Online Express makes NXT almost worthless
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Thanks for this feedback on our new email tool in RENXT. I’m the product manager responsible for developing this feature. I’d like to share with you a little about how we’re developing and releasing the new email capability. First, our philosophy is to “ship” (turn on / activate) new features when they have a viable feature set to satisfy clients with minimal needs. In this way, we can get early and valuable feedback to refine the product in ways that are most valuable to you in the end. We have already gone through an “early adopter” program by the time you see the feature live in RENXT. More feedback is always valuable, so thank you again for your input.
We know our “next gen” email tool won't meet every client’s needs right out of the gate, but we have a solid plan to continue to add features, incorporate your feedback and ideas, and iterate. This agile approach has proven to deliver features that most closely suit the needs of our customers, something that doesn’t necessarily happen if we wait until all features are added on and shipping something that is “complete”, yet misses your expectations. Rather than just rebuild Email from OLX in RENXT, we take the best of that system and look for better and more efficient ways to give you a more valuable product over time.
I did want to touch on some upcoming features that are in the work for email in RENXT. We *are* working on a communication history tile for the RENXT constituent record. It will house all communication data. You will likely see this communication tile appear in the next few months – and this record will eventually capture your past RENXT emails as well as future ones. So no reporting data is lost. I am REALLY looking forward to getting this into your hands. Thanks for your time!
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Thanks for the update Michele. This is great news!
At a recent a local user group, we were asked our preferences about where the email data sits - appeal vs action vs a new tile. It sounds like you have gone with the new tile approach? I realise you probably haven't finalised this yet, but are you able to give us more info on where this data sits? I am particularly interested in terms of the API - will we need to wait for new endpoints to record bulk emails through the API.
Thanks1 -
When is HTML coming to RENXT Email? We went back to NetCommunity.
Would also like to be able to see the emails we sent in the past more like it is NC.2 -
With regards to the new tile feature in NXT to retain the email history, will we be able to build lists from that history?1
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I'm struggling to understand the way the email selector works in the Marketing tool. It's my understanding that OLX takes primary email into consideration and if one is not marked, pulls the first email address from the record. We're another org with a mishmash of primary emails and unmarked emails so that approach works for us. That doesn't seem possible in this tool.
I also wondered how it handled records with multiple email addresses where they have the same email type. It's not really feasible for us to go behind users and make sure there aren't duplicate email types entered. What happens if a record has 2x addresses of type "Email" and you select "send to Email"?1 -
Hi Sarah Getgood. OLX will always look first for an email address marked Primary and use that address if it finds one. On the screen (Account > Integration Options > Email Mapping) where you map your email addresses, if you do not have the box to "send to all matching email types" checked, then OLX will send to only one email address.
If an email address marked Primary doesn't exist, then OLX will begin looking at the email types you've mapped on that screen in the order you have them mapped...and it will use the first one it finds.
If you *do* have the "send to all" box checked, OLX will send to the primary plus all matching mapped types that it finds per recipient.
Hopefully that helps.1 -
Hi Chris - OLX is fine, we've no issues with that. I'm not sure how the Marketing tools in NXT work, was my point.1
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I was scrolling thru the thread and did not see any post about this particular issue -
One either platform - OE or RENXT Markerting - Is there a way to load-in/embed a video? From what I've seen on both sides the answer is no and looking for confirmation. By putting words that say click here for a video it defeats the marketing technique for us of it being right there and them clicking the image.
Can someone confirm for me?1 -
I do not think it is possible in any email platform
to embed a video.Rather than put words with "Click here to view the video," we
take a screenshot of a good clip in the video and put a play button
over it. When they click the image, it takes them to the page where
it will play, usually vimeo.
Amanda Lietman
Web Administrator
Gilmour Academy
34001 Cedar Road
Gates Mills, Ohio 44040(440)
473-8000 x1303
Gilmour Academy, a Catholic school in the Holy Cross tradition,
educates the hearts and minds of our students to have the
competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane
and just society.
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we use constant contact currently and while the video doesn't play in email it has an option specifically for videos. On NXT Marketing you cannot hyperlink photos, again, unless we did something wrong. In RE7 we can but then have other limitations of other things that NXT and RE can't.1
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Margot Goldstein You should be able to link photos in the email capability in RENXT. You just need to edit the photo. (see image) I hope this helps!
Amanda Lietman - great suggestion! That is exactly how we would recommend you implement a video.2 -
I noticed Amanda Lietman said, "I do not think it is possible in any email platform to embed a video."
(I like your workaround/hack of putting a play button on an image that links to the actual video!)
