What's possible in non-PostBug systems?
It is possible to run postcard actions in non-postbug systems and simply provide the data to PostBug for the moderation, printing and delivery aspects. This doesn't affect the price as this is based on the volume of postcards sent and still requires extensive use of the PostBug platform, just not the advocacy front-end.
Using third-party systems likely requires the following compromises. So consider can a third party advocacy system offer:
- Sender-selectable postcards images (or even uploads)?
- Default messages with editable and uneditable sections?
- Tailored default messages based on the recipient or the image selected?
- Merged content into the default messages based on the recipient's location?
- Sender-pay and pay forward options integrated into the action process?
PostBug can do all this and more. So if you need it, you may wish to use PostBug instead. Note that a postbug action can be on your own domain name and with your own branding.
What you get if you use a non-PostBug system?
Using a non-PostBug system still means you get access to the key unique functionality of PostBug, including:
- Moderation tool: you likely collect messages from supporters externally, but most organisations don't review them before passing over the data. In PostBug you can use the moderation tool to review those messages to ensure they are on-message and high quality.
- Printing: The messages, images and recipient all need to be combined into a postcard format for printing. PostBug's tool does that once they are approved for release.
- Postage: Once printed, PostBug ensures they get into the postal system for delivery.
- Advice and support: PostBug was founded by campaigning practitioners for campaigning practitioners. So we can offer you advice all along the action planning, setup, launch and follow up process.
Data collection requirements
When you collect data, ensure for each message:
- Language code: if the action is in more than one language, the export data needs to indicate the language code for each message.
- Message unique id so that if the data is re-sent it can exclude already imported messages. This could also be a supporter id, email address or hashed email address. If this isn't provided, one will be generated based so each unique sender will have one.
- Image for postcard
- Recipient name (and have agreed the recipient address with PostBug)
- Full message including opening salutation, full message content, closing signoff and ideally sender name and address (single line below name). If in html format, event better.
- Sender email address, hashed email address or other form of unique identifier for each sender. It will not be used to send emails unless it is explicitly agreed, and thus doesn't need to be a real address.
- Sender name ideally separated into different columns for each part of the name (title, given name, family name(s), suffix)
- Sender address for a reply (full or whatever is to be printed on the postcard) with one column each for street, city, postcode, country, etc.
- Action date-time in ISO format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS
Data export requirements
For this collected data, it needs to be provided to PostBug in one of the following formats:
- Excel or other spreadsheet format with a separate column for each of the data collection requirements above
- Tab-separated-format (TSV) which is like CSV (comma separated format) except the columns are separated by "tab" (e.g. \t) characters. For this format, all newlines (\r, \n, \r\n), tabs (\t) and double quotes (") in the message text need to be 'escaped' so that the import is smooth and columns aren't mixed up or missed.
Data files that have errors are likely to be return to be fixed before being re-submitted.
Column headings: lowercase, without spaces or symbols other than and underscore and self evident as to what they refer to. for example:
message_id, image_filename, recipient_name, message, sender_given_name, sender_family_name, sender_address_street, sender_address_city, sender_address_postcode, sender_address_country.
To transfer data exports, use a secure method such as Zip file or spreadsheet file that is password protected and uploaded to a transfer tool (SFTP, S3, Google Drive, OneDrive, DropBox, WeTransfer, etc). Provide the password separately and have a new one for each transfer.