The SWAN Membership on December 1st approved the addition of a new service that will be provided to all member libraries, and that service is to enhance all notifications sent via SWAN to library users with the MessageBee service provided through Unique Management.
The service we envision for libraries would be to provide access to each library to have the ability to customize areas of the HTML notice to library users. This would enhance the communication between libraries and its users, giving each SWAN member unique branding on the email being sent.
Part of the initial setup and configuration would include library branding. SWAN staff would work with Unique to build out base templates for all notices and branding in concert with the library’s logo, color scheme, social media properties, and primary library resources/links. Each template would be tested for accessibility prior to deployment.
Samples below show the possibilities for customized, library-branded, and library header/footer feature announcements/links available through MessageBee.
MessageBee for SWAN libraries would provide a set of tools with embedded marketing within the notification services. The examples below are some of those created by SWAN within MessageBee’s email template system.
The MessageBee service will have the following goals:
- Each library will have its own email notices with unique branding, links, and promotions
- MessageBee will become the service for all library's email, SMS, and automated voice notifications
- All libraries will have access to a web-based MessageBee portal to modify its email templates, view status reports on the success or failure of email, SMS, and voice notifications
SWAN hosted an overview of the MessageBee service and it included a live demonstration of MessageBee with Unique Management. We encourage anyone interested in learning more about the capabilities to watch the recording.
Click to watch the recording
The project timeline to convert all 100 libraries started with the December 1st approvals and SWAN anticipates the entire project to be completed by June 2023. There will be updates on the project shared monthly at each SWAN Fireside membership meeting. Additional webinars and training documentation will be shared as we progress. Unique Management will work with SWAN to create 100 MessageBee portals and the email templates. All libraries will have an opportunity to review the initial templates, approve the work or request modifications.
The MessageBee service through June 2023 will be paid through SWAN's reserve fund. The service for all libraries will be included in membership fees going forward starting with the FY2024 budget, which starts July 1, 2023.
