SMS Tactics to Help You Master Donor Engagement

With SMS tactics, messaging, and text-to-give, you can unlock the power of instant connections and heightened engagement with your supporters. Discover why SMS marketing campaigns work wonders in a world of fleeting attention spans. Short message service (SMS) marketing campaigns work due to their immediacy, high open rates, and direct reach. Short, impactful messages grab attention, fostering quick engagement.

Though complementary, SMS messaging and Text-to-Give campaigns are not the same thing.

Text-to-Give is a fundraising tactic that enables donors to contribute to your organization via text message. This type of giving is gaining popularity because it is a simple and accessible way to donate.

SMS messaging is a strategy that involves your organization sending messages and updates to a targeted list of donors to foster engagement, raise funds, and market events or programs.

As we move through this guide, it’s important to remember that Text-to-Give is a part of your overall SMS strategy. We’ll look at different ways you can launch an effective SMS campaign to implement or refine this part of your fundraising strategy. For the sake of this article, we’ll mainly focus on your overall SMS tactics and strategy.

Components of Mastering SMS Tactics and Messaging.

Two key elements will help you create a successful SMS campaign – building a solid subscriber list and crafting the right messaging.

As you think about each of these elements, consider why enabling a text message donation option can benefit your organization:

• Text-to-give is convenient and accessible, with most U.S. adults owning and using a mobile device daily.
• Transactions are processed quickly; subscribers text a keyword or code to a certain number and get a link to complete the transaction (it can all be done in less than 1 minute).
• SMS campaigns are relatively cost-effective for your team.
• Engagement is often high with SMS campaigns because of how users interact with phones.
• SMS and Text-to-Give tools are trackable, providing data and analytics to help shape future campaigns.

Building a Subscriber List

Before sending the first text, you must create a subscriber list just like you would for email marketing. The good news is that many SMS tactics and strategies are similar to email – the foundation is basically the same.

One of the most popular subscriber opt-in tactics for text messaging includes a campaign across other mediums – email, social media, direct mail, posters, etc. – that asks people to text a specific number to sign up for text messages or text a donation.

But that’s not the only way to encourage text signups. Other strategies for subscriber acquisition include:

• Creating clear and compelling campaigns and calls to action (we’ll look at that more in the next section).
• Incentivizing sign-ups with exclusive swag, donation match campaigns, or access to exclusive content or information.
• Using targeted campaigns or advertising to help connect with current and potential donors.
• Making an ask to existing email subscribers or social media followers using those mediums.
• Earning media attention through a press release or unique event campaign that encourages SMS signup.

While acquiring subscribers, you should also consider segmentation to ensure that potential donors get the right messaging to encourage campaign interaction. As with any communications, you should consider segmenting your audience to ensure that potential and current donors receive messages more tailored to them.

Segmentation allows you to create personalized SMS campaigns by dividing your audience into specific groups based on various criteria to tailor messages and donation requests more effectively.

Think about which subscriber groups will work most effectively for your organization. Different audience segments can divide your audience up by the following:

• Demographic segmentation for location, income level, or gender
• Donation history segmentation by repeat, first-time, or lapsed donors
• Interest segmentation based on activity level, volunteerism, or past engagement
• Communication preference segmentation dictates how users want to be communicated with
• Donor potential segmentation based on potential gift amounts broken into subcategories
• Behavioral segmentation is based on data from your CRM that pertains to website visits, event participation, or specific interactions.

If you’re unsure what kind of text messages your donors want to receive – or you don’t have the resources to gather the data – you can just ask! Most folks would rather opt-in to specific types of communication than get bombarded by messages that don’t interest them.

Crafting Compelling Text Campaigns

The trick when it comes to SMS campaigns is that less is more. Text messaging is designed to be quick and efficient. A compelling donation campaign follows this rule.

An excellent nonprofit texting campaign starts with a strong hook. You need to send a short message – think 10-15 words – encouraging action. Some examples of SMS messaging that can generate donations include:

• Together, we can create a brighter future. Donate now to make an impact!
• Be part of something bigger. Your donation fuels our mission to [insert goal here].
• What if your contribution could transform someone’s world?
• [Insert donor name], your compassion has touched many lives. Donate today to keep the momentum going!

Remember to include a direct ask in your text as well. A thank you can be fantastic when followed with a link to give again or share with others.

Sell the benefit of the donation to your organization with impactful numbers or quick examples of how funds have helped. Create a sense of urgency for donations to encourage immediate action. Short, burst campaigns can help generate donations today. Pair that sense of urgency with the opportunity to earn a reward or incentive to maximize the impact.

While fundraising is a valuable aspect of SMS marketing, it’s crucial to strike a balance and recognize that donation requests should constitute only a small part of your SMS strategy. To maintain engagement, diversify your content beyond donation appeals. Share updates on ongoing projects, milestones achieved, and the tangible difference made by supporters.

To maintain engagement, diversify your messages beyond donation appeals. These types of messages can include:

• Updates on ongoing projects or programs
• Progress on milestones and achievements
• Tangible differences made by your supporters
• Educational content that empowers and informs your supporters
• Calls for action that go beyond financial contributions, such as volunteerism

Another SMS tactic is ensuring your supporters know the messages go both ways. Encourage feedback, ask for opinions, and create interactive campaigns that invite supporters to actively participate. By focusing on relationship-building and providing value beyond donation appeals, your nonprofit can establish a lasting connection with supporters, fostering a community that is genuinely invested in your mission.

