Text-to-Initiate is an optional Engage feature that enables you to use SMS text messaging and smartphone technologies to increase your organization's reach and supporter engagement. This Engage technology allows you to create a program where supporters text a keyword to a phone number that you have defined in Engage. In response to the keyword text, a confirmation text is sent to supporters. This confirmation text includes a link to your Engage form (except fundraising forms) as a shortened URL (text messages have limited characters).
Through your organization's marketing efforts, supporters learn about your Text-to-Initiate program. Your call-to-action should be "Text <keyword> to <phone number>". Supporters will then use their cell phone to text that keyword to the phone number you suggest. Supporters will in turn receive a text message which includes a website URL for your supporters to click on and take action.
If you have questions about migrating an existing phone number or short code to Salsa to use with Text Messaging, please contact Salsa Support for more information.
Campaign Manager Workflow
Campaign Managers may select one Activity form to relate to each Keyword as the destination link. However, multiple Keywords can be linked to the same activity form.
To configure a Text-to-Initiate program, choose the Keyword that Engage should recognize in the inbound text message. Then, choose the link to send in the reply message to the supporter. The Program Name must identify your organization so that a supporter recognizes exactly who is replying.
Supporter Workflow
Campaign Managers create a program where supporters text a keyword to a phone number. Supporters then receive replies to their text message which contains a hyperlink to one of your activity forms. The supporters click the link and take action on that form, whether it’s a sign-up form or petition, or any of your non-fundraising activity forms.
If supporter A shares the text message with supporter B and both supporters click the link and complete the form, logistically speaking you will see 1 inbound text to your program, 2 total clicks on your destination link, 1 unique click, and 2 conversions.
Text-to-Initiate Keywords
Text-to-initiate programs for all Engage clients may use the same phone number. Therefore, keywords make different text-to-initiate programs unique. For example, Foundation1 may have supporters text "HUNGER2019" to a phone number and Foundation2 may have supporters text "PAEITC" to the same number. The text responses to those keywords will be completely different because the organizations reserved those keywords for use only by their organization.
Reserve new keywords so that your organization can use them for Text-to-Initiate programs. Release keywords that are no longer needed so other organizations may use them. You can not use a Released keyword, but you can always add the keyword again in the future, assuming no one else has reserved it and is using it.
Keywords may be created separately from Text-to-Initiate programs so as to reserve them for future programs. They may also be created within the Text-to-Initiate creation process.