In the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake last week, amidst the rescue effort headlines, is a robust discussion in the digital marketing industry around the power of text message campaigns to quickly mobilize people while creating an audience. At one week after the earthquake, the American Red Cross's text message (SMS) campaign alone has raised over $24 million dollars for the relief effort.
The simple campaign asks people to text the word "Haiti" to short code 90999. Once the user answers the confirmation message, a $10 charge is added to their mobile bill that month. After you confirm, you're again prompted; this time, asking if you would like to receive Red Cross alerts straight to your mobile phone.
That's right. The Red Cross raised $24 million dollars in one week from 2.4 million individual $10 donations by people with mobile phones. Why did it work? The message got out when the disaster was getting the most coverage and offered donors instant gratification in donating via an unprecedentedly simple method.
The campaign itself is viral because it's short, timely, memorable, and actionable. You can easily tell someone "Text "Haiti" to 90999 to donate $10 to the relief effort" in a text message, tweet, status update, a phone call, or an email. Using text and social networking technology, the message has potential to spread exponentially, and this one did. As a result, expect to see more charities and relief agencies using SMS for fundraisers when time is of the essence.
The larger lesson for businesses amidst the tragedy that prompted the campaign is great. Text messaging campaigns have taken the "impulse buy" and freed it from the four walls of a retail store. Now people can respond to an ad campaign, make a quick purchase, or make a quick donation right where they are, with the same convenience of chatting with a friend.
Further, you can build opt-in lists and notify people of promotions, sales, or send news alerts that will reach them instantly in the future. Many short code providers have CRM systems so you can manage customer relationships and even integrate their text profiles with their online profiles in your main e-commerce or CRM system.
While SMS short codes have been around for years, the tragedy in Haiti is being marked by the industry as an event that has now proven the critical mass--and the effectiveness--of SMS response campaigns. If you are curious about ways your business can utilize short codes and integrate them with the rest of your digital strategy, talk to KeyLimeTie. Or, if you'd like to read up on short codes, see this informative article on GigaOM.
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