Our team can support you in sending an InfoMail, GW’s mass email service, when you need to communicate mission-critical information to a large audience. Whether you need to send information to the entire university community or to a smaller defined group, InfoMail is the tool to help you do so.
GW’s InfoMail system uses a tool called Emma and a series of email lists to effectively communicate messaging to university students, faculty and/or staff with Vice President or designated proxy approval. You can also provide us with a customized email list if you want to target a specific subset of the community.
InfoMail are appropriate only to communicate important and time sensitive information regarding university sponsored activities, security alerts, policy changes or other matters that further the university’s academic mission or assists in its administrative operations. We don’t use InfoMail to send interdepartmental news or messaging to small subsets of the university.
Submit an InfoMail Request
Please Note: We need a minimum of one week's notice between request and the desired send date.
InfoMail Best Practices
- Submit your InfoMail request with at least one week’s notice before your desired send date.
- InfoMail text should be no longer than 250 words. You should include only your most important information in the InfoMail and link to a webpage with extended text, if necessary.
- Include the most important information at the top of the InfoMail.
- All links should be inline (embedded in text) rather than a full URL placed in the body of the mailing, as this provides a better user experience and makes your message more readable.
- Do not link words such as “click here” or “read more.”
- GW provides InfoMail header and footer images, but you may choose to supply your own. For personalized header and footer images, please submit a project request. You may also supply your own header and footer images, provided they conform to university visual identity standards and are 640 pixels wide by 150 pixels tall. Images embedded in the body of an InfoMail should also adhere to university standards and should be no larger than 200 pixels wide by 200 pixels tall.
- InfoMail text should be uploaded to the request form as a Microsoft Word document.
- Use short and engaging subject lines; try for descriptive text in fewer than 50 characters.
- Send only to the targeted group that needs the information.
InfoMail Process
- Submit an InfoMail Request at least one week before your desired distribution date. Text should be in its final, completed version.
- We create an HTML version and send it back to you.
- You review the HTML version and inform us of any edits.
- We incorporate edits (if applicable) and return to you.
- You forward on to your department’s InfoMail approver.*
- You forward the approving email to us.
- We send the InfoMail on the requested distribution date.
*InfoMails in their final HTML format must receive approval from one of the Vice Presidents or designated proxies. The InfoMail requestor must receive an emailed approval of the final HTML InfoMail from the appropriate Approver. This approval email must be forwarded to the Communications & Marketing staff member working on the InfoMail.
Creating Your Own Newsletters and Emails
Emma is the central mass email tool used at GW. Emma offers a modern interface with a range of features including:
- Easy drag and drop layouts
- A/B testing to evaluate which emails are most effective
- A mobile app to monitor live metrics
- An image library for quick access to graphics
- Out-of-the-box GW-themed templates
Additionally, Emma provides in-depth email analytics to help us assess the effectiveness of your emails and provide feedback for future communications. You can learn the best time to send your email, which audiences are most receptive to email messaging and more.
Emma is provided and provisioned by GW IT and can be made available to schools or departments by filling out this mass email request form. If you're interested in a custom mass email template, submit a design request. In addition to the online training materials provided by the vendor, we provide periodic trainings on Emma, and you can drop by office hours anytime with questions.
