You need permission to text people. That opt-in consent is important. James Martin and Jack Bobin talk about the different types of texting and what the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) requires. But at the end of the day, it’s about people. So do what’s right. Jack calls it the red face test. They cover application-to-person (A2P) texting vs. peer-to-peer (P2P) texting and how political campaigns have their own rules (which explains a lot!). They talk about what to do with an old list and how building engagement is a long on-ramp.

What You’ll Learn

• Organizations need a reason to exist.
• If you can’t connect people, then it’s all for naught.
• The TCPA provides guidelines for messaging practices.
• If you’ve engaged with someone in the last 12 months, you can reach out.
• How peer-to-peer (P2P) texting works and why political orgs can do it.
• Why consent matters.
• It’s a long on-ramp to engaging people to the point they’ll want texts. Don’t be impulsive.
• Exclusivity is a great incentive.

Here’s a resource with 20 more effective incentives.

Quotables

• "Organizations need a reason to exist."
• “It’s the foundation of how to reach out to people in the right way.”
• “40% of my time is spent talking about what we call acquisition or acquiring consent.”
• “I have this old list of people, can I text them? We call it the red face test. Super technical, right? … That simply means if you sent them a text message, would they be put off by that?”
• “We follow the rules… we’ll kick you off our platform. Just to be clear, we’ve booted many people off.”
• "We’re in this business for results.”
• “We meet people where they are on a device that's in their pocket on a medium that's not easy to ignore.”
• “If you haven't talked to your friend for six months and you send them a text saying, ‘Join me Saturday. I'm buying pizza. Help me move.’ What are the chances?”
• “The message isn't, we need your donation today. The message is, thank you for being a supporter for all these years.”
• “People just get tired of the emotion.”
• “You’re already doing it anyway, we’re just allowing you to do it in an easier way.”
• “If you haven't been getting clear consent in the last 12, 24 months and you don't act today, you will not have consent in the next 24, 12 months.”
• "Texting doesn't have to be complicated."

Skip to What You Want to Hear

• 00:00 - The Importance of Purpose in Organizations
• 02:47 - Connecting People and Organizations
• 05:36 - Understanding Text Messaging Types
• 11:08 - The Law: Telephone Consumer Protection Act
• 13:30 - Engagement and Consent in Nonprofit Messaging
• 16:16 - Offering Both P2P and A2P While Following the Rules
• 18:55 - Building Relationships Through Permission-Based Marketing
• 20:47 - Strategies for Opt-In Engagement
• 22:35 - What Works
• 25:44 - Integrating Text Messaging With Existing Platforms
• 29:52 - Navigating Regulations and Ensuring Compliance
• 32:29 - Reactivating Old Contacts and Future Strategies

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