“I’ve found using Campaigns has made the management of our Events and attendance much easier”

Using campaigns for meetings

At Maldon and District CVS we've been using theAide CRM system for several years and seen its growth and development. Initially we used the system to manage our contact records for organisations and the individuals associated with them but as time moved on we used more and more of the functionality including Reporting, Project management and Campaigns.

The Campaigns tool is a newsletter editor and marketing tool embedded into Aide.  Although emails to filtered lists are possible, for larger lists or better presented content the campaigns tool provides an alternative without having to maintain a separate list in a different system.

Recently I have moved to managing meeting papers and training sessions through the campaigns tool. This has a range of benefits.

Up to date contacts

Using tags within Aide I can ensure the right person in an organisation is included in a communication and can be assured that when the contact is updated the mailing list is also up to date for future messages.

Scheduling mailshots

If you are as busy as me, and most people in the voluntary sector are, you need to use time efficiently and effectively. Within the Campaigns function is the ability to schedule mailshots to go out - this means you can a) prepare the mailings at the same time as preparing the agenda and papers, at a time that works for you, b) ensure they go out within a reasonable timeframe that works for your colleagues / audience - I like to get things out a week ahead where possible and c) follow up with a reminder ahead of the meeting.

I've found that online attendance at meetings and training sessions has improved with a gentle 'starting soon' email with direct links popping into inboxes an hour or half-an-hour ahead of meetings.

Timely follow ups

With the scheduling tool you can also schedule follow up emails and communication.  This is particularly helpful for events and training as your "Thank you for attending, here are the slides and please complete the feedback survey" mailshot can all be ready to go ahead of time. This takes one thing off your post eventto do list while making your organisation look professional at the same time.

Visible branding

Another benefit of the campaigns tool is the ability to include images and logos so they look distinctive from a regular mailing but also reinforces the work of your organisation with each communication.

Links to papers

Using the Files section of Aide you can upload files including presentations, flyers, agendas, reports and minutes.  Aide will provide you with a link to these documents that you can include in communications. This is great when you have multiple attachments or large attachments to send, to make it easier for your reader but also to ensure you don't end up bounced or in junk.

Using campaigns in this way has streamlined our meeting and event management. Just last week I scheduled all my forthcoming meeting papers to go out while I will be on annual leave!

If you’re already using Aide, I’d recommend exploring Campaigns for your meetings and events, it might just take a few things off your plate too.