Email marketing audience - why a list?

Karen Diener
Karen Diener Community All-Star
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in Blackbaud Raiser's Edge NXT®: General Discussions

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?

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Answers

  • Carlene Johnson
    Carlene Johnson Community All-Star
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    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
    JoAnn Strommen Community All-Star
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    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.

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