Viva Engage: Integrate Community Features

Embedding Viva Engage, formerly known as Yammer, into a SharePoint page can significantly enhance the social aspect of your company's intranet. This integration allows for seamless interaction and collaboration directly from the SharePoint environment. The process is straightforward, and with the right steps, you can have your Viva Engage community live on your SharePoint page in no time. This article will guide you through the process, discuss the tradeoffs, and explore the challenges associated with different approaches.

Step-by-Step Guide to Embedding Viva Engage

To successfully embed a Viva Engage community into a SharePoint page, follow these steps: Get the Viva Engage Web Part
- Navigate to your SharePoint site.
- Edit the SharePoint page where you want to embed the Viva Engage community by clicking “Edit” at the top-right of the page.
Add the Web Part
- Hover your mouse over the section of the page where you want to add the community, and click the ”+” button.
- Search for “Viva Engage” or “Yammer” web part in the web part toolbox.
- Select the “Viva Engage” web part.
Configure the Viva Engage Web Part
- Once the web part is added, you will see configuration options:
- Source: Choose Community.
- Community: Search and select the community you want to embed.
- Conversation type: Choose the type of conversations you’d like to display, such as “All Conversations” or “Questions.”
- Adjust the Display settings (e.g., number of conversations displayed).
Save and Publish
- After configuring, click “Republish” (or “Publish”) at the top-right corner of the page to make your changes visible.

Tips for Optimal Use

To ensure the best experience when embedding Viva Engage on SharePoint, consider the following tips:

• Ensure your users have access to the Viva Engage community.
• Customize the layout to fit your SharePoint page design.
• Regularly update or moderate the community to keep content relevant and engaging.

By following these tips, your SharePoint page will display live interactions from your Viva Engage community, encouraging collaboration directly from your intranet page.

Exploring Different Approaches

There are two primary methods to embed a Viva Engage Community on a SharePoint Page. You can either embed a given community as-is using the Conversations Web Part or highlight specific posts using the Highlights Web Part. Embed Viva Engage via Conversations Web Part
- Edit the Page
- Add a Web part and select Conversations Web Part
- Choose the Community radio button, then under Search for a source, type in the name of the Viva Engage Community you would like to embed. You can also configure other options as well.
- Republish the Page.
This method allows users to like, post, and comment on the Viva Engage Community right from the SharePoint Page. Additionally, you can select other radio button options (i.e., User or Topic) to display posts for a particular user or topic only. Embed Viva Engage via Highlights Web Part
This approach allows you to display only specific posts from the given Viva Engage Community by choosing Highlights Web Part. You still need to select a specific Viva Engage Community, but you can toggle between the most popular conversations or the latest. You can also limit it to particular conversations you choose, allowing you to alter the conversations displayed on the SharePoint page.

Tradeoffs and Challenges

While embedding Viva Engage on SharePoint offers numerous benefits, there are tradeoffs and challenges to consider.

• Accessibility: Ensuring all users have access to the Viva Engage community is crucial. Without proper permissions, users might not be able to interact with the embedded content.
• Customization: While customization allows for a tailored experience, it requires additional time and resources to maintain. Balancing the level of customization with ease of use is important.
• Content Moderation: Regularly updating and moderating the community is essential to keep the content relevant and engaging. This can be challenging, especially for larger organizations with multiple communities.

Despite these challenges, the integration of Viva Engage into SharePoint can lead to enhanced collaboration and communication within your organization.

Conclusion

In conclusion, embedding Viva Engage into a SharePoint page is a valuable way to enhance the social and collaborative aspects of your company's intranet. By following the step-by-step guide and considering the tradeoffs and challenges, you can create an engaging and interactive environment for your users. Whether you choose to embed a community as-is or highlight specific posts, the integration of Viva Engage on SharePoint is a powerful tool for fostering communication and collaboration within your organization.

Keywords

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