Nonprofit organizations rely heavily on donations to carry out their missions and make a positive impact on the world. In today’s digital age, email and texting, when used in tandem, have become two of the most effective tools for nonprofits to engage donors and increase donations. By using these two channels together, nonprofits can create a powerful strategy to help them achieve their fundraising goals, engage their supporters, and amplify their mission. In this blog post, we’ll explore how nonprofits can use email and texting together to engage donors and increase donations.
Email and Texting: Powerful Tools for Nonprofits
Email and texting are both highly effective channels for nonprofits to communicate with their donors. According to a report by Nonprofit Times, the average open rate for nonprofit emails is around 25%. This means that for every 100 emails sent, 25 are opened and read by the recipient. This is a higher open rate than many other industries, including retail and healthcare.
Text messaging, on the other hand, has even higher open rates. A platform like Tatango, can help your organization achieve a 99% open rate with texting. This means that for every 100 text messages sent, 99 are opened. This is an incredibly high open rate, making texting an excellent tool for nonprofits to engage their donors.
By using email and texting together, nonprofits can create a powerful communication strategy that can help them increase donations and engage donors. Here are some tips on how to use email and texting together effectively.
Tip #1: Use Email to Drive Donors to Text Messaging
One way to use email and texting together is to use email to drive donors to text messaging. Nonprofits can include a call-to-action in their emails, asking donors to text a keyword to a specific number. Once the donor texts the keyword, they can be added to the nonprofit’s text messaging list.
This approach can be highly effective because it allows nonprofits to capture the donor’s attention through email and then engage with them more directly through text messaging. Text messaging is a more personal and immediate communication channel, which can help nonprofits build stronger relationships with their donors.
Tip #2: Repurpose Email Content for Text Messaging
Another way to use email and texting together is to repurpose content from email into a text message. Nonprofits can take content from their email campaigns, such as newsletters or fundraising appeals, and condense it into a shorter text message. This allows nonprofits to reach donors who may not have read the email or who prefer to receive information through text messaging.
When repurposing content for text messaging, it’s important to keep the message short and concise. Nonprofits need to be strategic with their messaging. Including a call-to-action in the text message, such as a link to a donation page, can also help increase donations.
Tip #3: Use Text Messaging for Urgent Appeals
Text messaging is an excellent tool for urgent appeals. If a nonprofit has an urgent fundraising need, such as a disaster relief effort, they can use text messaging to quickly reach their donors and ask for support. Text messaging is a more immediate communication channel than email, which can help nonprofits raise funds quickly in times of need.
When using text messaging for urgent appeals, it’s important to be clear about the urgency of the situation and include a clear call-to-action. Nonprofits should also follow up with donors after the appeal has ended, thanking them for their support and letting them know how their donation made a difference.
Tip #4: Segment Donors for Targeted Communication
Segmenting donors based on their interests and giving history can help nonprofits create more targeted and effective communication campaigns. Nonprofits can use email and text messaging to communicate with different segments of their donor base, providing them with personalized messaging and appeals.
The best way to get the engagement you want to amplify your mission and increase donations is to use email and texting together. By repurposing the stories from your email into texts and you don’t even have to worry about creating new content.
If you don’t currently use texting as part of your digital strategy and are ready to get started with texting, contact our sales team today.
