It's time to get serious about Mobile Messaging

Greetings friends,

 

You know, one of the justifications I almost always see whenever anyone talks about using mobile texting for fundraising is the phenomenal open rate on messages.

 

But for me, the more interesting statistics are these:

• The average donation via text is over $100
• 81% of adults in the US own a smartphone
• most people who are donating via text are over 50

There's significant money that can be raised through this channel. And, it’s not something that only large organizations should be doing or organizations that have a younger audience. Mobile text-based fundraising is still in its early stages but it has tremendous promise for raising significant amounts. My guess is that during this cycle the majority of competitive campaigns will have some sort of mobile texting program that is a big part of their fundraising efforts.

 

But as more fundraisers move into this channel, you’re going to need to use the best practices and right tools to get the best ROI for your efforts. And, that’s where we can really provide a lot of value.

Mobile Messaging lets you use all the data you’ve gathered in your NGP VAN database to segment your audiences and personalize your messages based on their past activity. You’ll have access to the same kinds of performance reports you’ve come to rely on for the rest of your fundraising program. There’s no need to export your data to send out your messages or import the results back to your records.

 

And, we've updated Mobile Messaging to include a feature that I think is an important first step for running a more mature texting program.

Helping your mobile program go beyond the basics

We’ve all seen messages like “Text JOIN to 1234 to sign up!” with the JOIN keyword that make it easy for supporters to opt-in to broadcast messaging. 

Now, we've rolled out Custom Keywords that you can use in your texting campaign.

 

So, for example, let’s say we have three keywords like Environment, Income Inequality, and Social Justice. You can ask your supporter to text you back with which one they care about most. When they respond, you can automatically tag them and then add them to your segmented list for that particular interest. And, they’ll get an automated response confirming their opt-in for that list.

Watch our video on Mobile Messaging Keywords

Adding custom keywords lets you increase engagement with your supporters and helps you drive home your messaging. And, you can create as many keywords as you need, including for things like events or your advertising efforts.

 

One great example a client shared with me recently was using this kind of keyword opt-in with a celebrity supporter who was going on a late-night talk show. The celebrity was able to talk about their support for the organization and then share the text sign-up using the custom keyword. It was a great way to track the thousands of signups that came from the appearance and then share that with their celebrity supporter.

 

So, use your imagination. I look forward to seeing what you can all do when you combine this tool with your fundraising creativity.

How do I get started with Mobile Messaging?

 

Start collecting mobile opt-ins today! If you’re already a client of ours, it’s easy to grow your program right away by enabling the SMS opt-in on your Online Actions forms. Your supporters will be asked to give you their mobile number and to confirm their opt-in to your texting program. Even if you’re not signed up yet for Mobile Messaging, it’s something you should be doing to plan for the future.

When you’re ready to get started, you can choose between plans that use a toll-free number (good for beginners and low-volume texting campaigns) or a dedicated short-code.

 

Read more about the fundamentals of mobile messaging

 

And if you’re already using another vendor for your texting program, it’s easy to migrate to our system. You’ll want to talk with us two to three months before your contract is up with the other vendor so we can get you set up on our end so the transition goes smoothly, especially if you plan to keep your existing number.

 

Request more information on adding Mobile Messaging

So what’s next?

One of the new techniques to make your message stand out a little bit more is to include a picture or some kind of multimedia. So, we’re planning to add the option to send these MMS messages as part of your program. They cost a little more to send, so you probably won’t send them every time, but they can make a difference during particularly busy times of the year or as part of a more complex fundraising campaign.

 

We’re also going to be adding some Automation workflows that are specifically designed to use with your texting program. These will help with things like notifying your sustainers when the credit card they use for payments is about to expire or to send your donors a follow-up thank you after giving. Using SMS messages with Automation is really powerful and it lets you use the data that you’ve collected to personalize your responses without any extra staff time or effort.

So, be sure to take a look at the new Mobile Messaging update this week and, as always, feel free to reach out to me or any of our staff members with your suggestions.

We love creating tools that help you succeed.

 

 

Yours,

Mike Liddell

(He, Him, His)
General Manager, Digital

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