Photo by Eve on Unsplash

‘Text-to-join’, ‘text-to-take-action’, ‘keyword texting’ — it goes by many names, but it means the same thing: people can now take action with just a text! Text-to-take-action enables you to build sophisticated mobile messaging programs with supercharged list-building capabilities and even more ways for your supporters to take action.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Add a keyword to one of your petitions, forms, or events — something like SIGN, JOIN, or RSVP.
  2. When anyone texts the keyword to your short code or toll free number, they’ll be taking action on that petition, form, or event, and they’ll be subscribed to your mobile list as well.
  3. Using Ladders, you can send a thank you text, make a donation ask, or collect additional info from your new activist, such as first name, zip code, or email address. (Tip: Use Ladder templates to streamline this process!)

It’s that easy!

Keywords explained:

This may be new jargon if you’re unfamiliar with mobile blast or A2P (application-to-person vs. P2P, peer-to-peer). As noted above, keywords can be any combination of letters and numbers (no special characters or spaces) like 12345, SIGN, CLIMATE or the most common, JOIN. Activists can text the keyword into a short code or toll free number to subscribe and take action!

If you’ve never used mobile messaging before, you may be wondering how you could incorporate text-to-take-action into your digital program. Here are a couple examples of how we think you might be able to start using text-to-take-action right away to grow your program:

Mari’s Mobile Messaging Muse #1: An easy mobile welcome series for new activists

Use this template flow to build your list at events (virtual and in-person, hopefully someday) and gather info from new activists for future follow ups.

Step 1: Create a signup form and add a text-to-take-action keyword — something like JOIN.

You can see here I’ve already added JOIN as a keyword to this form in Action Network.

Step 2: On the form’s Preview or Manage page, click ‘Create a Ladder from this action’ and select the ‘Mobile Welcome’ Ladder template from the pop up.

Step 3: Create your welcome series Ladder from the template, including a thank you message (“Thanks for signing up!”) and a couple follow up messages with questions and wait-and-store steps asking for the activist’s first name, zip code, and email address or even asking them a survey question.

In this flow I ask for first name, store it in the first name field, and then query if I have first name stored. Fun!

Step 4: Test the keyword and Ladder — don’t skip this step!

Step 5: Put out the ask for people to sign up for updates from your organization by texting in the keyword. You could push out graphics on social media with the keyword and phone number, or you could ask attendees at your next virtual meeting to sign up via the keyword (“Before we introduce our featured speaker this evening, please sign up for updates by texting JOIN to 55555.”).

Neato! You nailed it!

Text JOIN to 612–688–1927 and try out a mobile welcome ladder yourself!

Mari’s Mobile Messaging Muse #2: Petition with a follow up fundraising ask

Use this template flow to recruit more of your supporters as recurring donors to your organization!

Step 1: Create a petition and add a text-to-take-action keyword — let’s say the keyword is SIGN.

Step 2: On the petition’s Preview or Manage page, click ‘Create a Ladder from this action’ and select the ‘Blank Ladder’ option from the pop up to start from scratch. Select the ‘took a specific action’ trigger and make sure you check the box to only trigger if activists took action via mobile message.

This is my trigger: the specific action, and only people who took action by keyword.

Step 3: Create your follow up Ladder, including a thank you message (“Thanks for signing!”) and a decision step that decides if the activist is already a recurring donor or not (if you track that sort of thing — otherwise, no need for this decision step). If the activist is not a recurring donor, set the Ladder so that the next message the activist receives is a request for a donation.

Here I’m checking: is this person a recurring donor? Because if they are, I don’t want to ask them to donate today.

Step 4: Test the keyword and Ladder — don’t skip this step!

Step 5: Put out the ask for people to sign your petition by texting in the keyword. You could push out graphics on social media with the keyword and phone number, or you could ask attendees at your next virtual meeting to sign the petition via the keyword (“Before we introduce our featured speaker this evening, please sign our petition by texting SIGN to 55555.”).

That’s it! Nice job!

Try this ladder out yourself! Text SIGN to 612–688–1927

Mari’s Mobile Messaging Muse #3: An event follow up via mobile message and email

Do you have two follow up asks for event attendees? Is one more appropriate for email (requires a bit more explanation) and one perfect for mobile (quickly and easily explained)? Use this template flow to automatically set both follow ups to go out to your activists right after an event.

Step 1: Create an event and add a text-to-take-action keyword — something like RSVP.

Note: If the keyword is already being used in your group, you’ll see this message.

Step 2: On the event’s Preview or Manage page, click ‘Create a Ladder from this action’ and select the ‘Mobile & Email Follow up’ Ladder template from the pop up.

Step 3: Create your mobile and email follow ups from the template and set the follow ups to go out right after the event wraps up. This way, attendees will receive both follow ups automatically right after the event concludes.

Step 4: Test the keyword and Ladder — don’t skip this step!

Step 5: Put out the ask for people to RSVP for your event by texting in the keyword. You could push out graphics on social media with the keyword and phone number, or you could ask attendees at your next virtual meeting to sign up via the keyword (“Before we introduce our featured speaker this evening, please RSVP for our upcoming organizing meeting by texting RSVP to 55555.”).

Bingo! That’s the ticket!

Text-to-take-action is a massive addition to our Mobile Messaging tool, and we can’t wait to see what your organization will do with it!

Want to see this feature in action? We’re hosting a special text-to-take-action training on Thursday, March 18th at 3pm ET. RSVP for it here, or text RSVP to 612–688–1927 (see what we did there?).

How Text-To-Take-Action Helps You Build Your Mobile List was originally published in Powering Progressive Movements on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.