You should check out Bomb Bomb
Instead of emailing words, it's a way to send bulk video emails. We use it to make event announcements. People seem more likely to open the email and view the video than with an email full of details they have to read. Plus, they can see a familiar face. We'd film the short video on a golf course, mountaintop, from wherever it makes sense to have this information delivered.1 -
Michele we tried that and it didn't work. We thought we had done it wrong but after multiple attempts I just gave up as there other functionality issues we continued to encounter. for now we stay with constant contact.1
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Michele Stender:
Thanks for this feedback on our new email tool in RENXT. I’m the product manager responsible for developing this feature. I’d like to share with you a little about how we’re developing and releasing the new email capability. First, our philosophy is to “ship” (turn on / activate) new features when they have a viable feature set to satisfy clients with minimal needs. In this way, we can get early and valuable feedback to refine the product in ways that are most valuable to you in the end. We have already gone through an “early adopter” program by the time you see the feature live in RENXT. More feedback is always valuable, so thank you again for your input.
We know our “next gen” email tool won't meet every client’s needs right out of the gate, but we have a solid plan to continue to add features, incorporate your feedback and ideas, and iterate. This agile approach has proven to deliver features that most closely suit the needs of our customers, something that doesn’t necessarily happen if we wait until all features are added on and shipping something that is “complete”, yet misses your expectations. Rather than just rebuild Email from OLX in RENXT, we take the best of that system and look for better and more efficient ways to give you a more valuable product over time.
I did want to touch on some upcoming features that are in the work for email in RENXT. We *are* working on a communication history tile for the RENXT constituent record. It will house all communication data. You will likely see this communication tile appear in the next few months – and this record will eventually capture your past RENXT emails as well as future ones. So no reporting data is lost. I am REALLY looking forward to getting this into your hands. Thanks for your time!
One guideline for what will suit most of our needs is looking at what we do use and making sure we don't lose that functionality. I think most of us need to maintain functionality, otherwise why bother? My expectation is that while any new tool may not look the same, the job it performs should be an improvement. Again, why bother otherwise? Building out and sending emails, then recording and utilizing results in and efficient and relatively seamless manner (specifically opens, click-throughs, conversions, opt-outs, and bounces). If anyone of those functionalities are missing, it's not a complete product. And if it any point I need to implement additional procedures like importing or exporting, or global dates, then it's a step back.
I looked forward to hearing about the email ask strings...until I realized that they couldn't be used in the body of the email itself through a merge field. Will NXT's email eventually have more fields available for merge? I don't have the bandwidth to send out several different emails for different ask strings. I need to build just one email and get it out the door. (And will OLX have more merge fields available or are OLX changes longer in development?)
Thanks. At the end of the day we are all looking for ways to do our job more efficiently and effectively. If anything at all gets in the way of the former, it hurts the latter.
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Amanda Lietman:
I do not think it is possible in any email platform to embed a video.Rather than put words with "Click here to view the video," we take a screenshot of a good clip in the video and put a play button over it. When they click the image, it takes them to the page where it will play, usually vimeo.Amanda LietmanWeb AdministratorGilmour Academy
34001 Cedar Road
Gates Mills, Ohio 44040(440) 473-8000 x1303
Gilmour Academy, a Catholic school in the Holy Cross tradition, educates the hearts and minds of our students to have the competence to see and the courage to act in creating a more humane and just society. Same here. In OLX I put up a thumbnail of the video (which has the play button superimposed) and attach it to a link (we have most of our videos on YouTube. Works well, plus the video only lives in one location, in the even there are later changes. For example, if we realized we had to edit something after the fact, it will get changed on the version that lives on YouTube and that's that. If there was an additional version living an email system and we had to reupload a new version, that's just one more thing to remember to do.
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Chris Martin WHEN is HTML editing coming to OLX or NXTEmail? We went back to using NetCommunity for our emails because we can't customize the footer and branding in our emails. I'm very disappointed. Or at least be able to customize the header and footer more than just whatever Blackbaud thinks belongs in a footer..4
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Hi Nikki Brown Pyzik. We're planning to add the ability to edit HTML in your emails to the new email tool in RE NXT...but given that this tool is on pace to functionally replace and surpass what OLX does very soon, it's likely you'll only see this added in the new email tool and not OLX. There are a few features we've been hard at work on ahead of HTML editing in the new email tool that seem to be valued by more organizations than the ability to edit HTML, like the ability to send emails to more than just the address marked primary, having email interaction data flow automatically to RE constituent records and being able to build lists using that interaction data.
As new as the new email marketing too in RE NXT is, we're trying to expand its value to the maximum number of RE NXT customers as quickly as we can. So editing HTML didn't make our list of committed work for the first half of the year. But it something we're looking at alongside other ways we can expand value in the second half of the year. Stay tuned to the RE NXT roadmap calls as we'll be updating planned work on the new email tool there.
Separately, would you be willing to forward a sample email header/footer design that you'd like to achieve that currently requires you to do raw HTML editing? While we're committed to adding the ability to edit the HTML, we also want to maximize the drag/drop editor's design flexibility so that our customers don't have to edit HTML if they don't feel comfortable doing that.
Thanks Nikki!5 -
Chris Martin Yes- I'll forward you one of our emails. What is your email? Glad to hear that you all hear us on this. We upgraded to NXT for the donation forms in OLX, which we love to embed on our website, but I'm frustrated with email in both platforms. So thank you for responding.0
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What is the timeline for NXT? I'm seriously frustrated with Online Express for all the reasons stated above. Anybody have experience using Salesforce?3
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We are also interested on when the new email tool will become available. Is there a link to their roadmap somewhere?
Regards
Simon0 -
Hello Simon Powell - All RENXT clients should have access today. Have you checked under Marketing > Email in the tool bar of RENXT? Let me know if you aren't seeing it. Thanks!0
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I can't see it.0
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I just found our OLX is included in RE NXT - good to know a few years into our contract! We do not see it under Marketing.0
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Hi Stacy Dubuc. I may be able to clarify some confusion. Online Express isn't accessed from within RENXT. It exists as a plugin that runs inside "database view" (aka RE7). What you should however find under the Marketing menu is Email Marketing. While this native email marketing tool in RENXT builds on some of the well-tested interaction patterns in Online Express, this tool is all-new and is not "connected to" or an extension of Online Express.
If by chance you're not seeing Email Marketing under the Marketing menu in RENXT, the most common explanation is that you haven't been granted access to it by an administrative user at your organization. Most new, significant features in RENXT are inaccessible by default unless access is granted by an administrative user. If you are yourself an administrative user in RENXT and you still aren't seeing Email Marketing, please let our Support team know as they can definitely help troubleshoot what's going on.
Thanks!
Chris Martin
Blackbaud Product Management3 -
Chris,
Your message in April 2019 indicated "As new as the new email marketing too in RE NXT is, we're trying to expand its value to the maximum number of RE NXT customers as quickly as we can. So editing HTML didn't make our list of committed work for the first half of the year. But it something we're looking at alongside other ways we can expand value in the second half of the year. Stay tuned to the RE NXT roadmap calls as we'll be updating planned work on the new email tool there.
It is 9 months since this note. Any update as to when we will be able to edit HTML? My marketing team is getting quotes from other companies, who they think can offer better email products. While this is not my first choice, I can no longer say to them: be patient, it's coming, I promise.
I understand that my charities want a turn key product, but some of your largest clients I suspect, want the ability to edit HTML. Maybe it's time to support that?3 -
Hi Hilda Pries. We definitely hear you that you (and other of our customers) would value the ability to edit the underlying HTML of your marketing emails in RENXT. We've by no means scratched this from our idea backlog. But we believe based on feedback from customers using RENXT that a few other things are higher priority for more customers at the moment and those are the things our teams working on outbound communications features are focused on at the moment. The most pressing of those is the ability to see the communication history of people you've sent emails to natively in RENXT (i.e. on the Constituent record).
Having a reminder like what you've shared of features that are important to you (customers) is invaluable. It's what drives our work prioritization. Please keep sharing and tuning in to the RENXT webinar updates where we share what we're working on and what we think our customers most value us to focus on next. And we of course welcome all feedback on our chosen priority areas/features of focus.
Thanks,
Chris Martin
Blackbaud Product Management0 -
I'm with Hilda Pries - editing the HTML is our highest priority, followed only by being able to see sent emails (and have a URL for them as with Pushpages), without having to copy them to see what they looked like.5
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Thanks Chris. You should be a politician - you sent me an answer without really answering. It would be really nice to get an approximate date. The one you gave 9 months ago clearly is not realistic at this time.4
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Thanks Amanda Lietman for weighing in that editing HTML is valuable for you too.
Hilda Pries in the past, we've tried our best to forecast future feature availability as far as 12-18 months out in time. But we've learned over time that customer feedback evolves and thus so do roadmaps and trying (and often failing) to deliver on longer-term roadmap plans as you very fairly point out too often winds up just not being especially helpful or actionable.
So in our periodic webinar updates now, you'll see us speak in very granular terms about stuff that's more imminent (i.e. things that are actively in development and are either already in early user testing or are very close to it)...but beyond the ~6 month time horizon, our commitments are more thematic now about the areas we expect to be focusing on.
I apologize if I came across as evasive. The ability to edit the HTML of emails in the email tool in RENXT is definitely in our feature backlog, but because we're not able to commit to delivering this in the next 6 months or so, we're not currently forecasting its delivery timing.
I hope you'll stay tuned to our webinar updates and please keep pressing for the features that matter most to you.
Thanks,
Chris Martin
Blackbaud Product Management0 -
I too, am having some similar issues as others have mentioned with Online Express and Email Marketing. One of our main issues is that we have excel spreadsheets of email contacts but they are not donors so we don't have them in Raiser's Edge. I'd love to just create an email list by dumping all emails from our Excel Spreadsheet but don't see a way to do so. We used to do this with Mail Chimp and Campaign Monitor when we used those platforms but switched over when we decided to use NXT and/Online Express. I don't want to manually enter 600 email addresses to create a list.
3
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