FAQ - Directra Overview

No. To get started all you need is a web browser on your computer. Directra will send you the URL so you can get started. All Directra communications and other features use your existing computers and phones.

No. Depending on the capabilities of your phone you can text, call or email members of your group.

• Smartphone: All communications features are available, using Directra's app or using native features of your phone.  Learn more ...
• Textable Phone: Send and receive texts and make calls. Use commands to send blasts, call or text other group members.
• Land Line: Receive calls, send call blasts.

Click the Members tab and you'll see your options. You can add one member at a time (Add Member) or several at one time (Add Multiple Members). You can also import members from your Google contacts or from a CSV file (Import/Export).

If you will want to invite members (see below) then you will need to provide their email address. Otherwise just enter the information you'll use when contacting your members: any or all of email address; phone number (home, work, cell); street address.

Inviting people to join is not required. If you don't expect them to update their own information or initiate communications then you don't need to invite them. See our summary of the pros and cons of inviting members to join your group.

Inviting people to join is easy. Click the Members tab, then click the Invitations view. To invite anyone who has not yet been invited click Invite Multiple Members. To invite members individually, locate their name, then click Invite Member. Each member will receive an email with instructions on how to set up a login and password.  Learn more ...

Yes, using tagged subgroups. From the Members tab click the Tags view. Click Add Tag and supply the tag name. (For example, you may want to identify your Board of Directors, so you might use the name Board.) Make sure the new tag is selected then click Edit/Assign Members. Select the members you want in this tag, then click Save.  Learn more ...

Member contact information is never available to the general public or to other members who have not logged in.  Learn more ...

When logged in a member has full access to his or her own information. However this member may see another member's contact information only if the other member chooses to make it available. Member's data can be assigned one of three classifications:

• Visible: Visible to all logged-in members but not the general public.
• Protected: Information is not displayed but can be used by other members to contact the member.
• Unlisted: Visible only to the member and any group admin.

Yes. Click the Features tab, select Manage Features, then indicate whether each item can be viewed by members only or by the general public. This protects information at the "macro" level. In addition, whenever you create a calendar item, post an announcement or add anything else to your group web site, you can specify whether that item is for members only or can be seen by the public.  Learn more ...

In addition to group admins anyone who sent a blast or participated in a chat or conference may view the record of that interaction. This includes access to any conference recording made that is part of the conference log.

The group admin can set permissions for each blast and interaction type. The options are: All Members; Admins Only; Members of <tagged subgroup>.

To set these permissions go to the appropriate view (Chats, Conferences, Blasts), click Permissions and assign the desired value. If you want to set permissions for all types at once, click Settings, go to the Communications section, then Edit Permissions.  Learn more ...

• Blasts: send an email, text message or voice call to any or all members of your group. Blasts provide easy and convenient "one to many" communication. Replies will go only to the person initiating the blast.
• Chats: involve one or more of your members in a text-message-based conversation. All invitees see all messages. This can be useful short-term if you need quick collaboration with members of your team. Or use it long-term as an open-ended way to converse with a small group. Directra figures out the best way to communicate with your team. Some may have textable phones and can use SMS. Members with smartphones can use Directra's iPhone or Android app, bypassing SMS and the phone company.
• Conferences: Sometimes you just need to get everyone on the phone. You decide who should participate, then let Directra call everyone. Any text chat can become a voice conference, so you can talk and text at the same time.

Note that these all work together:

• A blast can become a 1-to-1 chat with the sender.
• A text chat can become a voice conference, and remain a text chat at the same time.
• A voice conference can be recorded for future reference, including sending it as a link to the recording in an email to your members.

Blasts are great for getting the word out quickly. Need to tell everyone a meeting is canceled? Use a call or text blast, as everyone is likely to be near a phone. Need to give everyone some detailed information? Use an email blast.

Text chats are great for making a quick decision when it's not worth the time or trouble to set up a meeting. They're also great for keeping a small team in touch with each other while they're not at their desks.

Voice conferences allow your members to talk with each other no matter where they are located. You may want to discuss a critical issue, make a decision, or just check status. Conferences can be recorded, allowing you to review the discussion later.

• Directra provides a single point from which all communications emanate. Enter members' information once, then contact them using any method. Logs of each type are available in one place. You don't have to juggle different products to provide different solutions.
• Text and voice communications are secure, using Directra's text and voice networks to coordinate all messages and calls.
• All communications are logged, with records available to group admins and those who participated in the communication. Conference calls can be recorded.
• All communications features can be initiated from the group web site or from any phone.
• Directra figures out how to contact your members. Send them a text but they don't have a textable phone? Directra will send the message as a voice call. Not home for a voice call? Directra will leave voice mail. Want a written copy of a blast? Directra will send you a courtesy email for any text or voice blast sent to you. Don't have a smartphone? Directra will figure out how to get you the information on the device you have.
• Can't remember someone's number or email address? Use Directra's mobile app to contact them.
• All communications can be immediate or scheduled for later initiation.

The group admin can set permissions for each blast and interaction type. The options are: All Members; Admins Only; Members of <tagged subgroup>.

To set these permissions go to the appropriate view (Chats, Conferences, Blasts), click Permissions and assign the desired value. If you want to set permissions for all types at once, click Settings, go to the Communications section, then Edit Permissions.  Learn more ...

Email is always useful because most people have email access and check it regularly. This is the best way to provide a lot of information in a single blast. Also some of your members may not want to get a phone call or text. In this case Directra will automatically send a courtesy email of the blast no matter which type of blast you send. An email blast can be sent from Directra or from your email program (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail).  Learn more ...

Phone blasts are useful when you want to make sure the information is received in a timely manner. Some users may not check their email for several days, whereas they're likely to answer the phone or check their voice mail frequently. You can send a phone blast from Directra or from any phone.  Learn more ...

Text blasts are quick and to the point. Members with textable phones are likely to check text messages frequently. Text messages are, however, limited in length so if you have a lot to tell people, email is probably a better choice.  Learn more ...

You will need to send the email blast from your email program (e.g. Gmail, Yahoo!, Hotmail). The "To:" field must be of the form <tag name>@<your Directra subdomain>.directra.com. For example, to send an email blast to the members of your board of Directors you might send somthing like "board@mydomain.directra.com". Add the attachment to your message. Your email will be sent to Directra, which will then send it out to the members of the tag you specify.  Learn more ...

Directra provides several ways for you to check the results of your blast:

• When you send a blast from Directra a pop-up window displays the result of your blast as it is being sent. It will show counts for success, failure and partial success. Expand each of these to see a list of your members, and hover over the blue information button to see details for that person.
• Click the Communications tab and select the Blasts view. You'll see a list of all blasts sent from your group, with the most recent at the top.
• When the blast is complete you will be sent an email with a detailed accounting of blast results.

Yes. Either the member or the admin can edit the member's record, and for each email address and phone number specify whether that item is blastable. You can be very specific about what you want. For example, for a phone number entry you may specify that Directra may send a call blast to that number, but not a text blast.

If a phone number is not textable but the member record says it may receive text messages, Directra will attempt to send a text message. When this fails Directra will uncheck the text option for that number and not try again.

Yes. Here's how it works for each blast type.

• Email: The reply is sent to the sender of the blast. This is a single reply only, not a reply-to-all.
• Voice: You may call the number from which the blast originated.
• Text: If the blast was sent from a phone number then replying opens up a one-on-one text chat with the sender. If the text was sent from an email address then all replies will be emails routed to the address.