LaxTV Forums | A Forum About The MCLA

Dear Forumites:

Does anyone in here have any experience with inexpensive database management and mass email systems? Our alumni group is looking to be a little more organized with our mailings and our data collection. Please PM me or post a link here. If you are salesperson, make your pitch!

Depends on exactly what you are looking for. There are a few companies that are creating specilized systems on a subscription basis.

A good cross over system (team and administrative functions) is Scout Ware. That may be a little much for an alumni group. I'll dig up the other one we are thinking about using and shot the name to you.

Here are a few that I've seen used:

www.constantcontact.com
www.mailchimp.com
www.emailbrain.com

I don't have an opinion on any of them, however.

Here's the other one we're looking strong at. They are working with a lot of lacrosse teams and have some really nice templates. I think the pricing is right too. I'll see if I can figure how to post the example here. I think others would find it useful too.

http://silkroadenterprises.onmarketer.c ... ndex.rails

Alex,

Don't spend any money on this until you know you'll get a return. Set up a list server using campus resources and create a email database such as:

CSULAXALUMNI@colostate.edu for alumni

CSULAXPARENTS@colostate.edu for parents etc. You can target emailings to specific groups this way and point them to special events or program offerings on your website. Donations too. There is already one for:

CSU_RUGBY_ALUMNI@colostate.edu on the master listserv

Start here:

http://www.acns.colostate.edu/?page=listserv

Just an idea

If you're looking for tracking functions, additional features and some flexibility outside of just setting up a email contact list. You typically have to go beyond a list serve. Different schools could provide more power in their list serves though.

Depending upon your hosting situation you might look at phplist at http://www.phplist.com. I haven't used it for sending but do have a few places that send email using the program.

And, as an open source solution, the price is right if you don't need someone to help set it up.

Just be sure what ever system you use you make sure you have all the required "opt out" options so you don't run afoul of the many anti-spam laws out there.

Matt