Texting is a highly effective way of contacting lots of people quickly. Indeed, studies have shown that around nine in ten people open all texts sent to them, whereas only about 20% open emails.
In addition, software and hardware are available that helps you send bulk messages with the click of a button. The software also offers a wide range of other features that help ensure the right messages get to the right people.
One of the greatest advantages of texting is that most people have a phone, and they tend to have it close to them at all times. This is unlike other methods like email, which many people will not check regularly.
With recipients typically having their mobile on hand all the time, messages will be received and read quickly, helping you get your message across reliably.
What are the Benefits of Using Texting for Non-Profits?
Perhaps the main benefit of using texting is that it helps you quickly get your message in front of people. People are more likely to notice new texts, unlike emails that get buried under other emails. However, the way texting works means it is best used in specific scenarios, such as when you have an urgent message to send.
Regardless of the nature of the message, associations and non-profits can use texting to their benefit to:
- Drive Engagement: Texting can help to keep members involved with your organization. Texting can help remind people of upcoming events and encourage them to attend. With texting, you can also reach members who have not been active recently to encourage them back into the fold.
- Keep Membership Updated: SMS helps make it easy to keep members updated on new events or the latest developments. It will also allow you to send helpful content to your members to help maintain their interest in your organization and your activities.
- Educate Members: It can be an effective educational tool. You can send appropriate materials to your members to help them learn about topics, and you can ensure the right materials are sent to the right people.
- Member Votes: Organizations and non-profits tend to get their members involved in decision making, such as holding votes. texting makes it easy for you to allow all members to vote while also helping make it easier for you to count the votes that come in.
- Competitions: People just love competitions, especially if there are prizes to be won. Holding the occasional competition will help keep your members engaged and help grab the attention of potential new members. As for prizes, you could consider speaking with local businesses for prizes in exchange for exposure.
How can Non-profits use Text Messaging?
You’re trying to reach your members, associates, or customers and they want to hear from you, but getting through to them isn’t easy with missed calls and emails that go unchecked for hours or even days. People have a need for personal real time communications. That’s where TxtSquad comes in. To make the most of texting, you will need to take advantage of available tools.
Some of these features include:
Two-Way Texting
Getting your message out there is all well and good, but two-way commutation will help make your texting campaign much more effective. The right tools will help you send out messages en-masse and receive replies in a way that helps make it easy to process them. With the right tools, ingoing and outgoing messages can also be accessed and processed from the same hub, improving communication and collaboration in your team.
Campaign Analytics
Using digital platforms for text messaging campaigns offers numerous advantages, including the ability to gain feedback. With the right tools, you can gather a vast range of information about your messages, such as which messages are performing better than others. Armed with this knowledge, you can continue to tweak your campaigns for the best results.
NLP and AI
Natural language processing (NLP) and artificial intelligence (AI) are emerging technologies that have already found their way into a range of tools. Both technologies help to automate tasks to help reduce your workload and reduce the chances of human error. These technologies can also help reveal powerful insights that can help improve SMS messaging campaigns.
Automated Replies
Responding to messages received can be difficult if you have a large membership. However, tools are available that will help automatically send appropriate replies for you. Using automated replies will help take a lot of work away from you, while it will also help ensure that you respond to your members in a timely manner.
Shared Inbox
Forwarding messages on to other colleagues can be time-consuming and prone to errors. However, you can overcome such issues with shared inboxes that give multiple users access to messages. With the right platform, users can log in from different devices or remote locations and all have access to the same contacts, messages, and replies.
Member Tagging
Member tagging allows you to automatically tag members according to certain criteria. For example, the software could tag somebody that had not replied to a message, helping to determine which messages they are sent from then on. Member tagging helps ensure that each of your members receives the content that’s relevant to them.
Message Scheduling
With message scheduling, you can ensure messages are sent to the right people at the right time. For example, you can schedule messages to be sent to people at times or days when open rates are high, improving the effectiveness of your campaign.
Reusable Scripts
Writing out text messages can be time-consuming, but using reusable scripts will help make the task much quicker. Reusable scripts are not only beneficial in terms of time-saving but also in helping ensure your members receive consistent, quality content. With help from analytical tools, it’s easy for you to send your members the content that’s been successful in the past.
How to Create Effective Texting Campaigns for Memberships
Numerous tools are available that help to ensure associations and non-profits can use texting to good effect. However, you will still need to know how to write texts and create campaigns that will help you achieve your goals.
- Personalize Messages: Messages and other marketing materials are more effective if personalized, and studies have shown that 88% of marketers saw improved results after adopting personalization tactics. Personalization can mean addressing the recipient by their name, while it can also mean sending them content that’s appropriate for them. Personalization is much easier with software platforms that collect the necessary data and perform the appropriate actions for you.
- Deliver Useful Content: You should also try and aim to deliver content that’s useful to your recipients, just spamming them with offers is unlikely to have the desired effect. When you provide useful content, it helps you develop a relationship with your clients, making them more open to any offers you might make in the future.
- Create Drip Campaigns: Drip campaigns involve gradually sending content over time. Instead of sending marketing messages straight away asking people to buy or sign up for something, it’s best to take an approach that helps nurture your members until they are ready to convert. Drip campaigns should be designed with the intention of helping to educate your members and demonstrate how your proposition is beneficial to them.
- Add Links: As useful as they are, text messages are still quite limited in terms of what content you can send. However, you can still send more complex content to your members via links. Such links can be for resources to your own websites like blogs and other information, while it can also be links to third-party sites containing relevant information.
- Don’t Overdo It: SMS texts can be valuable and appreciated by your recipients. However, if you send too many, their opinion may quickly change. Therefore, try and limit your messages to only when you have something of genuine value to send; otherwise they might appear spammy. Spreading out your texts is also a good idea if you have a limited volume of content, so the content helps you keep your members engaged over a longer period.
- Allow Opt-Outs: Not everybody wants to receive all of your content, and it doesn’t necessarily mean they have an issue with your organization. Allowing your members to opt-out of certain types of content will help ensure they don’t feel bombarded with messages they don’t want. Letting your members opt-out will also likely be seen as respectful, while it can also help improve their receptiveness to other content.
- Be Conversational: Your messages should ideally be professional yet conversational. Doing so will help make it easier for you to connect with your members in a way that will resonate with them. It’s also important to use the right type of language for the best effect. For example, if you have a membership made up mostly of professionals, it’s best to use casual yet sober language that they are likely to use themselves.
Start Using the Power of Texting for Your Association or Non-Profit Today!
Associations and non-profit organizations can benefit from texting in numerous ways. They can help drive engagement, boost membership numbers, help with education, and make it easier for your members to have their say.
A wide range of software platforms are available that will help make texting easier for you, while also helping to make your campaigns more effective. You will also need to learn how to write messages and create campaigns for the best effect.
TxtSquad is a fast, easy, and cost effective way to engage your membership. Book a demo today!