# Online Programs — Communication Plan for Smooth Sessioning

**Prepared for:** Program stakeholders
**Date:** 6 July 2026

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## 1. What this is about

We are bringing our programs online. An online program runs as a **series of live sessions**, and seekers **register once** for the full program.

To make each session run smoothly — good turnout, no one feeling lost, and a warm connection throughout — we need to reach out to seekers at the right moments: **before, during, and after** every session.

This document lays out:
1. The communications we **already send** today.
2. The **additional communications we propose** to make the online experience seamless.
3. How **reminders and gentle nudges** work.
4. **Special care for the final session.**

All messages reach seekers over **Email and WhatsApp**.

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## 2. Communications we send today

| Communication | When it goes out | Purpose |
|---------------|------------------|---------|
| **Welcome** | Once the seeker's registration is confirmed | Warmly welcomes them and sets the tone for the journey ahead. |
| **Invite** | Before a session | Shares the session date, time, and the link to join. |
| **Absent follow-up** | After a session the seeker missed | Reaches out with care to those who couldn't make it. |

These three cover the essentials. The proposals below fill the gaps that matter most for a smooth **online, multi-session** experience.

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## 3. Communications we propose to add

Grouped by the moment they support. Each is optional per program — a program can switch on only what it needs.

### Before the program begins

| Communication | When | Why it helps |
|---------------|------|--------------|
| **Program starts tomorrow** | ~24 hours before the very first session | Builds anticipation and makes sure the seeker has blocked the time. |

*(Joining guidelines — how to open the link, test audio/video, what to expect — are included within the Session Invite itself, so no separate guide is needed.)*

### Before each session

| Communication | When | Why it helps |
|---------------|------|--------------|
| **Session Invite** *(exists)* | ~24 hours before the session | The seeker knows exactly when and how to join. |
| **Session Reminder** | ~1 hour before the session | A gentle nudge so the session isn't forgotten in a busy day. |
| **Schedule changed** | Only if a session's time or link changes | Keeps everyone accurately informed, avoids missed sessions. |

### During each session

| Communication | When | Why it helps |
|---------------|------|--------------|
| **"We've started — join now"** | Right at start time, to anyone who hasn't joined yet | Catches seekers who lost track of time **while they can still join**. This is one of the biggest drivers of attendance. |

### After each session

| Communication | When | Why it helps |
|---------------|------|--------------|
| **Absent follow-up** *(exists)* | After a session the seeker missed | Re-engages with warmth. *(See §5 for how this ties into the final session.)* |
| **Thank-you & recap** | After a session the seeker attended | Appreciates their presence, shares any recording/notes, and points them to the next session date. |
| **Next session coming up** | Between one session and the next | Keeps momentum going across the gap between sessions. |

### At the end of the program

| Communication | When | Why it helps |
|---------------|------|--------------|
| **Program completion** | After the final session, for those who completed | A meaningful close — appreciation, and what comes next for them. |

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## 4. Reminders & repeat nudges

For an online program, a single message is easy to miss. So for the key moments we reach out **more than once**, using the messages above:

**A typical session looks like this:**

| Timing | Message | Sent to |
|--------|---------|---------|
| ~24 hours before | Session Invite | Everyone registered for the session |
| ~1 hour before | Session Reminder | Everyone who hasn't joined yet |
| At start time | "We've started — join now" | Everyone who hasn't joined yet |
| After the session | Thank-you & recap | Those who attended |
| After the session | Absent follow-up | Those who missed it |

A few principles behind this:

- **We stop nudging once the seeker acts.** If someone has already joined, they won't get the "join now" message — no one is bothered unnecessarily.
- **We won't repeat the same message twice by mistake.** Each seeker gets each message once per moment.
- **Timings are standard across programs** by default, so the experience is consistent.

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## 5. Manual re-sends by the team

Beyond the automatic reminders above, real situations come up — a seeker didn't receive the link, changed their phone number, deleted the message, or simply asks for it again. For these, our team can **manually re-send any communication** to an individual seeker (or a small group) on the spot.

**Who can re-send, and when it's typically needed:**

| Role | Can re-send | When it's usually needed |
|------|-------------|--------------------------|
| **Program Admin** | Any communication, to anyone | Broad issues — a batch didn't go out, a link was corrected, a group needs the invite again. |
| **Relationship Manager (RM)** | Communications for **their own seekers** | A seeker they look after didn't get the invite/reminder, or asks for it again. |
| **Support / Operations** | Invite, Reminder, joining details | Day-of-session help — a seeker writes in saying "I can't find the link." |

A few principles:

- **A re-send is the same approved message** — the wording and links stay consistent; only the delivery is repeated.
- **Same channels** — the seeker receives the re-send on Email and/or WhatsApp, as with the original.
- **Every send is recorded** — we keep a history of what was sent to whom and when, including manual re-sends, so there's full visibility and no accidental duplication.
- **Role-appropriate access** — an RM only re-sends to their own seekers; program-wide re-sends stay with the Admin.

*(Which roles get re-send access can be tuned per program — the roles above are our recommendation.)*

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## 6. Special care for the final session

The final session is the culmination of the program, so it carries a special rule:

> **The invite to the final session goes only to seekers who have attended all the earlier sessions.**

This keeps the closing session meaningful for those who have walked the full journey.

**What this means in practice:**
- A seeker who attended every prior session receives the final-session invite as usual.
- A seeker who **missed one or more earlier sessions** will **not** receive the final-session invite. Instead, the **Absent follow-up** they receive for the missed session will also gently let them know that the final session won't apply to them.
- For programs where attending every session isn't required, the final session simply behaves like any other session.

*(No separate "you're not eligible" message is needed — this is handled within the existing Absent follow-up, so the seeker hears it once, with care.)*

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## 7. Who receives what

| Audience | Channels | Notes |
|----------|----------|-------|
| **Seeker** | Email + WhatsApp | Receives all communications above. |
| **Relationship Manager (RM)** *(optional)* | WhatsApp | Optionally, we can also notify the RM when their seeker **repeatedly misses sessions** or becomes **ineligible for the final session**, so the RM can reach out personally. This is a suggestion — easy to include or leave out. |

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## 8. The full picture at a glance

| # | Communication | Status | Moment |
|---|---------------|--------|--------|
| 1 | Welcome | **Existing** | On registration |
| 2 | Program starts tomorrow | *Proposed* | Before program |
| 3 | Session Invite *(includes joining guidelines)* | **Existing** | Before each session |
| 4 | Session Reminder | *Proposed* | Before each session |
| 5 | Schedule changed | *Proposed* | If a session changes |
| 6 | "We've started — join now" | *Proposed* | During each session |
| 7 | Thank-you & recap | *Proposed* | After each session |
| 8 | Absent follow-up | **Existing** | After a missed session |
| 9 | Next session coming up | *Proposed* | Between sessions |
| 10 | Program completion | *Proposed* | After the final session |

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*We're happy to adjust which of these are switched on, the exact timings, and the tone of each message to suit the program.*