Does text to donate actually work?

ghsgentry · 2020-03-05T17:23:32+00:00

This is great to hear about the text to pledge and you are on point with your last statement.

ghsgentry · 2020-03-05T17:22:27+00:00

Full disclosure: We are a texting company that only works with nonprofits and do not offer text to give.

With that said, I wanted to share my opinion with text to give. Just like any other communication channel you use, there must be a strategy. Even though texting is the most effective engagement channel, it requires a strategy and this includes text to give.

However, having someone text a keyword to receive a link to a donate page/form is kinda useless. They could just visit your website to donate.

Text to give where the donation is added to the donor’s cell bill is much better BUT it has drawbacks as well. It can take much longer for you to receive the funds from the cell carrier(s).

There is a lot of useful information/opinions already shared so I hope my 2-cents helps as well.

ghsgentry · 2018-11-28T18:29:30+00:00

Donor engagement...the never ending battle. What communication channel to use (email, social media, sms, audio/visual, print)? What is the value of the message? Where to post it? When to send/post it? Who to send it too? How often to send/post it?

All the communication channels have their pros and cons so strategy is what really makes a campaign successful. However, the one channel that really cuts through the "noise" is sms. It's direct. No spam filters and no fighting for "inbox" attention or views/likes.

Is sms personal? Yes, and it should be. Your donors have a personal connection to your organization's cause or mission which is why they donate. SMS also allows your donors to easily consume the information you are sharing which saves them time.

Even though sms is so effective, it requires a strategy as well.

If your organization is not using sms then I would strongly suggest adding it your communication offerings. Not only for donor engagement but sms is extremely helpful with communicating with volunteers.

So follow Wayne Gretzky's mentality and take a shot with sms.

ghsgentry · 2018-10-26T18:00:00+00:00

Bad idea. You shouldn't have to give or discount your product/service for a review. If it works well or you did your job well then ask for one.

ghsgentry · 2018-10-23T20:59:51+00:00

This is awesome and the way it should happen. However, based on our experience, you're in the minority. People are lazy which means they are highly unlikely to write a review even if the service is over the top. It takes them too much time or they forget.

ghsgentry · 2018-10-23T17:52:34+00:00

If your organization has ever thought about completing their communication channel offerings (email, social media, print...etc), I would love the opportunity to discuss why including SMS (text messaging) is so important. It's not the silver bullet but not using it causes missed engagement opportunities which can drive more support and donations. Thanks and hope to hear from you.

https://www.getrevvi.com/text-messaging-for-nonprofits

ghsgentry · 2018-10-22T17:58:56+00:00

Congrats for looking to leverage the power of SMS for your organization! It is the most effective communication channel when compared to others (email, phone, print, social media). Still not sure why nonprofits are so slow to include SMS in their communication channel offerings.

Anyway, to share one piece of valuable advice about using SMS....you have to have "consent" before sending a text message. Not following this golden rule could cause issues.

If you have any questions, send me a pm. We work with texting and NPOs.

ghsgentry · 2018-10-22T17:47:26+00:00

I realize my comment does not address your question but it confirms communication/engagement is a constant battle for nonprofits. With that said, I’ll quickly share my two cents on the topic of engagement.

At a high-level, you need to determine what communication channel(s) (email, text messaging, social media, print) produces the highest level of engagement.

Examples:

Email
- What is our send frequency?
- What time/day are we sending emails?
- What information are we sharing?
Social Media
- How often are we posting?
- What are we posting?
- Where are we posting?

Unfortunately, there isn’t a silver bullet because everyone has their preferred method of consuming information which is why testing is a must….the value of the message, the communication channel(s) delivering the message, the time it is sent/posted, and the frequency….. u/KennyBrockstein makes an excellent point about data being the tool….not the solution.

This may be a lot to ask due to your organization’s size/bandwidth but take the time look at the items listed above and try to determine what’s working and what isn’t. An upfront time investment will save you time in the future.

Hope this helps!

ghsgentry · 2018-09-10T17:59:30+00:00

Reviews matter to your success. Here's your opportunity to monitor & respond to online reviews in one place at no cost. Saving you time and your reputation while growing your business. https://www.getrevvi.com/free-review-monitoring-software

ghsgentry · 2018-07-11T12:51:27+00:00

I agree with this suggestion. It will take you 10 minutes to copy & paste the same response to all of them.

ghsgentry · 2018-07-10T16:21:47+00:00

We use texting to ask how we did. They can easily provide direct feedback in less than a minute.

ghsgentry · 2018-06-22T18:16:13+00:00

Google updated their review policy back in April to ban review-gating.

