How to use SMS for social change

Making significant alterations over time to certain behaviour patterns and cultural values and norms is not the easiest thing to do, people are comfortable with their way of living and train of thought.

This makes it hard for social initiatives to take a foot hold and recruit volunteers or source funding for their various projects. One of the main issues holding back social initiatives is awareness, marketing is not really something NGOs, and the like are comfortable with, its normally ignored or outsourced to agencies to handle. If either of these situations is familiar to you, have you considered a third alternative in SMS marketing?

Social change is not going to come from just knowing more information, but from doing something with it - Pia Mancini

SMS for social awareness

Generating awareness with SMS has never been a problem. A text message has a 98% open rate, compared to email, which has an 8% open rate. With numbers like these, SMS is the best tool to create awareness and start the course of social change.

Due to the fact that we are all glued our phones and want the world to see and hear us, why not use SMS to let people see and hear about things that matter.

Here are 5 ways that SMS can be used for social change:

1. Create Awareness

With a simple SMS, you can create awareness about a various amount of issues within your country or community. SMS can be used to create awareness about the drug, child abuse, crime, unemployment, etc. and various NGO's and the work they are doing to make the world a better place. Creating awareness makes people more conscious of their choices and actions. SMS can be the perfect reminder and lead to small steps being taken in order to make a difference.

2. Raise Funds

A text message can be one of the most effective tools in encouraging people to donate to a worthy cause. This is a great way for people to get involved and contribute without necessarily being too close to the action of things. Another way SMS can raise funds is by using it as an information and reminder tool, regarding any fundraising events occurring near them and inspiring them to attend and help.

3. Gain Support

SMS can be used to attain volunteers and other additional help regarding your organisation and its needs. SMS is a passive but effective tool in asking for this help and gaining support. Whether it be through monetary value, time spent or through food and clothing contributions.

4. Create a Movement

SMS can be used to create a movement and inspire change. Use SMS to create a domino effect. Encourage people to be the change and start to make a difference and help those in need.

A great tip for this is an incentive. Suggest that each person they share a particular text with, the cost will go towards your particular project and help someone in need. SMS is a tool that can achieve boundless results which can inspire people to create a movement and make a difference.

5. Tips to Make a Difference

SMS can be used to give people tips on how to make a difference and create change within their community and towards your organisation.

Weekly tips, which can also be seen as goals, can be sent out about how they can make a difference and help another by doing small things.

For example, creating awareness and conversation about various issues and how to create the change needed to make things better.

By informing people of what they can to create social change and giving them the tools to do so, change will come sooner than we know.

With SMS being cost-effective, efficient and its ability to reach millions with a simple text, the possibilities of what can be achieved are endless.

Get your social message out there

Getting your message out there is important while using tools that provide the highest reach and level of action from those you're talking to are metrics that should decide how you channel your marketing.

Free tools like social media can only get you so far, and if you feel it's time to spend some money on your marketing, SMS is by far one of the most affordable when it comes to reaching a mass audience.

Contact Us

f you want to know more about SMS marketing, when it will be available and how it can be applied to your business, then contact us directly here.