In this SMS Guide for NGOs, you will learn about the benefits of SMS marketing for nonprofits. This includes how to use SMS campaigns to organize volunteers and promote your services. For NGOs mobile messaging has the potential to be the most effective strategy in the field of fundraising for not-for-profit organizations (NPO).
The Potential of Text Message Marketing for Nonprofit Orgs
Similar to emails, text messages have the ability to become customized using dynamic fields and data collected by Marketing sources. When a donor or customer registers with an NGO, fills in a form or provides their details some other way, dynamic fields can then be used to personalize SMS messages, even at a large scale. This customized feature could include having the contact’s first and last name at the start of the message, NGO/company name and more. Small touches and edits like this provide the customer with a more personalized and human-like experience, improving the overall quality of your marketing strategies and tone-of-voice.
Furthermore, data shows that customers are less inclined to disregard text messages compared to other forms of communication which makes SMS marketing an untapped goldmine for NGO organizations.
Here are a few ways SMS marketing can be used for nonprofit organizations
1. Be Different from the Rest
More than 10 million NGOs worldwide compete to get the most dedicated donors and volunteers.
When creating an SMS campaign, it’s crucial to remain focused on developing solid connections through personalized, carefully constructed messages. But like most marketing strategies, finding the ideal conversation may take weeks or even months.
For your engagement process, consider sending personalized text messages as a unique and efficient method to grab the attention of potential donors and volunteers. In our current world, we’re facing competing priorities both in our professional and personal lives. Even the most committed supporters sometimes forget about their pending tasks. Sending a customized SMS is an excellent way of helping them focus on their mission and collaborate with your nonprofit organization.
Want to start using SMS in your marketing strategy? Click here to find out which 4 things you should keep in mind when getting started with SMS marketing.
2. Give Your Donors Easy Opt-in and Opt-out Options
The first step is to consider using SMS as part of your omnichannel marketing strategy which uses multiple different marketing channels to send/advertise the same/similar message. It’s possible to do this by first adding your organization’s SMS number into your email newsletter, direct mail, on your site and any other location where you communicate with your clients. Begin with a positive yet simple message to encourage people to sign up and reinforce the benefits of your SMS marketing strategy from the client’s point of view.
It’s important to remember that signing up is only one part of an SMS strategy. Clients want to feel in charge of what type of communications they receive. This is why you also need to offer an easy opt-out option. Not providing it can generate unnecessary frustration and reduce the amount of trust a donor/customer has with your organization. If customers find your content valuable, your opt-out rates should remain low if not then a new approach is needed.
3. Create More Valuable Relationships
While keeping in contact with donors is highly important, your nonprofit organization must also communicate to volunteers, service providers, and beneficiaries. Historically you may have done this via email, telephone, or paper newsletters. But new studies show that many people prefer SMS over other methods of communication.
According to a study conducted through Twilio, across all generations, consumers prefer SMS messaging at least 3 times more than face-to-face communication. Millennials in particular prefer text messaging 8 times more than face-to-face communication.
SMS campaigns can be easily organized and segmented to ensure each type of receiver such as volunteers, service providers, and beneficiaries are provided with the right content and messaging at the right time, instantly.
4. Using SMS Marketing to Fundraise
SMS marketing is an excellent method for obtaining donations from both repeat and new donors.
Making sure you segment your donor lists and establishing a strong connection with them before sending messages such as, “Are you ready to save the pandas?”. This SMS fundraising method is particularly effective during emergencies as you can send an SMS to a customer faster than direct mail. Consider, for instance, the possibility of a natural catastrophe affecting your area, and your organization is in perfect alignment to aid. An SMS campaign can yield excellent results that, in turn, could help those in need.
5. Plan SMS Strategies
You must have information and insights to create an effective donor engagement or communications strategy. By conducting surveys, marketing and outreach strategies will better match your patrons’ preferences for communication.
Be sure to be aware of common mistakes. Sending a link to a survey via SMS can divide your audience, personalize your messages, and elevate your methods for a best-in-class experience.
6. Organize Volunteers with SMS Marketing
The help of volunteers is a primary goal of the culture of any nonprofit organization.
Text messaging is a straightforward way to get help in an upcoming event or campaign. All you need to do is write a short message and inform your customers about it via all your channels.
Utilizing short, well-branded hyperlinks in your recruitment campaigns will also increase your number of applicants.
7. Thanks to your Donors
Once you’ve received a donation, use SMS follow-ups to thank your doners in a much more personal manner! You can create a list of people who sent you donations to send a bulk SMS and thank them for their donation. You can personalize the message using their first name or any other available information in the Contact, Lead, Opportunity and Account record using dynamic fields.
Whatever you’d like to express gratitude for, make a quick and straightforward thank-you text!
8. Using SMS for Internal Communications
You can streamline your communication using SMS by sending announcements and other text messages to volunteers and employees. Whether they’re working at a shelter, at the office, or sitting at home, they’ll receive the message direct to their device and remain informed about events.
9. Promote your Services
Nonprofits provide vital services to those in need. It makes it much more important to advertise your services if its counseling people struggling with mental illness or providing aid to areas affected by conflicts. People need to know you’re here to help!
SMS messaging must be an integral element of your outreach plan.
If your organization doesn’t utilize text messages, you should ask why. If managed properly, it could yield huge advantages ranging from increased retention of supporters through personalization to more personalized marketing strategies that use data about supporters.
Make sure to be cautious when using information about your supporters. It is mandatory to sign up, and it is also essential to safeguard their personal information, as well as your organization, from any chance of compromise.
It is clear that SMS marketing is not going away and is in fact getting incrementally better for many industries, including nonprofit organizations (NPO). Find out more about ClickDimensions SMS Marketing feature here or contact us now and we can assist you to uncover its fullest potential.
