There has never been a more direct and effective line of communication to connect with your donors than SMS text message marketing and fundraising. In 2020 alone, mobile donations increased by an impressive 205%. Now is the time to add text-to-give to your campaign—and with the Tatango platform, which fully integrates with all major fundraising platforms, it’s easy.
Not long ago, nonprofit fundraising campaigns had limited reach. Marketing efforts included expensive TV ads, billboards, radio spots, and piles of direct mail. Today, two-thirds of the global population own mobile phones, and potential donors are more accessible than ever.
This blog post outlines four features you can (and should) integrate into your messaging. Keep reading to learn some quick tips for drafting your text-to-give campaign.
Why Use SMS and MMS Text Messaging for Your Fundraiser
There’s so much competition for your supporter’s attention that using the most effective and efficient tools available to reach subscribers is critical. Mobile marketing campaigns are among the most effective fundraising methods compared to traditional marketing efforts, such as sweepstakes, events, and auctions. For every dollar invested in text messaging, we found that Tatango clients net an average of at least $5 in donations.
SMS marketing reaches thousands or even millions of customers at once and is the perfect channel for marketers who want to share time-sensitive promotions and information. It’s a powerful campaign tool for reaching subscribers. In fact, 78% of consumers said SMS is the fastest way to reach them, and more than 90% of text messages are read within three minutes of being received.
Some traditional forms of marketing, such as print ads and commercials, don’t provide the luxury of immediate feedback marketers can use to alter their strategy in real time—but with text message fundraising, that’s possible. The up-to-date metrics for each message provide useful insight to help you iterate and fine-tune your strategy on the fly—with little or no additional costs—until you reach your fundraising goals.
So much is possible with SMS and MMS text message marketing beyond promotion, such as hosting a giveaway or contest, offering consumer support, and including images or GIFs.
Four Features to Include in Your Text-to-Give SMS Marketing Campaign
When drafting your text-to-give campaign, you can immediately implement the following four things in the messages you send.
Personalize Your Messages with Merge Tags
Use merge tags in Tatango to personalize your messages with information specific to each subscriber. For example, greet potential donors by their first name to add a human touch to your messages, so it doesn’t feel like texts are coming from a machine or a bot. It’s like you’re speaking directly to the donor.
Create Effective Calls to Actions
The most successful text messages elicit a response from the subscriber. You briefly have your subscriber’s attention when your message is open on their phone. Once they close the text message, they’re not likely to return to it. Create a call to action that stands out and encourages an immediate response, such as answering a question or making a donation.
Tatango seamlessly integrates with all fundraising software to make the donation process easier than ever.
Share How Your Organization Will Use Donations
Showing donors how their donations are helping is a strong motivator for continued support. Tell them how you’ll use their donations. When targeting repeat donors, share how their past donations helped advance your mission. Encourage future donations by letting supporters know their gifts make a difference.
Suggest a Donation Amount
Make giving effortless by suggesting a donation amount in your message. For new donors, the option to respond “yes” to a text message with a suggested donation of $5, $10, or $15 simplifies the decision and makes donating easy and fast. 
If you’re contacting past donors, suggest an amount they’ve given before, which they’re likely to repeat.
Bonus: Remember to Say “Thank You!”
Sending a thank-you message after receiving a donation is essential and goes a long way. Follow up with your text-to-give donors with a heartfelt note of thanks and remember tip number three: this is a perfect opportunity to share how your organization will use their donation.
For More, Watch This Video to Become a Text-to-Give Pro
The donation process has never been easier for supporters and your organization. It can all happen with the click of a button or a tap on a smartphone screen. Tatango seamlessly integrates with all fundraising software, so everything happens in one place without switching between platforms.
Add Tatango to Your 2022 Fundraising Campaign
SMS and MMS text message marketing should be among your most frequently used communication and fundraising tools if you’re serious about maximizing your organization’s success. Contact our text message marketing experts today to learn how Tatango can help you raise more money with a text-to-give campaign.
