5 Ways to Increase Your List of Mobile Numbers in 2018
When organizations are looking to start their text-messaging programs, sometimes folks are nervous that they don’t have a large enough list of mobile numbers to start with. As powerful as one-to-one text messaging is, your program will fall flat if you don’t have your target audiences’ mobile numbers. As an organizer looking to launch or even expand your text message outreach, you may be asking yourself: “How do I start collecting mobile phone numbers?
The answer, is actually quite simple: Ask.
“What we try to do is accustom members and volunteers to providing up-to-date contact details often and everywhere. That means every online form, every event registration, every in-person meeting includes folks giving us their email and phone number at the very least, [and] we explicitly ask for cell phone numbers if folks have them.” Gaia Croston, Advocacy Associate, ACLU of San Diego
There are simple things that you can do to start growing your list of mobile numbers organically. Here are our top five tips for growing your mobile list in 2018!
1. Ask for mobile numbers on your organization’s website!
If your organization has a website that’s driving folks to sign up and get involved you should absolutely start asking for mobile numbers here!
Pro tip: Consider making it a required field on your sign up form!
Check out the way our partners at Mom’s Demand Action have made phone number a required field on their “Join us” form! They even take it a step further by pre-selecting the option for their supporters to stay connected via text message alerts! A great way to begin building a warmer list.
2. Ask for mobile numbers in your email campaigns
If your organization is already communicating with your members and supporters via email, use that as a way to begin collecting mobile numbers.
Create a short form to collect mobile information and include it in your next email newsletter. Try using everyday casual language to get folks involved like “Sign up here and we’ll text you about events, updates, and more!”
And if at first you don’t succeed, try try try again. Continue to make the ask in all of your emails — the more times you ask the more mobile phone numbers you’ll receive!
3. Collect mobile phone numbers while tabling
Tabling at an upcoming event? Checking folks in at your next community meeting? Or attending an upcoming conference with an exhibitor’s booth? Don’t forget to ask for mobile numbers here!
Tabling is a great way to kick-off in person conversations with folks interested in your organization. And following up via text is a great way to keep those conversations going when the event ends. Where ever you have foot traffic and a physical sign in form — you should always be asking for mobile phone numbers as well!
Pro Tip: Once you collect those numbers from your tabling event remember to upload them into your CRM/database to solidify your mobile collection efforts!
4. On your Social Media Accounts
Does your organization have a social media account? Ask your followers for their mobile numbers via social media!
- Whether it’s on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter — Social media platforms enable you to reach your followers with just one post! Use this post to ask for their mobile numbers.
- Create a photo or cute Gif with a link to a short form. Remember to keep your short form as simple as possible by asking for First Name, Last Name, and mobile number as required fields! Upload this to social media, and watch the phone numbers start to roll in!
Pro tip: Post the link on your social media accounts once a month — so that you’re always collecting mobile numbers from your existing and new followers!
5. Through Facebook Ads!
Targeted ads are a great way to reach folks that are passionate about the issues your organization is tackling. Whether you’re asking folks to take action by signing a petition, or using ads to inform them about upcoming legislation — why not take that next step and capture their mobile information as well?
Our partners at SEIU Healthcare Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Kansas, United for Quality Care ran Facebook Ad’s a way to collect mobile numbers for their Hustle efforts! They were able to achieve engagement rates as high as 50% via text message, with folks that came in through Facebook Ad sign ups!
Small changes like requiring the mobile number on your forms can have a significant impact on growing your list of mobile numbers. The sooner you start collecting those numbers the sooner you can reach people where they prefer to communicate, on their mobiles phones.
Have more tips for growing your list? Let us know your top tips by leaving a comment below!
Happy Hustling!
