Text message reminders can encourage healthy action, as in applying sunscreen, but also as in reminding your church group of a meeting or a sports fan of the next upcoming game. Based on the article about the UC Davis study linking text message reminders to the more consistent application of sunscreen by study participants, we can conclude that sending text message reminders IS beneficial in group communication.
How many times have you received an e-mail with an event reminder and then store it away, never to be seen until after the event? With text messages, the reminder is sent directly to your phone and doesn’t get lost in the hundreds of e-mails you may receive a day. Also, seeing a short, directly-to-the-point message with event or reminder details is more apt to stick in your mind, as researcher April Armstrong was quoted saying,
“Our goals were to keep the messages short so that they could be read at a glance and to have a good hook.”
Whether it is encouraging healthy actions to getting group members involved with the political campaign or showing up for a group meeting, sending text message reminders is more like to produce results than just sending an e-mail or word of mouth. Reinforcing the information you want to deliver to group members through a simple text message is the way to go in procuring involvement.
Tatango Tip: Keep the messages you send to your group short, simple, and to the point. Utilize the 140 characters you have to captivate your audience while delivering the most important information.
