Messages vs Broadcasts vs Internal Announcements
Three ways to communicate in Muin, told apart by direction: Messages are two-way conversations, Broadcasts are one-way donor sends, Announcements reach staff.
Muin’s Communications module gives you three ways to reach people, and the simplest way to choose between them is directionality — do you want a reply, or are you broadcasting? Get this right and every message lands in the right place with the right behavior.
The One Question That Decides It
Do you expect a reply?
- Yes → use Messages. It opens a two-way conversation.
- No, and it’s for donors / an external audience → use Broadcasts. It’s a one-way, tracked broadcast.
- No, and it’s for your own staff → use Internal Announcements. It’s a one-way internal notice.
Comparison
| Messages | Broadcasts | Internal Announcements | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Direction | Two-way conversation | One-way broadcast | One-way notice |
| Replies? | Yes — replies thread into the inbox | No — it’s a broadcast | No — it’s a notice |
| Who it’s for | Anyone in your directory | Donor / contact segments | Your own staff |
| Audience size | One person or a small group | Large segments | Whole org or a team |
| Choose recipients by | Name, role, department, segment | Segment, list, or tag | Role or department |
| Channels | Email, SMS, WhatsApp | Email, SMS, WhatsApp | In-app notification |
| Tracking | Conversation status, SLA | Opens, clicks, delivery, unsubscribe | Read status |
| Compliance handling | Standard messaging | Opt-in / unsubscribe / quiet hours enforced | Internal — no opt-out (Urgent can override mute) |
| Where it lives | Communications → Messages | Communications → Broadcasts | Communications → Internal Announcements |
When to Use Each
Messages — a two-way conversation, any small size
Use Messages whenever you want a reply. It works for a single person or a small group, and you can pick recipients by name, role, department, or segment. Replies come back into your unified inbox as a threaded conversation. Examples: asking a donor about their pledge, checking in with a volunteer, coordinating three staff on an event.
Broadcasts — a one-way tracked broadcast to donor segments
Use a Broadcast when you’re sending the same message to a large audience — typically a donor or contact segment — and you don’t need individual replies. Broadcasts add what scale requires: open/click tracking, delivery reporting, opt-in enforcement, automatic unsubscribe handling, and quiet hours. Examples: a year-end giving appeal, an event invitation to all members, a newsletter.
Internal Announcements — a one-way internal notice to staff
Use an Internal Announcement when you need to tell your own team something and no reply is expected. Target by role or department, and set a priority — Urgent notices even override notification mute so critical messages get through. Examples: a policy change, an all-hands reminder, a system-outage heads-up.
→ Read the Internal Announcements guide
A Quick Mental Model
- Messages = a phone call or chat — back and forth, small scale.
- Broadcasts = a mailing — one-to-many, to donors, measured.
- Internal Announcements = a notice on the staff board — one-to-many, to your team, internal.
Picking by direction (two-way vs one-way) and audience (external donors vs internal staff) gets you to the right tool every time.
Next Steps
- Messages — two-way conversations
- Internal Announcements — internal staff notices
- Communications Hub overview — broadcasts, inbox, AI, routing, and SLAs