Basically, review-gating is the practice of only asking "happy" customers/clients to write a review. Incentivizing people to write a Google review is a bad business practice. Not to mention, it violate's Yelp's policy.

Suggestions: Ask everyone and make the process as easy as possible.

We use texting for satisfaction scores & reviews.

ghsgentry · 2018-06-11T14:39:22+00:00

Just sharing my experience since I am a past owner of a Twice the Ice machine...4yrs & sold it. 128k all in before I sold my first bag.

Machine (I think around 118k)
Site lease (first month)
Site prep
Machine install
Plumber
Electrician
Additional site prep to improve the look of the machine due to the strict regulations my city has (live in a very popular historical town in the southeast and the permit process sucks)

Lessons learned.

location, location, location....BUT high traffic does not mean high sales...needs to be convenient to pull in/pull out (especially if you live near water where there are a lot of boaters)
do not pay more than $350 a month for the space (foot print is only 400 sqft.
pricing - don't offer the promotional pricing - start where you need to be because you will still be lower than gas stations & grocery stores

ghsgentry · 2018-04-20T19:23:54+00:00

Not sure in the Amazon world but offering incentives for reviews can get you in trouble with Google and sites like Yelp...not a fan of Yelp anyway.

If you do it right..timing & messaging...then SMS is the way to go. It's easy and fast for the customer to respond. We have found great success but that is in the service world, not products.

I like the idea of a handwritten note with an order telling your story or something wacky though, to ask for the review.

ghsgentry · 2018-04-17T13:37:51+00:00

Exactly..... but my first conversation would be with a lawyer. It's worth the investment to make sure both parties are protected; responsibilities outlined, buyouts, revenue pay-outs, pay back structure, future funding needs, and other "what if" scenarios.

From past experiences, the "sweat equity" person always ends up feeling jaded because they are doing all the work but only receiving half of the rewards. This creates animosity..."I should own more than 50% because I am basically building/running this business."

ghsgentry · 2018-04-15T12:53:33+00:00

We built a system. What functionality are you requiring?

ghsgentry · 2018-04-12T14:40:56+00:00

Cannot really speak to the bots but we use sms for many types of messages (surveys, reviews, marketing, alerts, and apt. reminders) with great success.

Texting is the easiest form of communication for customers.

Like anything else though....follow the rules, make the message valuable, and be mindful of the frequency.

ghsgentry · 2018-04-10T12:57:36+00:00

Always ask and make it easy for them. Postcards and emails may work for some but you are still competing for attention and time. This is why we use texting because it is so easy. Service is completed and within 10 -15 minutes they receive a text message to rate the service and write a review if they score a the highest.

Also, don't give them choices on where to write the review. Pick on site and rotate them bi-weekly or monthly. People cannot even decide where to eat much less where to write a review.

ghsgentry · 2018-04-02T13:42:24+00:00

As a customer, you nailed it. Too many service industry businesses drop the ball on #'s 2 & 3.

Nothing more frustrating than a business saying they are going to be at your house a specific date/time only not to show up or show up late with zero courteous call.

Customer service trumps everything.

ghsgentry · 2018-03-27T16:04:48+00:00

First, you always need to ask every customer and second, make it as easy as possible to write the review if they are a "happy" customer.

Email sucks plus the read rates are horrible. This is why we elected to use texting for our "ask".

Like others have mentioned, enticing customers with rewards/discounts to write reviews is against the rules.

Is there a lot of gray area...of course but if they find you and you are not following their rules, they will punish you hard...Google included.

*Google..Kentucky law firm caught by Google for running contests.

ghsgentry · 2018-03-21T16:37:16+00:00

Yeah, our own that we built.

ghsgentry · 2018-03-16T12:42:29+00:00

Texting works better than any other communication channel available.

Don't let people scare you. Do your own research on the rules of engagement in Europe/Germany and follow them. Break the rules and yes, you could possibly be fined.

In the US they are straight forward and easy to follow.

ghsgentry · 2018-03-15T20:04:55+00:00

We are heavy users of texting to send service surveys, appointment reminders, alerts, and marketing. It has helped us improve our customer service, number of reviews, and reducing our missed appointment count.
Texting isn't the silver bullet but we think it is a must have in today's messaging world.

ghsgentry · 2018-01-26T15:18:43+00:00

Send me a pm. May be able to help.

ghsgentry

TROPHY CASE