When it comes to creating engaging experiences on Tether, people often want to know what best practices should be considered, as well as understand the nuances of the differences between Plans, Practices, and Habits. This guide addresses both.
FAQs
What is the difference between a Plan and a Practice?
A Plan is a content framework for delivering curriculum, devotionals, or other content over time or in chapters. A Practice is a screen-by-screen framework that walks a user through why and how to engage in a spiritual practice.
What is the difference between a Practice and a Habit?
A practice is a screen-by-screen framework that walks a user through why and how to engage in a spiritual practice. These are created by an organization.
A habit is any sort of spiritual rhythm that you want to commit to engaging with on a routine basis (i.e. I want to practice Sabbath every Sunday).
A Practice can be linked to a Habit so that every time I'm reminded to practice Sabbath on Sunday (say), I'm also provided a guide to Practicing Sabbath.
When does a time-released Plan actually become available for users?
A Plan section becomes available according to the frequency with which you set up a plan. For instance, if I set up a Weekly Plan and have it start on Sunday, then every Sunday until the Plan ends, a new section will become available.
Plan sections become available at 12:00am on the day of release; though Admins can choose what time they want users notified that the day's content is available.
What happens when a time-released Plan ends?
All Plan Material will still be available once a plan ends, and can be accessed either on the organization's Explore page (if the Plan is still published) or within the user's Profile section labeled "My Plans".
How do I set up a Plan that only leaders will be able to see?
When you are setting up a Plan for the first time, you'll see a drop-down menu during set-up that asks which audience you would like the Plan to be made available to: All Users, Admins, or Group Leaders
When do I need to add content to upcoming Plan?
Currently, Plans that are being released on a schedule can be previewed by leaders two-days ahead of time. We do this to allow leaders to prepare. Therefore, as an admin, you'll want to ensure that your content is finalized for each Section (i.e. Week, Day, Weekday, etc.) two days prior to when that section goes live.
Best Practices
Plans
Attention spans are shorter than we think; plan accordingly
For each section of plan (i.e. week, day), we'd recommend not adding any more than 4-5 steps (or screens) for people to interact with.
Try mixing up the various elements within a plan section. By using a mix of text, audio, video, short-answer, multiple choice, and more, you keep people interested and engaged, why also addressing various learning styles.
Refrain from "Mega-Scroll"
Nobody likes to get a thumb workout. Try to keep text on one screen.
If you need to go longer, add another step.
When in doubt, simplify
Usually, more is less.
Remember, Plans are about bite-sized points of engagement.
Practices
Ideally, practices should be able to be engaged within a short time period (say, 5-10 minutes)
As such, keep practice steps between 5-10 screens.
Like plans, mix up the type of screens users engage with. A mix of video, audio, and questions is more interesting than reading text.
Remember, practices are all about getting our people to engage and apply. Ask yourself, what do I want my to experience through this practice?
Habits
Keep habits current within your library.
Think twice before prescribing a habit to your entire organization. This will place the habit on every single users home screen. This can be great if your organization is "bought into" the idea of adopting the habit; but if they're not, it could be seen as annoying.