Consumer-focused businesses are making the most of text messaging. Why aren’t nonprofits? The latest episode of Your Rally Point podcast explores how consumer businesses leverage text messaging and how nonprofits can do it too. Hosts James Martin and Jack Bobin talk about how business marketing works and explain that nonprofits need to pay attention to donor acquisition cost and donor lifetime value. It makes financial sense to follow up on potential donors and incomplete donor forms. Some simple strategies can boost your fundraising. It’s basic economics.

What You’ll Learn

• Text messaging remains a powerful yet misunderstood tool for engagement.
• Nonprofits often lag behind consumer brands in adopting technology for communication.
• Understanding consumer behavior can help nonprofits improve their engagement strategies.
• Donor lifetime value is a key metric for nonprofits to consider in their marketing efforts.
• Nonprofits should simplify the process for donors to engage and contribute.
• Donors shouldn’t have to come to you to learn what you’re doing.
• Let’s take these consumer-facing strategies and redeem them.
• Consumer companies spent billions of dollars figuring this out, and nonprofits can learn from that.

Resources

• What is RCS? Rich communication services explained.

Quotables

• "Texting hasn't changed in 20 years, and it's the most misunderstood technology."
• “How do we move 20 million people to donate a billion dollars on behalf of churches and charities? That's really the only thing I care about.”
• “I like helping people.”
• “Nonprofits, love y'all, but we're always pulling them forward into technology.”
• “These consumer brands are leveraging text messaging. I think the key for us is how do we do it gently? Because nonprofits are different.”
• “Your message is different. But the technology is the same.”
• “It's time for nonprofits to come to their donors.”
• “Texting is a way to move yourself in front of your donors.”
• “What is your donor lifetime value? What is your donor acquisition cost? And then can we look at ways to drive engagement, click through, and conversion?”

Skip to What You Want to Hear

• 00:00 - Welcome Back and Personal Updates
• 02:45 - The Importance of Connecting with People
• 05:24 - Consumer Engagement in Nonprofits
• 09:53 - Consulting Insights on Text Messaging
• 11:51 - The Value of Text Messaging for Nonprofits
• 15:25 - Understanding Consumer Behavior
• 20:22 - Leveraging Technology for Nonprofits
• 22:17 - The Need for Nonprofits to Communicate Effectively
• 30:30 - Final Thoughts on Nonprofit Engagement

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