Whether you’re running a college club or even just a part of one, it can feel like a lot to juggle between your classes. Having an app for communication and organization for your club can help make or break the overall vibe for the semester.
I’ve been in my fair share of clubs and organizations, and they all seem to use one of three different apps. I have opinions, so here are the apps I’d rather delete, and my top choices, all in one ranking.
- Groupme
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If you’ve ever taken a class at FSU, you have GroupMe. It’s a veteran in the group chat game, though it acts like it, too. GroupMe is super easy to set up and use, with no need for tutorials or any understanding of technology outside of knowing how to send a text.
Everything about it is super simple, but this is also its downfall. GroupMe is just a messaging app with extra steps. It’s full of bots trying to sell you things, and there are no tools to track club attendance or organize events. It’s ultimately not fun to use.
Depending on how you set up your club chat, anyone can type, which means you might be scrolling forever to catch up on important information. For big organizations or clubs such as fraternities and sororities, it’s tough to keep track of all the moving parts and get things done within GroupMe alone.
- flare
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Flare is a relatively new app made for college clubs, and it shows. This app has so many fun features, but it’s not without drawbacks either. Flare is amazing when it comes to helping club leadership, offering tools such as event threads, RSVPs, sign-ups and ticketing, a shared photo album for the club, and several other things. I know many clubs have started using Flare, and honestly, it’s a good choice.
There are many interactive features, such as polls, announcement threads, and discussion threads, outside of the main club chat to help with clarity. However, due to its newness, it has a small user base. I hate having to use more than one app for something, so downloading a new app for a club when no one else uses it can be frustrating.
- DISCORD
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Discord takes the cake as the ultimate app for clubs and organizations. The app offers versatility and customizability, but this top dog still has a weak point. Discord allows the creation of a server with different channels for specific topics, such as announcements, carpools, club meeting times, or even casual chats.
The app also offers a feature called assigning roles, which gives anyone who joins different permissions for what channel they can talk in or access. This is so that new members don’t crash the leadership channel, allowing the right people to get the right information.
Discord also offers voice channels, video calls, and screen sharing, which allows for any need for online meetings to take place all in the same app without pesky Zoom links. But while Discord has all these amazing and useful tools, the app may not be as easy to navigate as the others. New users might feel overwhelmed. I know I did, as new ways of navigating an app are thrown at users without any tutorials.
Ultimately, the best app for your club depends on your needs. If you want something easy to use and don’t need tons of features, go with GroupMe. If you’re all about events and engagement, Flare might be the one for you. And if you want an all-in-one powerhouse, Discord is the way to go.
Whatever you choose, pick the right tool to keep your club on track and thriving!
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