How does your BKA communicate with you

[MuswellMetro]

just seeing what other assocoations do and how their BKAs contact their members, it is the things like recommendation for thymol dates, oxalic...EFB in west of the borough etc, reminders for the christmas party

no one looks at the calender on the web site ( and it is often not update LOL)

post is to expensive,,,,for us nearly £100 per post, so
we tried facebook...well i went on and after two years it appears to have been pulled as no one used it
emails tend to go into Spam if sometithing is attached or

• Word 2003 documents cant be read by 30% of our members
• PDF and active PDF forms end up inspam of sdome members
• some member dont have acrobat reader for PDF on the laptop or updated to a reasonable version on their PC

TXt..no good 10% have no mobile
google documnets i goggle cloud are a mystery to 90%
and that leaves straight emails...but then a high % only read emails once a week ( if that in summer)

and then there is the 2% with no emails,,,aaaaaaaah...and there is always those with ipads that cant read Ms documnets

ok, what do your lot do to keep members informed?

all i wanted to do is forward a link to pdf from the NBU web site of feeding pollen substitute...but lots seems to be unable to read pdf files easily

 

[BeeJayBee]

Our BKA has a website, with information in a members-only area.

The main contact is by email, for those who have email addresses, but not everybody has an email address so snail mail is used too, which is quite expensive and rather slow. Messages, or mail, includes notices, reminders about meetings and events, newsletters, membership renewals and so on.

Every member gets a card with their membership number on it, the yearly programme and committee contact details etc., but they can quite easily get misfiled.

To be honest, if people have a computer that's attached to the internet and can't read pdf files they need to do a software update or two, because it means they can't access any of the leaflets on the NBU database.

But, would using google docs make it easier? (Don't know, haven't a clue, but they seem to be popular amongst the people who want to send me information alongside a short email.)

 

[oliver90owner]

and then there is the 2% with no emails

Getting 98% coverage with e-mail seems quite good. That could be used simply to direct the membership to a website as per Beejoyful above? The other 2%? one of the minor methods could be brought to bear.

Not so many in our BKA so the secretary rings round, usually, for anything important.

 

[Chris B]

Email for most people.

This raises the question of the Data Protection Act and whether a BKA needs to register. If an organisation stores personal data on a computer it will usually need to register. Exemptions include some not-for-profit organisations. If you are a straightforward BKA you are probably exempt. But if you stray into anything deemed to be commercial activity then you might want to look closer at the requirements to avoid a potential nasty surprise.

 

[alanf]

Email of straight text is the lowest common denominator as far as electronic communications go. It can be reasonably long if you lay the text out reasonably in paras with headings. And that will be way under the size of any doc or pdf file.

The basic difference between email and all the proprietary platforms (facebook, twitter, whatsapp and the rest) is that it's a simple standard and free. Whether you use email from one of the online providers, your isp or your own server it all communicates together and has done since the 1970s (or thereabouts depending which milestone you date it from). It will be around in some form long after the proprietaries have been forgotten. It's available on any version of any operating system you're likely to see, including a majority of the phones sold now, any tablets and some tv attached boxes as well as your home computers.

If 2% cannot see emails, then so be it. If it's not in an annual printed newsletter, they will have to check the noticeboard. Most of what you're sending is reminders or supplemental information. If some read it once a week, is that a problem?

If it's a long document put it on your web site and link. Lowest common denominator (again) is a simple html page. PDFs are a pain, designers and corporate types like them because they preserve the layout but the applications to read them need regular updates. MS docs or any other proprietaries are another dead end, since they update the formats every few years. If you absolutely have to, try saving in rtf or even Word 97 format as compatible with a wider range of third party apps than word 2003 or later. Shared platforms like google docs, skydrive or dropbox etc are in the same category as facetwit.

Chris B's point about registration applies, Data Registrar legislation exempts some organisations from registration and that probably applies to your local BKA http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisat...ctical_application/GPN_NOT_FOR_PROFIT_V1.ashx

However there is no exemption from processing personal data responsibly http://www.ico.gov.uk/for_organisations/data_protection/security_measures.aspx What you do have to watch is protecting lists of any ids and passwords and anything that can be attached to them such as email addresses. You need appropriate security and maybe various software procedures that allow you to avoid such no-nos as storing passwords in plain text or exposing the cc list. A reasonable precaution is to note on the membership renewal that the email address will only be used to notify members about BKA activities. If you can regulate the 'from' address you're using that helps with setting filter exceptions.

