our community please let us know how you might be providing COVID-related information in your apps by emailing us at info@grandstandapps.com.