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• 1 2024-07-16T06:23:49-07:00 Goodbye Listserv & MailChimp, Hello Zoho & Mighty Networks! 12 plain 2024-07-19T06:42:49-07:00

  By Dennis Peirce, West-Central independent Living Solutions (WILS)

  The Inside Story

  What did you do when Intuit acquired MailChimp? Did you panic when they cut the mailing list maximum to 500 members? Colleague 2 Colleague (C2C) had over 1000 members on its mailing list at that time. About the same time, the C2C Steering Committee received word that the organization’s longtime listserv would be decommissioned in the near future (it was provided by Johnson County Community College and served us faithfully for 20+ years).  Change is often a constant, and technology innovations and policies often force change on us. C2C is not immune to this. A vetting process included consideration of other solutions such as WordPress Newsletter, Zoho Mail, WordPress, and Mighty Networks. The steering committee had hoped to invest in one solution to cover both concerns.
  
  The organization’s WordPress website already included Newsletter, so initially, it seemed to be a natural extension of the website.  However, further testing revealed that messages sent to the test group were too easily caught in spam filters, so C2C moved on to Zoho Mail.
  
  Zoho Mail has a Mail Free plan which includes up to five users, 5GB/User, 25MB attachment limit, web access and free mobile apps and email hosting for single domain. This seemed to be an ideal solution. However, to send messages to all C2C members, C2C had to purchase a subscription to Zoho Campaigns Standard Plan which includes unlimited emails, 10 users, basic segmentation, access to all ready-to-use email templates, and basic drag-and-drop workflows to send campaigns to  2500 contacts for $12.75 per month or $153 per year. Once the organization chose to move forward with Zoho, the real work began. C2C had two MailChimp accounts from which the lists were exported then merged and duplicates removed. An export of the addresses in the listserve was imported along with the MailChimp data into Zoho. The final list contained over 1,500 contacts. Thus far, C2C has successfully sent rich text-formatted messages using campaigns for the professional development events and for the Summer Institute for Distance Learning and Instructional Technology (SIDLIT).
  
  The steering committee had hoped that Mighty Networks (MN) would be able to manage the mailing lists and provide a social network for C2C members throughout the year. While further research determined that MN did not have the capability to replace the listserv and MailChimp, it did provide opportunities for events and for members to continue discussions long after the events had passed. Leading up to SIDLIT 2023, Mighty Networks’ live event feature was used to share breaking news along with spotlights on keynote speakers. Since then, presentations from Poly, Rural Illinois Shared Education/OneRoom and the Great Plains ADA were centerpieces of the C2C Live Podcast which has evolved into a SIDLIT Sessions Podcast which gives those who missed exciting sessions from the past year another chance to catch them while promoting the forthcoming conference. As of this writing, the C2C Mighty Network has over 250 members.
  
  C2C now has an annual subscription to Mighty Networks’ Community Plan for $492 per year. According to their website, “Every plan comes with unlimited members, admins, spaces — and the ability to charge. Also included in the price is the Mighty Community which keeps community leaders apprised of new and improved features.
  
  What began as a frantic search to replace an aging listserv and MailChimp turned into two new ventures for the C2C Steering Committee. If you are interested in having your email address added to C2C’s Zoho mailing list, click here to share your email address. To submit a request to join the C2C Mighty Network, click here. Should you need assistance with signing up for the Zoho mailing list or joining the C2C Mighty Network, attend the session or Special Interest Group (SIGS) during SIDLIT!
   

  About the Author

  Dennis Peirce, M.S.
  
  
  

  Dennis Peirce is the Assistant Director for Data Compliance at West-Central Independent Living Solutions, a consumer driven, non-residential, 501(c)3 nonprofit resource center that serves people with disabilities and their families at all stages of life. He provides technical support and manages projects such as software research/implementation while also designing educational resources for WILS staff, consumers and attendants. Prior to this, he served 18 years at the University of Central Missouri as systems coordinator, field technician and help desk specialist. He earned his Master’s Degree in Educational Technology from UCM and has served as an adjunct instructor. Dennis currently serves on C2C’s Communications & Community committee, as co-editor of the C2C Digital Magazine and is a former chair of the SIDLIT Steering Committee. He has attended SIDLIT since 2015 and has been on the steering committee for the past five years.