Constant Contact

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katcrozet
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:42 pm

Constant Contact

Post by katcrozet »

I am a parishioner and not the admin at our parish who uses PowerChurch but we have 11.5 We are considering using Constant Contact. We currently send email newsletters through our web CMS but it is becoming cumbersome to manage two databases and it is very attractive to think that we can sync Constant contact with Power Church.

If you are using Constant Contact and syncing with Power Church can you elaborate on that process? Because I do not know what Power Church looks like it's hard for me to know what questions to ask but mainly when I read the sync process I am unclear as to HOW sync will know which email is the most updated between the two data lists? I have a long CSV file exported from our current newsletter and it has some records that are just email and some records that are emails but are associated with first and last name records.

Anyone again who can elaborate how this has worked for them please respond. Thank you.

NeilZ
Posts: 10209
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
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Re: Constant Contact

Post by NeilZ »

katcrozet wrote:I am a parishioner and not the admin at our parish who uses PowerChurch but we have 11.5 We are considering using Constant Contact. We currently send email newsletters through our web CMS but it is becoming cumbersome to manage two databases and it is very attractive to think that we can sync Constant contact with Power Church.

If you are using Constant Contact and syncing with Power Church can you elaborate on that process? Because I do not know what Power Church looks like it's hard for me to know what questions to ask but mainly when I read the sync process I am unclear as to HOW sync will know which email is the most updated between the two data lists? I have a long CSV file exported from our current newsletter and it has some records that are just email and some records that are emails but are associated with first and last name records.

Anyone again who can elaborate how this has worked for them please respond. Thank you.
If I remember right, you can create an export file of data that can be imported into Constant Contact. All you need to do is have the requirements for the Constant Contact import file, and you can then setup the file as needed.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

katcrozet
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:42 pm

Re: Constant Contact

Post by katcrozet »

Yes I imagine you can easily export a csv file but it's the syncing functionality where the two systems crosscheck each other for changes and reflect updates that I am interested in.

Thank you.

NeilZ
Posts: 10209
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Constant Contact

Post by NeilZ »

katcrozet wrote:Yes I imagine you can easily export a csv file but it's the syncing functionality where the two systems crosscheck each other for changes and reflect updates that I am interested in.

Thank you.
OH .. I had forgotten there is a complete Constant Contact sync.

Yes, the system connects with Constant Contact and will update any emails in Powerchurch that users have updated in Constant Contact. You'll have to have a Constant Contact account, and will have to enter that authorization in Powerchurch so that it can interface with the CC database.

It is basically a push-button system. The only human intervention is clicking on the Powerchurch button :)
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

katcrozet
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:42 pm

Re: Constant Contact

Post by katcrozet »

Thank you. Have you utilized this syncing feature? I am wondering how glitchy it is or how long it takes and is it reasonable to do it on a weekly basis before sending out a campaign email?

NeilZ
Posts: 10209
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Constant Contact

Post by NeilZ »

katcrozet wrote:Thank you. Have you utilized this syncing feature? I am wondering how glitchy it is or how long it takes and is it reasonable to do it on a weekly basis before sending out a campaign email?
The initial sync depends on the size of your congregation and the number of emails. After that it depends on the number of changes. I would assume not more than a minute,if that.

Not 'glitchy' .. its a fairly stable interface.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

katcrozet
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Jan 19, 2017 11:42 pm

Re: Constant Contact

Post by katcrozet »

wonderful. thank you.

TonyL222
Posts: 47
Joined: Wed Feb 10, 2016 10:55 am

Re: Constant Contact

Post by TonyL222 »

NeilZ wrote:
katcrozet wrote:Yes I imagine you can easily export a csv file but it's the syncing functionality where the two systems crosscheck each other for changes and reflect updates that I am interested in.

Thank you.
OH .. I had forgotten there is a complete Constant Contact sync.

Yes, the system connects with Constant Contact and will update any emails in Powerchurch that users have updated in Constant Contact. You'll have to have a Constant Contact account, and will have to enter that authorization in Powerchurch so that it can interface with the CC database.

It is basically a push-button system. The only human intervention is clicking on the Powerchurch button :)
In addition to the email, will it update and sync and changes to other contact information - phone, address, etc? I'm thinking that with a Constant Contact form on our website, we could allow members to enter updated information themselves and have that sync'd into PC+ (or/and have if go in the other direction).

NeilZ
Posts: 10209
Joined: Wed Oct 08, 2003 1:20 am
Location: Dexter NM
Contact:

Re: Constant Contact

Post by NeilZ »

TonyL222 wrote:
NeilZ wrote:
katcrozet wrote:Yes I imagine you can easily export a csv file but it's the syncing functionality where the two systems crosscheck each other for changes and reflect updates that I am interested in.

Thank you.
OH .. I had forgotten there is a complete Constant Contact sync.

Yes, the system connects with Constant Contact and will update any emails in Powerchurch that users have updated in Constant Contact. You'll have to have a Constant Contact account, and will have to enter that authorization in Powerchurch so that it can interface with the CC database.

It is basically a push-button system. The only human intervention is clicking on the Powerchurch button :)
In addition to the email, will it update and sync and changes to other contact information - phone, address, etc? I'm thinking that with a Constant Contact form on our website, we could allow members to enter updated information themselves and have that sync'd into PC+ (or/and have if go in the other direction).
I believe that it only handles email information. I do know that the One Body website system does allow end users to update that information, but I believe it only notifies the church admin person that information has changed, it does not automatically come back to PCPlus.
Neil Zampella

Using PC+ since 1999.

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