SMS Tactics to Implement in Your Next Campaign

When implementing an SMS or Text-to-Give campaign, you can encourage giving and driving engagement in four main ways. These tactics can be effective for generating new or repeat donors to contribute.

Social media integration

Use your social media channels to encourage supporters to join your subscriber list. Start with a landing page on your website that includes additional details and information for those who want it, and then promote sign-up through various social channels.

The goal is to create exciting content that compels your fans and followers to invite you into an even more intimate space to connect – their phones.

Event-based SMS Campaigns

An event can be a great jumpstart to an SMS or Text-to-Give campaign.

If you plan to host an event, include signage and QR codes throughout to encourage donations and sign-ups at the event. Make sure your event hosts or emcees also mention the campaign and giving.

Gamification Strategies

Turning your fundraising campaigns into a game that can help get people interested and encourage participation is called “gamification.” While the earliest gamification strategies go hundreds of years back (the first evidence being an Alabama business in 1896), the term wasn’t coined until the early 2000s. Today, the value of the global gamification market hovers around $11B and is expected to hit $96B by 2030.

Like social proof, gamification success can be explained by psychology. Humans are naturally competitive, and when applied correctly, gamification taps into our desire to win.

Its effectiveness is in its ability to leverage how the human brain works. By stimulating the brain, gamification releases dopamine (the hormone associated with feelings of accomplishment) and endorphins (natural chemicals that alleviate stress and anxiety). Attaining goals, earning badges or points, and advancing on a leaderboard elicit the release of these chemicals, motivating participants to revisit and interact with the content.

Examples include earning stars towards a free meal or drink, closing the rings on your fitness tracker, or earning a badge after completing a language lesson.

There are many ways to include gamification in your fundraising, like badges, points, progress bars, peer-to-peer events, etc. The benefits of gamification are most evident when aligned with a specific campaign. But how does SMS fit in a gamification strategy? Easy – text message a team participating in a P2P fundraiser when another team overtakes them on the leaderboard or text a supporter when they earn a new badge. Don’t overthink it!

Personalization

Finally, create personalized appeals when possible. With a solid subscriber list, you can use a person’s name or connection to your organization. This level of personalization can create a greater sense of connectivity to help encourage giving.

Other personalization options include tailoring your text message campaigns based on demographic information, past donation history, or even thanking someone for recent activity, including donations or volunteerism.

Overcoming Challenges with Your SMS Tactics

As with nearly anything, there are some questions that may arise when executing your SMS tactics and strategies. From privacy to legal requirements, there’s a lot to consider. Many of these rules should be outlined in your company-specific documents and can vary from state to state.

The good news is that many of these concerns help your organization if you follow the rules because the overall intent is to prevent SPAM texts.

Privacy Concerns

The biggest question is likely about privacy. How are you managing and protecting subscriber and donor data and information?

Before launching your first text campaign, you should outline a privacy policy and guidelines just like you would for other communication methods. Include that information with your policies on your website to make them easily accessible.

Opt-outs/Unsubscribes

You will always have users who want to opt out or unsubscribe. Like email, you must provide an option to stop receiving texts.

Beyond compliance, understanding why people opt-in is essential. Individuals often subscribe to SMS updates because they are genuinely interested in the organization. However, overzealous messaging can lead to opt-outs. Striking a balance ensures recipients stay engaged without feeling overwhelmed, fostering a positive relationship with your audience.

Here are specific tips for managing SMS marketing opt-outs and optimizing engagement:

• Clear Opt-Out Instructions: Provide clear and easily accessible instructions for opting out in every message. Use language such as “Reply STOP to unsubscribe” to ensure simplicity and clarity.
• Opt-Out Confirmation: Send a confirmation message upon receiving an opt-out request to reassure users that their preferences have been acknowledged.
• Segmentation and Personalization: Segment your audience based on preferences, behavior, or demographics. Personalize messages to make them more relevant to individual subscribers, increasing the likelihood of engagement.
• Value-Added Content: Ensure that each message provides value to the recipient, whether exclusive events, valuable information, or personalized content.
• Two-Way Communication: Encourage two-way communication by inviting feedback or responses. This helps in building a more interactive and engaged audience.

By focusing on structuring your messages and what content to include, you can create SMS campaigns that resonate with your audience, encourage engagement, and reduce the likelihood of opt-outs.

Message Deliverability

Mobile carriers often have filters to prevent spam and unwanted messages. Your messages could get filtered out or flagged as SPAM if you don’t use them correctly.

Some things you can do to help facilitate deliverability include:

• Complying with the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) and only texting people who have given permission
• Use long codes (phone numbers)
• Include opt-in and opt-out information
• Properly format messages for texting, avoiding excessive links, coding, or unusual characters

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

One of the biggest things to consider is the new A2P 10DLC regulations.

The mobile phone industry uses this term to describe text messages to and from an automated system using a 10-digit (US-based) phone number. A2P is short for “application-to-person,” as opposed to P2P (“person to person”). 10DLC refers to “10-digit long codes” to distinguish them from the “shortcodes” used in the past.

Registering your brand provides better security for you and your donors. This is because a third-party Brand Identity Check will verify that you are who you say you are. Brands that cannot be verified won’t make it through the process. This protects your donors from fraud.

Get Started with SMS or Text-to-Give Today

As text donations grow in popularity, this is essential to your overall and individual campaign fundraising strategies.

The Text-to-Give GiveWP add-on allows donors to give to your cause directly from their mobile phones. Powered by Twilio and Stripe, Text-to-Give makes it simple for donors to give from anywhere they have a phone signal. Better yet, giving repeatedly is as simple as sending a text message with an amount.

Learn more or request a demo.