Standing out in the crowd is vital to the success of a nonprofit organization. Many organizations are competing for support across various media and communication channels, with mixed results. For instance, email marketing has an open rate of just 20%. As you head into 2023, fostering a strong connection with your supporters and building lasting partnerships with donors is more important than ever.
Text marketing offers a uniquely reliable way to communicate with your audience and get a jump on fundraising. Currently, only 15% of nonprofits are texting their supporters, which means your organization has a good chance of standing out in a competitive space where so many nonprofits are asking for support and donations. Compared to marketing emails, text messages have a 99% open rate.
Setting up Your Text Fundraising Campaign
No matter the size of your nonprofit team, setting up a text fundraising campaign can feel daunting. However, with the right texting partner, you won’t have to start from the ground up. By partnering with an industry-leading text provider like Tatango (with 15+ years of experience in the field), you’ll benefit from advanced software tools, automation options, integrated donation links, and experienced support teams. With that kind of technology and support, you can set up a phone number, plan a successful fundraising campaign, and start sending fundraising messages right away.
10DLC Numbers and Short Codes—Which Is Best For Your Nonprofit?
When starting your new or revamped text fundraising campaign, you’ll choose either a 10-digit long code (10DLC) number or a short code. Let’s review each one:
10DLC Numbers
10DLC numbers are ten digits long and appear like other phone numbers in your supporter’s text messages. 10DLC numbers make texts seem more personal as if they’re coming directly from another person. One disadvantage, however, is that these numbers may get confused for spam or unknown numbers, making them more likely to get overlooked or ignored.
Short Codes
Short codes only contain five or six digits, such as 23456. The Short Code Registry must approve these dedicated numbers, and it can sometimes take longer to get approval for a short code than a 10DLC. Short codes help identify and unify your text messages, so they stand out in your supporters’ text app among messages from their friends and family.
Optimize Your Text Fundraising Campaign for Success
Whether you should get a 10DLC number or a short code is not an easy question to answer. Your decision will depend on your approach, desired tone, and specific goals. Some organizations use short codes to make their text channel stand out as straightforward and professional. Other teams seek a more personal approach with a 10DLC number to convey that their text campaign is grounded and confidential. Either option can work well for your campaign and help get you to your fundraising goals—especially with a partner like Tatango.
Contact our team of experts today to help determine whether a 10DLC or short code is right for your organization and to learn more about text marketing and fundraising.