 

[madasafish]

Website
Email and pdf.
Pay subs by Paypal if you can.

We may be oop North but we are in the 20th century...

 

[oliver90owner]

We may be oop North but we are in the 20th century...

Clearly not the case (as the internet has not been around that long) but your statement could mean you are at most 122 (or 3) years behind the times. Some of us are in the 21st century now!

 

[pargyle]

We may be oop North but we are in the 20th century...

Clearly not the case (as the internet has not been around that long) but your statement could mean you are at most 122 (or 3) years behind the times. Some of us are in the 21st century now!

No ... 'e wus right fust time - In God's own country of Yorkshire we're proud to be just coming out of the industrial revolution - nowt wrong wi that !

 

[susbees]

Excellent newsletter most months by email. Covers over 90%. Last few are printed. Some still complain unable to print...quality of their printing...etc. Cost was eating all local sub so had to go. I never print mine. Additional newsflash emails from me or newsletter ed and I have access to website in emergencies if say apiary visit cancelled and webmaster away. Still people miss things but we cannot teach basic IT...still get the I can't print form out for annual dinner as don't have printer etc. Exception is IT for courses when all must be able to access stuff equally. Data is kept on password protected laptops and emails always bcc....except small groups ...exec committee, training group and swarm list where mutual accessibility agreed and needed.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Easy Beesy]

Susbees
What makes your newsletter 'Excellent'?
Our BKA puts one out but there is little feedback so we don't really know if its read or not, or if it could be better.
Can you let me know your contents? Or headings or pm me a copy to see if I can get ideas to improve ours please?

 

[susbees]

Susbees
What makes your newsletter 'Excellent'?

Feedback through ebees or whatever the scheme is called. However, now it is online it will need a bit of a tweak to get the things that are most important in one place. And it's not mine, although I write bits sometimes.

 

[Easy Beesy]

Didn't literally mean 'yours'. I just meant yours ( the one you get) that you think is excellent.
Our Branch's is ok but I wouldn't call it excellent. Just wondered what elevates a newsletter into that category.

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

The way to communicate with members is to use the shotgun approach since most Associations have a range of people some of whom are right up to date i the C21st and using tablets, phones, etc for communications and others who have barely staggered into the C19th abd still think that steam trains are a dangerous invention and who are best communicated with by mail. So repeat your message on a number of platforms/methods to catch both an audience of a) your members b) interested members of the public.
Email is the most obvous method but avoid attachments as many will get caught by SPAM filters (and when did you last check yours by the way), post it on the website, send by text message, announce at meetings, hand out leaflets at meeings and inevitably for the die hards send it to them in the post. There is some controversy about charging for this (since a letter now costs 57p to send by the Royal Mail) and so a monthly mailing will cost over £6 of a sub. This is acceptable if you are having to do over 10% of the membership but if 5% or under it is probably politic to absorb the cost since it could be argued that the majority of members do not attend meetings but that their subs go towards hire of the venue, etc andf other costs.

 

[victor meldrew]

Didn't literally mean 'yours'. I just meant yours ( the one you get) that you think is excellent.
Our Branch's is ok but I wouldn't call it excellent. Just wondered what elevates a newsletter into that category.

Blackburn Beekeepers have an excellent news letter and have an Internet version
BeeTalk by name.
VM

 

[VEG]

My association has its own website
http://bridgendbeekeepers.co.uk

Newsletter is sent by e-mail and is available on the website as well. They do still send out paper copies of the newsletter to the people who still live in the dark ages (no internet).

 

[Easy Beesy]

Blackburn Beekeepers have an excellent news letter and have an Internet version
BeeTalk by name.
VM

What do you think of your local newsletter? Any suggestions/improvements you would like to make?

 

[victor meldrew]

What do you think of your local newsletter? Any suggestions/improvements you would like to make?

Hope this isn't a loaded question?
Maybe regular updating would be a start!
VM

 

[BKF Admin]

How does your BKA communicate with you

They send a hitman

 

[Cazza]

:icon_204-2

They send a hitman

Cazza

 

[REDWOOD]