MobileActive.org

Introduction

Imagine if every member of the legislature could see a message from your constituents, just by looking out the window. A text-to-screen campaign allows for exactly this: A large screen, for example right outside the State House, that brings your constituents’ text messages to legislators eyes.

Not only can people in front of the screen see the message, but anybody can watch a live feed of the messages on the screen on a website. "Text to screen allows people in remote locations to interact in a meaningful way with one location," said Jed Alpert of Mobile Commons.

Individuals interact with the screen by sending a text message (also called SMS) to a short code (a five or six-digit phone number). The SMS is then displayed on a so-called jumbotron, as well as on a web screen.

Text to screen can function as a unique way for advocacy groups to use interactive media to

• build a database of mobile phone numbers for future use
• show the opinions and demands of a constituency/the public to decision makers in a highly visible manner
• generate media and public attention.

Case Study: It's OUR Healthcare!

In October of 2007, California activist coalition It's OUR Healthcare! (IOH) ran a text to screen advocacy campaign which allowed people to text in messages about health care to a screen set up in front of the California Statehouse in Sacramento. The campaign was designed in response to a health care proposal by California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The screen, about 9x12 feet large, was set up within viewing distance of the building. The IOH campaign also used a webcam to film the screen, publishing it as a live feed on their website. IOH encouraged people to "text message the governor" an SMS with their thoughts or personal experiences regarding California health care.

How did they do it?

The text message campaign was a two-step process. First, the user would send the keyword "IOH" to a short code, and then receive a text message back that would allow them to send a message to the screen. Some of the organizers at the different partner organizations also arranged "watch parties" and got everyone in their offices to send text messages.

Lockshin attributes some of the success of the campaign to the mixed media nature of the advertising. "I think that part of the reason it was successful is because it wasn't just email and it wasn't just text," he said.

The campaign used Mobile Commons as its text-to-screen vendor (which also supplied the short code) and Blackrock as its consultant. The campaign initially encountered some technical issues with its flash set up, but overall, it seemed to have performed mostly according to plan.

Organizers used two computers equipped with cellular broadband cards. One computer was attached to the video screen and was running a flash player. The other computer was connected to a video camera which was aimed at the screen, sending a live feed to the IOH website using Ustream. When text messages were sent to the Mobile Commons short code, they were published as an RSS feed and then displayed on the screen.

Messages sent to the screen included:

• "The hospital I work at does not serve medical patients in east San Jose. Please sign into law affordable healthcare for all Californians."

• "I am a single income mother putting 2 kids through college. There's no way I can afford a $5000 deductible for each of us."

• "Everyone should be covered. I have a 1-year old disabled son and if he ever needs medical attention I have to pay out of pocket."

• "Please provide accessible and expanded health insurance for low income."

What did it cost?

Costs can include the following:

• The mobile vendor supplying the mobile messaging platform (costs vary widely, but approximately $1-3,000 USD per month, depending on vendor and geographic location)

• Per-message costs for any reply SMS messages to those texting in (costs depend entirely on volume of reply text messages and location as well as agreement with the vendor and gateway providers)

• Developer costs to implement streaming of messages on the organization's web site, any mobile campaign customization on the vendor side. (Note that most mobile marketing vendor platforms have out-of-the-box text to-screen functionality that will not require much if any customization)

• Hardware/software costs: screen rental, webcams, etc.

• Staff costs to plan, design, implement, promote, manage, and evaluate the text-to-screen campaign

• Any consultant costs for strategic or technical assistance

What was the impact/results?

According to Matt Lockshin, the online organizer for IOH, the group received about 600 SMS messages on the day of the campaign. The campaign was marketed through various methods, including email alerts to members of the coalition, a web form that allowed users to sign up for text messages, Facebook flyers, and advertising through the individual coalition members. The response rate was high; Locksmith said that about 47% of the people who had previously opted in to the campaign sent an SMS on the campaign day.

Key questions you should ask yourself

Before beginning the campaign, decide if a text to screen campaign is right for you.

• What is the campaign objective? Text-to-screen campaigns work well in some campaigns, but are probably not the best campaign strategy for others. For example, text to screen works well at a live event such as a concert, where people are concentrated in one space. Text-to-screen campaigns are likely to not work as well if your target audience if defuse or not physically located in one location.

• How are you integrating the text-to-screen campaign into your overall campaigns communications? A text to screen campaign needs to be integrated with other media in order to be effective. Options include print media, a campaign website, email lists, and other media forms. A live feed on your website also another dimension to a text-to-screen campaign because it allows people to connect to the campaign through the web and interact in a meaningful way with the campaign remotely. People who will never see the screen can text in a message and then view their message over the Internet.

• Does your organization have the existing media available (like a website, or already established email subscriber lists) to make a text to screen campaign effective?

• Evaluate the costs -- is a text to screen campaign feasible for you? The easiest way to do the campaign technically is to hire a mobile vendor. A text-to-screen campaign costs several thousand dollars, although costs vary depending on how the messages are projected. Mobile Commons charges $2,000 a month for the platform. Costs to include in your estimate are the cost of the webcam, vendor costs, the costs of the screen or wall where the messages will be projected, the projector, and the human/labor costs involved.

