Bates Updates program

Integrating “push” and “pull” communications via e-mail for online engagement

Context

Goals

• We want people to learn about the Bates people and events that are most interesting to them (Views).
• We want to learn more about their interests and help them connect more personally with Bates (Updates).

Objectives

• To encourage subscriptions, we want to provide multiple opt-in lists to deliver categorized posts (via RSS).
• To learn about subscribers, we want to gather actionable metrics integrated with the Bates Views posts (via Google Analytics).
• The current campus e-mail distribution service does not support either of these features, so we developed Bates Updates using an unbranded external service provider that specializes in e-mail delivery rates and compliance.

Discovery

We proposed a campus-wide e-mail campaign service in November 2006 and created prototypes with external services which were compliant with the CAN-SPAM Act. Although the proposal was not approved, the Admissions office, the Museum of Art, and the Harward Center proceeded with their own compliant services.

Implementation

When we launched Home 4 in September, 2009, every page footer included an invitation to receive daily e-mail updates. We used Google Feedburner to send a daily digest of stories posted in Bates Views to everyone who opted into this service.

As we grew these updates, we sought an e-mail provider that could provide our subscribers options to choose their interests and whether they wanted to receive notices daily or weekly. Prototyping began in November, and we launched Bates Updates in December. We integrated the monthly BatesNews digest into Bates Updates in January 2010.

• Subscribe to Bates Updates

Staff

Jay Collier (executive producer, architect, designer) — 0.1 FTE