A mobile campaign is the most effective way to deliver massive results when everything’s on the line. Let’s say the election’s in one week, and a hurricane destroys your state’s polling places. Or your new product is about to be released, and you have a limited-time offer. Text messages deliver the right information to the right people at the right time.
But to set yourself up for huge, “Big Bang” wins later, you need to take small, smart steps today. Organizations that achieve the biggest successes have built a long-term engagement strategy. Their supporters and consumers are used to taking action over text and being recognized for that action. Sending out one text alone won’t guarantee you a win in a high-stakes situation. Your mobile list needs to know that you’re a trusted source of good content.
- Don’t just tweet it. Text it: Gone are the days of email-only or Facebook-only campaigns. Got something great to tweet out? Text it out too. Text is a great way to share videos, pics, and mobile apps. You can collect demographic data, petition signatures, stories, and questions via text as well.
- Be topical: Get people used to hearing from you about today’s trending topics.
- Don’t be lame: Only text if you have something cool to share.
- Be nimble: It’s a lot easier to break news quickly in 160 characters than in paragraphs of email. Get comfortable sending a text as a quick response to breaking news.
- Segment & target: If you’re going to be texting often, make it relevant. Segment your list based on location, age, or past actions.
- Use transitions: Transitions can increase your response rate by 10%. Don’t be afraid to say, “Remember that video we sent you last week? Well now we need you to take action!”
- Be personal: If you want people to respond to you, don’t forget to let them know that there’s a person on the other end of the text. Sign off your text from a specific person and see your response rates increase.