• What's your call to action? The messages should be worded clearly and concisely. Make sure that all messages fit within the 160 character limit of a text message. You will most likely want to use a shared short code because of cost and time constraints of buying your own short code. Because the short code is shared, users will have to opt-in to a particular keyword in the first message. This can be followed up by a campaign response asking users to send their message to the screen.

Short Codes

A short code is a telephone number for an SMS, or text message. The codes are made up of a combination of five or six numbers. The codes are leased by NeuStar, which operates the Common Short Code Registry. To get their own code, organizations must fill out an application and pay a leasing fee of $500 a month for a random code or $1000 a month for a vanity code. However, most mobile vendors buy short codes from NeuStar, which they then share among their clients. For example, two clients of the same vendor might use the same short code, but each would text in a different keyword in order to differentiate the two campaigns.

Even one campaign can use multiple keywords. For example, an environmental campaign might use the keyword “earth” for advertising on television and the keyword “ocean” for advertising on the web. By comparing which keyword received more texts, an organization can see what social marketing strategies are most effective.

A Text-to-Screen Campaign in 10 Simple Steps

1.Hire a mobile vendor. For vendors focused on the NGO sector, you might want to check the MobileActive vendor directory

2.The vendor will provide you with a short code and its platform that lets you track incoming messages, filter them, and approve them for the screen.

3. Craft a mobile marketing strategy to advertise your campaign. Be clear about your goals, audience, messaging, and integration with other media.

4. Ensure that your constituency is available and ready for action.

5. Determine your PR and earned media strategy.

6. Set up your web site and test it.

7. Set up the screen and webcam, and make sure that the live feed is functional.

8. On campaign day, use the mobile platform provided by the vendor to publish the text messages to a screen.

9. After the campaign, follow up with users who texted in and engage them in a thoughtful ladder of interaction. One of the advantages of a text-to-screen campaign is that it builds your database of mobile phone users. Now that you have all these mobile phone numbers, how will you use them in the future? You could consider sending each user a message thanking them for participating and asking if they want to be notified of other campaigns or receive SMS notifications. You can also ask people to text in their email address in order to continue with web-based follow-up or fundraising.

10. Evaluate the campaign. How many people texted in? If you used multiple keywords, which was most successful? Was most participation from local numbers or from people who saw the live feed on the Internet? Were there technical problems that could have easily been resolved? How could you make a text to screen campaign more successful in the future?

Technical Considerations

• Make sure you have all the technical pieces in place. The mobile marketing vendor will provide the mobile platform. However, you need to set up other parts of the campaign, such as the live feed and projection. The text can be broadcast either on a large screen (the IOH campaign used a large screen that was located in the back of a pick-up truck) or on a white wall.

• Decide how the web broadcast will work. Options include either having a live feed of the messages on a widget that could be posted on a website or having a webcam that actually films the screen on location. Consider the advantages and disadvantages of both options. A webcam may initially seem simpler, since a widget will require additional technical expertise to design. However, a webcam is also dependent on outside circumstances such as inclement weather. If using a webcam, you'll need to use an interactive video platform. The IOH campaign used Ustream.tv., a free vendor.

• If you’re using a shared short code, consider multiple keywords. This allows you to monitor different advertising techniques and see which is most effective. For example, a campaign email could ask people to send an SMS to short code “healthcare” and a billboard could have the short code “change.” At the end of the campaign, you can see which short code received more responses.

Filtering Options

Mobile vendors who provide text-to-screen functionality should offer a variety of filtering options. The messages can either be published automatically, with a spam filter that blocks messages with certain keywords, or published manually.

If published manually, someone will need to check the messages to assure that the content is appropriate and then publish them to the screen. Make sure that you understand the filters and decide which option to use. While yo have more control when approving all messages, you also have to be sure that someone is available throughout campaign day to approve messages. Most mobile vendors provide approval via mobile phone so not one person needs to be glued to the computer.

Although it's best to publish messages almost immediately so that users can instantly see their words on the screen, it might also make sense to space messages out that were sent in at once so to have a steady stream.

Mobile Marketing Rules

The Mobile Marketing Code of Conduct, enforced by the Mobile Marketing Association, dictates that individuals specifically opt-in to a mobile campaign. Acceptable methods of opting in include voice consent, website registration, an SMS or MMS opt-in process, or other means. All SMS sent must also contain an option to opt-out of a campaign as well. The MMA requires that the opt-out process be accessible from every message and an explanation of the opt-out process be included frequently. The MMA Code of Conduct is available here Your mobile vendor will ensure that you fully comply, but you should be aware of this Code.

A Checklist for best practices for a text-to-screen campaign

• Make sure you have very clear campaign objectives.
• Market the campaign effectively.
• Integrate the campaign with your website and other media.
• Follow-up with people who texted in and recruit them to join your mobile campaign.
• Write text messages with concise and effective wording.
• Solicit text messages from already established supporters, such as an email list.

Additional resources

It’s OUR Healthcare on the MobileActive blog and Texting the Governor.

The Mobile Marketing Association Code of Conduct

Mobile Marketing Resources from the MMA