You can make your own newsletter or other types of emails that have been created in Radboud University’s house style. The Microsoft Dynamics CRM or Interspire email software can be used for this purpose.
Microsoft Dynamics CRM
If you wish to make your own newsletter or other types of emails, the Microsoft Dynamics CRM should preferably be used for this purpose. Use of the CRM and its subsequent support is free of charge. However, someone from your department will need to be given time to manage the CRM.
The CRM will ensure that:
- Your message complies with privacy legislation.
- You have insight into which additional emails have been sent or will be sent to your contacts. This will ensure that your contacts will not be inundated with emails.
- You find out more about your contacts and ensure that the emails that you do send are appropriate.
The CRM also contains a module that supports event organisation. This module organises everything from sending the ‘save the date’ announcement, the invitation and the reminder to managing the registration and the payment.
Cost
The use of the CRM and support is free. However, someone in your department must be given time to manage the CRM.
Demo
A CRM administrator provides a 60-minute digital tour of the CRM upon request. Request a free demo via crm [at] ru.nl (crm[at]ru[dot]nl).
Connection
It takes two to six months before you can be connected to the CRM and you are able to take advantage of the system’s functionality. This time frame will largely be determined by your requirements. You may request an informal consultation and a free one-hour digital tour from crm [at] ru.nl (crm[at]ru[dot]nl).
Interspire
If you wish to send a one-off email or send an email at short notice, you can use the Interspire email software. You will consequently need to make sure that you comply with the guidelines for newsletters and privacy.
Cost
The use of our email software is free.
Access
To register for access to our email software, please contact the webmaster at your faculty or in your department.
Newsletters and privacy
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into effect on 25 May 2018. The CRM complies with the GDPR. If you work in the CRM, you do not need to worry about privacy legislation. If you work with the e-mailprogramme Interspire, you do need to take privacy legislation into account.
This means that when you use Interspire or send emails or bulk emails, you must technically be able to prove that the Interspine owner of the email address to which you are sending your email has actively given permission for you to send this email to them (opt-in). If you are not able to prove this, you are not working in accordance with the GDPR and you will be personally responsible for any subsequent consequences (Interspire user/department). The following applies for email opt-ins:
- The email address owner should have clearly and affirmatively consented to you using their email address (by way of a check box or newsletter sign-up form);
- You will need separate email opt-ins if you wish to send emails for different purposes. For example, if you have only requested consent to send a newsletter, you will only be able to use that email address for newsletters and you will not be able to use it to send information about an event;
- You will need to keep track of the email opt-in in order to be able to prove that the recipients have given their consent (if this information about the opt-in is required);
- By law the email address owner has the right to withdraw the email opt-in. You will need to clearly explain to your contacts how they can unsubscribe from your emails (their consent should be able to be withdrawn as easily as it was given).
In actual practice, this means:
- You must remove all email addresses from your Contact Lists that are unknown to you and for which you have never had any personal contact with the email owner;
- You must always keep track of how and when you obtained these email addresses;
- You will need to ask your email contacts if you can continue to email them; this can be done by providing the recipients with a clear explanation of which emails they can expect to receive. You will also need to delete all of the contacts who did not respond by agreeing to this request;
- For example, when you send an email about registering for an event, make sure that you add a simple opt-in for the email contact’s other needs;
- You will need to ensure that contacts are easily able to unsubscribe from every mailing list and that these people are not emailed again;
- You may continue to email internal email addresses (any address that ends with ‘ru.nl’) as long as this person has not unsubscribed from the list and/or made an objection. The best course of action here also involves opt-in registration. This only applies to email marketing (newsletters and invitations that do not contain any work-related content).