Busting the Myths of Mobile – More Effective Donor Campaigns with Mobile Part Two

If you’ve ever thought about fundraising more effectively; having better engagements with donors, increasing donor retention and breaking through the “clutter” – mobile can do that for you. But not if you get frightened away by the myths you may have heard about mobile. You can realize mobile’s full potential in your fundraising campaign if you get the facts.

So don’t let the myths of mobile scare you! Let us spook-away some of the most frightening myths about mobile before they haunt you. After all, done right, mobile offers treats, not tricks! 

Here’s our Halloween treat for you – Busting the Myths of Mobile! 

This is second in a series of three – read part one and watch for part three as we clear away the cobwebs from more Myths of Mobile.

Myth: The principles of fundraising don’t apply to mobile.

Fact: This myth assumes mobile donors shouldn’t be taken as seriously or importantly as other donors. But ignore them and you are missing opportunities.

Donors who use mobile rate it highly and can be motivated to get involved in your cause in other crucial ways. Our surveys of text donors consistently show that 85 percent of those who have donated money to a charity through text donations rate the experience very positively.  We also know that mobile donors are willing to give in more traditional ways. Text donors are reliable donors and need to be considered a key segment of your donor base.

And, for example, we know that cultivating text donors boosts donation conversion rates of other fundraising channels. Out-of-the-blue text solicitations get a response rate of between 1 and 3 percent.  But add two informational or non-donation texts within one week before soliciting and the donation percentage rises to between 8 percent and 24 percent. Some of our clients have also seen mobile retention rates climb above 90 percent (compared to the average nonprofit retention of 41 percent). That’s cultivation in action!

Through research, identification, cultivation and solicitation mobile becomes more integral to your development campaign.

Myth: Text fundraising is only good for $5 and $10 donations.

Fact: Mobile is a versatile tool for multiple tasks. Pew Research Center recently called mobile the “Swiss army knife” of communication….it’s central to people’s daily lives, allowing them to tie into all kinds of media.

For example, Mobile is another acquisition source for supporters, one that can easily be used at events or in advertising. Forty percent of mobile donors are unique to an organization. Many text donors enter into an organization through mobile. Mobile is a way to build a database of people who are not likely to be involved in your organization already. 

And just as you shouldn’t isolate mobile as a tactic, you shouldn’t silo mobile donors, either. According to our 2013 Text Donation Study, nearly 85 percent of respondents who give to an organization by text are inclined to give larger amounts by other channels. Our 2013 Text Donation Study found that 42 percent of respondents give more than $250 annually through multiple methods. Mobile means more than $5 and $10 donations.

Myth: Mobile is only good for monetary donations.

Fact: People give in three ways – 1) time, 2) money and 3) resources. All can be done through mobile. Time = volunteering; money = donations; resources = in-kind donations, social media engagement, photos and videos – in other words, you can use the mobile phone to document and experience “mission moments.”

Our annual survey shows that donor appetite for additional information from nonprofits via text is increasing. After donation information, respondents indicated they were more receptive to receiving additional information, with 17.6 saying they would like to receive information about surveys (a six point increase over 2012); 32.8 percent said information about volunteering (a nine point jump over 2012); and, 18.7 percent said program information (a four point increase over 2012).

Mobile phones are also the ultimate social media tool. Want your supporters to tweet your messages or their involvement with your campaign on Twitter?  Mobile phone-based Tweeting rose from 53 to 64 percent from March 2012 to October 2012, according to Strategy Analytics.

Mobile is also a great source for donor acquisition – up to 80 percent of mobile donors are unique to an organization.

Watch for more Myth-Busting to come!

Have questions about mobile? Not addressing one of the mobile myths that is confounding your organization? Ask us in the comments, or, call us at 866-720-3350.