Why Text Messaging Services Are Perfect For Nonprofits
In a squeezed world, running a nonprofit can be challenging. Trying to provide the best service you can on a tight budget can be stressful, all whilst communicating your message and fundraising effectively. Introducing a text messaging service into your digital strategy can simplify these processes, getting your service to those in need whilst discovering new fundraising avenues.
Text messaging services are an incredibly cost-effective way to reach a wide audience in real time. Across all socioeconomic and global demographics, mobile phone technology is favoured by individuals. This gives SMS an incredible reach and can ensure your message is seen by those who may not be accessing email regularly. What’s more, the barriers to SMS responsiveness are incredibly low: a text message is usually open, and often responded to.
With this in mind, let’s see how nonprofits can use SMS services to expand their mission and their budget.
1) Fundraising
Fundraising via SMS can be an incredibly successful way to conduct appeals due to the high probability that users will engage with a text campaign. Because service providers can already bill users, the barriers for people to donate to your campaign are exceptionally low – there’s no need to follow several pages of details, or go and find your credit card.
A text-to-give campaign can reach many people in moments, and request that they donate by responding to the text. This takes seconds for most donors, and can achieve a high response rate, boosting your non-profits funds for doing good.
“SMS is also a valuable tool for emergency appeals. You can reach out to people in real time, whilst the crisis is present in collective consciousness. There’s a good chance you’ll hit a nerve and the donations will come flooding in,” says Bill Danson, a tech blogger at State Of Writing and PaperFellows.
2) Donor Contact
Your donors are the lifeblood of your fundraising activity, so they need to be looked after. Managing donor contact through SMS is a fantastic way to stay in touch and customize contact, maintaining strong relationships with your donors to ensure the sustainability of your programmes.
An automated “thank-you” service sent out to your donors at regular intervals will remind them that the work they do for you never goes unappreciated. A text message is one of the least intrusive ways to contact people, whereas email is often marked as spam. An SMS is the perfect way to send this quick notion of thanks, ensuring your donors feel valued.
Targeted SMS messaging is also a great way to personalize donor journeys. If you’re running a mass campaign you can’t ignore demographics: by building several pathways you can take with potential donors you can build a sophisticated strategy for growing support in your campaign.
3) Conducting Surveys
Because receiving and replying to text messages is so easy, the barrier of entry into communication is incredibly low with SMS. This makes it the perfect way to conduct quick surveys with your donors, and the data you gain from these strategic interventions can guide your further campaigning.
“Clients and donors can interact with automated messaging services so easily, providing real time information to your nonprofit. What’s more, you can often run this at a fraction of a cost that a physical survey would entail, with a higher uptake rate than a telephone survey could ever achieve,” explians Clod Armstrong, a marketer at Australianhelp and OXEssays.
4) Marketing Your Services
If your nonprofit acts as a service provider to those in need, text messaging needs to be part of your outreach strategy to ensure that those who require your services have all the information they need to get help. Because globally mobile technology uptake is high across all socioeconomic categories you can be sure that you’ll reach those in need. A mobile phone is often the primary or even only device that you can use to reach people.
Text message updates are the best way to make sure everyone hears about your services. This ensures your nonprofit can do the most good, bringing care and providing support.
Text Adventure
The benefits of text messaging services to nonprofits makes this an essential tool. Fundraising, outreach and donor management can all be managed with efficiency and cost-effective text strategies. Text messaging should have a central role in any digital strategy for your nonprofit.
