Email marketing audience - why a list?

Karen Diener

I've been working in Raiser's Edge for a very long time, but have been onboarding a new customer this summer and they are asking a lot of questions as they learn. They really stumbled over the idea that the queries needed for email needed to be saved as lists. I've just always known this to be the case, and it was the same in OLX, but I never stopped to think about why.

At some stage, anyone who is marked as "Requests no email" is removed, as well as any email addresses that are marked as DNC, but I believe that takes place after the list is uploaded as the audience for an email.

Does anyone know the answer?

Carlene Johnson

This is a great question! And, I think we would all agree that having the ability to use queries, whether static or dynamic, would make life much easier for everyone.

I know in OLX that one can add multiple queries to make the List so am wondering if it was a combination of trying to mimic functionality in DBV combined with the fact that Query didn't exist in WV in the early days so using List would allow front-line or non-technical people to create the audience for emails.

Tagging in @David Springer to see if he can offer any insight about they WHY as well as commenting if this might be something which could change in the future as it sure is cumbersome to have to turn everything in to a list for emailing purposes.

JoAnn Strommen

Yes, good question.

Related, wish email marketing also allowed importing email data sent from other systems. We don't use RE for all our emails. Was disappointed to learn it only will record those from RE.

Austen Brown

I think it boils down to where they were in development of WV when NXT Email Marketing was invented - Lists were the only choice, because Query hadn't made it onto the platform. It's a side effect of development order and priorities. Maybe in the future it will change to Queries (one can hope!).

Karen Diener

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/309181#Comment_309181

Maybe? But it has been that way in OLX forever, so I'm not quite sure that it is due to the development schedule. I can't remember what it was like for NetCommunity or even way back to "NetEmail" or whatever the earlier versions were called!

I do really hope it will change to Queries only, because it is far more complicated than it needs to be, and really puzzling for new users.

Karen Diener

I'm just going to re-tag @David Springer in this to see if we can get some details behind the "why".

Thanks!

David Springer

Hi all!

The quick answer to the why is that it's a matter of priority. We haven't yet prioritized the work to enable queries in email lists and across RENXT, because we've been primarily focused on modernizing database view features that aren't present in web view at all (such as Export, Import, grid view batch, etc).

I'd expect more of those time savers in the future after our unified view work is complete, so I'd encourage folks to vote on this idea if you're interested: https://renxt.ideas.aha.io/ideas/RENXT-I-9163.

Thanks!

Carlene Johnson

https://community.blackbaud.com/discussion/comment/309560#Comment_309560

Hi @David Springer! Thanks for the response. FYI - I get an error message when trying to access that idea: