When to use GAIL Communications
One of the many great powers of GAIL is the ability to send mass communication pieces. You can reach practically any group of constituents in GAIL for your marketing and event communications, but how do you know when you should use this process versus sending an individual email or a quick update to the department listserv? Each communication is different, but here are some general guidelines to help you navigate the GAIL communications modules.
Send it through GAIL if:
- You are sending a mass communication. Using GAIL communications allows you to easily send to hundreds or thousands of constituents at once, pull the best contact information, AND tag all of their records. If you’re not already using GAIL to send your communications, check out these five reasons to make the switch.
- You are contacting UGA alumni, donors, friends, parents, prospective donors, etc. No matter which group of constituents you’re sending to, it is best for everyone across campus when that communication is recorded and the constituents’ communication preferences are respected. GAIL also has a handy-dandy Planning Calendar to help with your communication strategy.
- You are promoting UGA or generating support (financial or otherwise). This means your monthly school/college newsletters, holiday cards, and more can (and should) be sent through GAIL, even if they only contain a “soft ask” and are purely informational. Your days of managing a giant Excel sheet of contact info are over!
- The purpose of the communication is related to an event. All of your event communications from the save the date to the post-event survey should be sent through GAIL. Not only does GAIL open up a whole slew of options for managing your event, but it allows you to send follow-up communications to invitees who haven’t registered yet and so much more.
- The communication is a solicitation. This one’s a no-brainer. If the purpose of your communication is to raise funds, it absolutely needs to be processed through GAIL.
Take another look if:
- You are sending individual communications. These are definitely still important and should be noted in GAIL as interactions, but should not usually be processed as marketing efforts or event invitations/communications.
- The recipients of your communication are internal. Of course there’s an exception to every rule, but you don’t need to use GAIL to schedule lunch with your team or send out meeting or department notes.
- The communication does not generate awareness or support of UGA or its programs. It can sometimes be difficult to tell whether or not your specific communication is right for GAIL. If you’re ever unsure, submit a ticket to AskIT and our Client Services team will be in touch to help you determine your next steps!
Do any of these examples sound like one of your communication efforts? Register for training to begin creating your own marketing efforts and event communications in GAIL.