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There are multiple agencies connected to our Galaxy Digital account and multiple programs are in operation within each of those agencies. What's more, there are a number of individuals with site manager access. All of this means that we have a lot of different needs in terms of communicating with our users across these different programs and/or agencies. Because of this, we have many automated notifications active in order to, at least, send replies to the many different types of actions taking place by our users. However, having so many notifications active has led to many users opting out of receiving emails from us, and in some cases with VIPs (such as board members, corporate sponsors, and donors) they don't even want to sign up because they are inundated with emails already and don't want a bunch of unnecessary notifications. In addition to this, it can become very difficult to keep track of all the notifications that may or may not be sent to users, depending on how they interact with our program, not to mention the complicated process of generating specific content through initiative templates that must be "inserted" into the general templates. In short, having to toggle between what the "general" notification says and what the "initiative" messaging says, and making sure that the language across both templates makes sense together is not a very easy process for developing effective content messaging.
All this is to say that the automated notification templates seem to be needlessly complicated for agencies that have a lot of active users across multiple programs. However, I understand that there are limitations for how such notifications are coded and that developing a platform that responds to many different program/agency/organization needs can force specific methods for programming in certain languages. Even still, this only speaks to the need for coding that simplifies this process for both the Get Connected team as well as your clients who use the platform.
The Solution:
Include a drop down menu in the Need/Opportunity or Initiative creation process that lets Agency and Site Managers choose the specific automated notifications they want users to receive. This simplifies the process for everyone because all notifications will remain "inactive" until they are selected for use by agency and site managers based on specific, need based conditions. With this addition to the platform, you could also allow users the same customization, so that they have control over which notifications they receive as well. I'm not sure what language you are using to code, but this kind of approach seems to be rather simple "if/then" logic: If a notification is selected by an agency or site manager, then it is active for that specific need. If the notification is unselected by a user, then it is inactive for that need.
Global notification messaging will still be necessary, but not nearly as complicated, as site/agency managers would have a lot more control over which notifications would be sent and, therefore, be able to target specific users with the messaging they choose--without having to worry that random automated notifications be sent to their users that were activated by another site/agency manager.
2 Votes
6 Comments
Caitlin Lowe posted almost 4 years ago Admin
Hi Daniel,
Thank you for clarifying! I can definitely understand how this notification workflow can be frustrating. Given what you've described, I'll write the following requests up for our development to consider:
Notifications Sent at Time of Need Response or When Unregistered
Notifications Sent Later
I do recommend learning about the Need Comment field on the create need form and its corresponding template key. If you'd like to learn more about how to use this field to pull in need-specific content to your automated notifications, please reach out to support@galaxydigital.com!
Have a great rest of your week and a lovely holiday season!
Caitlin Lowe
1 Votes
Daniel Parkins posted almost 4 years ago
Thanks for the quick response, Caitlin! And I can see where you need more information. In order to clarify, perhaps I can illustrate some of the issues I am facing. Right now, for example, the "Need Response Thank You" notification is global, meaning anyone that signs up for a "Need" gets this general notification. This also means, however, that the language in this notification must be generic--or broad enough that it makes sense for any type of need response. I understand that I can develop specific language for "Needs" by attaching those needs to "Initiatives" and then using the "Custom Templates" to generate need-specific content. However, this complicates the entire process because I am then obliged to develop content across several templates that also make sense with the generic content on the global notifications, such as the "Need Response Thank You," "Welcome to the Team," (both for team leads and team members) "Reminder" notifications, and "Thank you for Volunteering." By being required to use the "initiative" template key in global notifications, I am significantly constrained on how I develop my messaging. If I were able to choose which notifications I were sent, on the other hand, via a drop down menu in the Need-creation form, then I would, at least, reduce the number of templates I have to work with each time I create a need.
What's more, I could then customize the language in my messaging even further to better meet the expectations and needs of my volunteers without any of the language sounding awkward or forced. As it stands, I have to figure out how to Greet the volunteer in the global notification, then decide where to place the "initiative" template key so that my initiative content makes sense with that general greeting--no matter how specific the initiative content is. And then I have to find a way to end my imitative messaging in such a way that it corresponds with the remaining content displayed in the global notification, leading to messaging that sounds stilted--like a stutter, if you will. Not to mention, I'm having to write this content across multiple tabs in my browser, where I have one tab open for the initiative content, and several more tabs open for all of the global notification content that also has to correspond. Do you see how this can be frustrating and confusing? And all of this is because I don't have complete control over the notifications I send to my volunteers.
Therefore, I'm asking for more control. By having a drop down menu in the need-creation form that allows me to choose--specifically--which notifications I want my users to receive, then I don't have to worry about a global notification being triggerred that I didn't anticipate--or write a lot of content that I don't need. And, if the drop-down is really to be functional, I could also choose between templated notifications that I set up in advance for more generic needs, while still having the option to choose a "custom template" that allows me to develop content in one field that is specific to that need, without having to deal with--or worry about--having to tie that messaging into generic language that I don't want to be included in the first place.
0 Votes
Caitlin Lowe posted almost 4 years ago Admin
Thank you, Daniel! I believe we're aligned on this request so far - "Add a dropdown on the Create/Edit Need form that allows Site and Agency Managers to specify which notifications a volunteer will receive".
One piece I want to dig in on is this: "be able to target specific users with the messaging they choose" and "be sure that the language within those notifications is specific to the volunteering need I am trying to fill.". All of our automated notifications use template keys to ensure that the messaging corresponds to a specific action a volunteer took. How are you hoping to further customize the language as part of this request?
I look forward to hearing from you!
0 Votes
Daniel Parkins posted almost 4 years ago
Hi Caitlin!
Although it would be nice to have more control over the notifications sent to agency managers and site managers, my priority, here, is directed towards the notifications volunteers receive for each specific need that is created. We have a wide range of volunteers, some of which are board members or major donors who are very busy and resistant to signing up for another application that sends them lots of emails they don't want to read. But without convincing all our volunteers to use your platform, site managers and agency managers are placed in a difficult situation, where we are obliged to communicate with volunteers across multiple channels.
However, if I were able to choose the specific email notifications sent to volunteers based on each need I post, and be certain that no other agency managers or site managers are activating notifications that impact the volunteers I'm working with, then I could manage the amount of emails being sent. I know this may not sound like a big issue, but communications are fickle and in my experience, being able to control as many of the variables as possible is a big deal.
So, if there was a drop-down bar added to the the page where I create "needs" that allowed me to choose which notifications became active for that specific need, I could always know exactly what emails are being sent, and be sure that the language within those notifications is specific to the volunteering need I am trying to fill.
1 Votes
Caitlin Lowe posted almost 4 years ago Admin
Hi Daniel and Holly,
Thank you both for sharing your feedback here! It sounds like you'd like to submit a request to "Manually select Need Notifications per Need". There are several need-related notifications for both Agency Managers and Volunteers - would this request be for both types of users? For instance, the ability to choose which notifications an agency manager receives and which the volunteer will receive. Here is a list of these different notifications
For Agency Managers
For Volunteers
Notifications Sent at Time of Need Response or When Unregistered
Notifications Sent Later
0 Votes
Holly Daniels posted almost 4 years ago
Yes! This sounds very much like the function we used to have in SignUp Genius, where you could compose notifications and then for each "need" you would see the dropdown and select the notifications you wanted the registrants to receive for it. You could have a separate dropdown for the confirmation or "need response thank you" and the reminder emails.
1 Votes
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