Create Announcements Within Microsoft SharePoint

One of the more common tech buzzwords of the past couple of years is ‘collaboration’. While collaboration isn’t a new thing, it’s starting to be a prominent enabler of many programs. One of the most entrenched collaboration platforms is Microsoft’s SharePoint, part of the Office 365 platform. SharePoint is essentially a portal that enables companies to have an Intranet, share files and collaborate, etc. One of the more popular features of SharePoint is that you can post announcements and other important information in one place, that can be seen by all employees.

Here’s how you can set up an announcements page on SharePoint. Common uses of this page include sharing news, updates, status and any other important information that employees need to know. Think of it like the morning announcements our principal made over the PA in school, just more modern.

1. Select All Site Content – located in the left-hand navigation panel, in the lower left (usually below Recycle Bin.
2. Press Create.
3. Pick Announcements from the next page.
4. Pick your Announcements page and enter it into the box just above Create.
5. Select Create.

After pressing Create you will be taken to the new Announcements page. To add a new announcement or message, press Add new announcement Note: This will usually be found below existing announcements.

After pressing Add new announcement, a window that looks similar to an email in Outlook will open. Selecting the box beside Title will allow you to set the title of the announcement. You can enter your message in the Body box. If you would like the announcement to disappear after a certain date, selecting a date in the Expire box will set the date the announcement will be removed.

When you return to the main SharePoint page, you may notice that the page you just created isn’t there. You can add the new announcements page to the homescreen by:

1. Navigating to SharePoint’s home page.
2. Selecting Site Actions which is located in the top left of the page.
3. Clicking Edit Page.
4. Selecting Editing Tools and ensuring Insert is selected.
5. Pressing the downward facing arrow below Announcements and selecting the one you’ve just created.

The new announcements page should now be on your SharePoint home page, with the latest entry showing first. If you would like to learn more about how to use SharePoint in your company, we’re here to help, so give us a shout.