Working for charities and non-profits demands a smart approach to community outreach. Without the budget to throw money around, organisations like schools and churches have to get creative with their strategy. Text messaging is the most cost-effective way to do this. If you’re not sure about the role SMS can play in your next outreach campaign, cast your eye over a few of the benefits:
Bespoke Pricing
Using a texting platform that offers flexible pricing is one of the main attractions for community groups working to a tight budget. The ability to purchase a low volume of messages allows nervous first-timers to dip their toe in the water, see what works, and expand from there.
Better Communication
SMS isn’t just a cheaper method of communication – it’s more effective. There is no better way to issue an announcement, disperse updates on the next meeting, or send out inspirational messages. Churches in particular have found texting to be the most reliable way of reaching younger people in their community. And it’s not simply about growing your audience – SMS is a highly efficient platform for staying in touch with staff.
Speed and Ease
When it comes to reaching a large number of people, nothing is as quick and easy as a text message. You can upload names, addresses and phone numbers in a matter of minutes, freeing up time to focus on important projects rather than worrying about sending the right SMS to the right person. It’s also incredibly simple to scale up the operation to include hundreds or thousands of recipients. If you decide it’s time to ‘go large’, you can do it more quickly with SMS.
Scheduling
Being able to schedule messages far in advance of them being sent is another chief selling point for organisations just as time-poor as they are cash-strapped. A couple of clicks and you can make instant updates to your schedule.
Multiple Subscription Lists
Instead of blowing money on glossy newsletters and in-house pamphlets, stay in touch with staff, group members and event organisers using multiple subscription lists. Generate separate categories and send different texts to each one. You’ll never need to worry about out-of-date information being taken as gospel.
For timeliness, relevance, convenience cost and sheer audience numbers, SMS messaging is unparalleled. Why not give text messaging a try to find out if it works for your organisation?