Donations are the lifeblood of most nonprofit organizations, and the top priority in every successful fundraising event is engaging with donors. SMS marketing empowers you to build strong relationships with your supporters and raise donations effectively. Every $1 spent on an SMS fundraising campaign brings in an average of $5 in support.
In this blog, you’ll learn why nonprofit text message marketing works and three essential factors to consider when creating your nonprofit SMS marketing plan.
Why Text Marketing Works for Nonprofits
Not so long ago, nonprofit organizations raised donations by calling potential donors, hosting in-person events, and sending donation envelopes to collect money. But with limited budgets, resources, and crowded space, finding low-cost and efficient strategies is crucial to reach fundraising goals.
Thanks to modern technology, nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups have access to more efficient and cost-effective fundraising methods. The best strategy for nonprofits is text message marketing. Compared to email and social media, people of all ages use text messages. Your supporters use SMS messaging daily, making it a natural and easy way to communicate with them and ask for donations.
With text message marketing, a tight budget doesn’t mean you’ll sacrifice success. Tatango has been partnering with nonprofit organizations for over 14 years. Our nonprofit SMS experts work closely with each client to understand their needs and goals and help them translate their fundraising strategy into an effective SMS campaign that will increase donations exponentially.
3 Essential Factors of a Successful SMS Marketing Strategy
If you’re new to nonprofit fundraising SMS marketing, consider these three essential points when forming your strategy.
1. Choose an SMS Software Provider That Integrates with Fundraising Platforms
Many nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups use online fundraising platforms to raise money these days. If your organization is one of them, it’s already one step ahead of the game. In the United States, 63% of donors prefer to give online with a credit or debit card. Online fundraising tools are a powerful medium for raising donations, and combining them with text message marketing will double their power.
When planning your next fundraising SMS campaign, look for an SMS software provider that can ingrate your campaign with the fundraising platform you already use. Platform integrations streamline donations so your nonprofit campaign can also appeal to small-dollar donors, not just large ones.
Tatango integrates easily with most fundraising platforms—no code required. Our SMS marketing experts’ years of experience ensure that when you partner with Tatango, your fundraising SMS campaign will be more efficient and secure.
A text message integrated into your fundraising platform could look like this:
2. Follow TCPA Guidelines
Many people regularly receive unwanted calls, usually scams, which can be pretty annoying. To prevent unwanted contact and keep text messaging a spam-free channel, marketers must obtain consent from all text messaging recipients before sending them a message. The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) is the federal statute that governs text message marketing.
Broadly speaking, the TCPA regulates:
- Who a nonprofit can text
- How a nonprofit can text
- What a nonprofit can text
- When a nonprofit can text
Fines can range from $500 to $1,500 for each text message that violates TCPA rules. When developing your SMS marketing plan, you must be sure it follows the law. With help from SMS marketing experts at Tatango, you can be confident that your SMS nonprofit campaigns will comply with TCPA requirements.
3. Segment Your Subscriber List for Maximum Return
One of the most significant benefits of SMS message fundraising is that it simplifies the donation process for supporters. Including links in your text messages makes it easy for supporters to donate without navigating an online fundraising platform. With Tatango’s integrations, fundraising becomes highly effective. As we mentioned earlier, our clients have reported receiving an average donation of $5 for every $1 they invest in their campaign–that’s a 500% ROI!
List segmentation can help increase that ROI even more. Collect additional important information about your subscribers when they opt in—details such as a subscriber’s time zone, zip code, donations status, birthday, and interests—then use that information to segment your list.
With Tatango, it’s easy to launch a local fundraising campaign and send text messages to specific zip codes or groups. Our marketing features also help you personalize your SMS marketing strategies. Personalization is one of the most effective strategies for generating action. Research shows that personalized experiences drive 80% of consumers to act. There’s nothing more personal than someone’s name. Maximize your fundraising campaign by adding each subscriber’s first name to the message using Tatango’s merge tags.
Strategize Your Nonprofit SMS Marketing with Tatango!
As you can see, SMS marketing is undoubtedly the way to go. Whether you’re looking to raise donations, gain subscribers, or increase supporter loyalty, text messages are the best tool to achieve your marketing goals.
To ensure success, look for the best SMS marketing partner—Tatango is here for you. We provide the best texting software for nonprofit organizations and advocacy groups. Request a free demo to learn how our platform works and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more pro tips about nonprofit SMS marketing and fundraising.
