Although text message marketing and fundraising have surpassed email marketing campaigns in just about every metric, there are elements of successful email campaigns that can work with this innovative form of marketing.
Keep reading to learn how to bring some of the most effective email marketing strategies to your text marketing or fundraising text messaging campaign.
Why Use SMS and MMS Text Messaging?
Text message marketing is relatively new in nonprofit fundraising and stands apart from other communication and promotion methods, such as email. The average open rate for email newsletters is 22.71%, and the average click-through rate is just 2.91%. Text messages boast far more impressive metrics. For example, 78% of consumers say text is the quickest way to reach them. More than 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of being received, making it a powerful communication and fundraising tool.
Innovative text messaging technology makes this communication method more flexible and effective, not to mention more efficient—you can reach more people and raise more money in less time without sacrificing the quality of your message. With text messaging, organizations can reach thousands or even millions of supporters at once. It’s an ideal channel for sharing time-sensitive information.
SMS and MMS (types of text messages) marketing are also better than social media for fostering a personal connection between a nonprofit and its supporters. Unlike social media posts, where everyone sees the same message (if they even see it, no thanks to algorithms), a text message goes directly from the organization to each recipient. And with capabilities such as segmentation, an organization can group subscribers into separate lists, such as volunteers, donors, and supporters. Customized lists also allow an organization to message people based on details like their location, interests, and donation history. Text messaging helps nonprofits communicate quickly and directly, so they can use their resources more effectively, focus their efforts on time-sensitive issues, and raise more funds to advance their cause.
Three Email Strategies You Can Use with Text Messages
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Personalize Your Messages
Text messaging is very personal. Most people have their phones with them or close by, which means they’re always reachable. When sending text messages, avoid a corporate tone and personalize messages with the information you’ve collected about the supporters, such as their names and locations.
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Automate Your Campaign
Every subscriber will receive certain messages, and automating those messages will save you time and resources. Automate messages that welcome subscribers to your campaign, collect their email addresses, and request more information (like their favorite causes). This automation eliminates some of the manual, repetitive work and allows you to use your time more productively.
Scheduled messages can also be automated, which will help standardize when messages go out. We’ve learned that sending a text message between 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. (in each time zone) usually yields the highest engagement with a campaign. In contrast, emails can go out at all hours. Because text messages are so personal and direct (and often trigger a phone notification), it’s wise not to send a message too early or too late in the day.
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Segment Your Subscribers
Segmenting allows for a greater degree of personalization and increases engagement. Targeting your subscribers’ interests ensures the right messages reach the right people. The message you send to prospective donors should differ from those your current donors receive.
These email marketing strategies are proven effective and can be applied effortlessly to your text message marketing and fundraising campaigns.
Take the Next Step on Your Text Marketing Journey with Tatango
There’s nothing to fear about text fundraising when you’re working with Tatango. Our team of text message marketing experts is ready to support you. Contact us today to learn more about how you can add Tatango to your marketing and fundraising strategies.
