In our environmentally sensitive times, the truly smart companies are doing everything they can to show their social responsibility. From Starbucks’ “Grounds for Your Garden” initiative to The Body Shop championing human rights, CSR (corporate social responsibility) isn’t simply a bandwagon to be jumped upon for some free publicity; it’s a way of showing that a business actually cares enough to give something back. It’s also being used to demonstrate that corporations can use their immense power for the greater good, as a way of provoking social change.
Your company might not be a Starbucks-sized giant, but that doesn’t diminish your power to make a difference, and this is where the humble SMS comes into play. A campaign to raise social awareness of an issue—or one that invites users to donate to a cause—can be an effective tool of social change, and can even help your business in the process.
Bringing About Social Change
Plenty of companies have started using SMS campaigns to increase social awareness, which should be no surprise given the increasing reliance on mobile technology to conduct business. Phones are now an intimate part of our world, and short texts that interrupt the daily monotony can be incredibly effective.
This is especially true if the SMS allows the receiver to become involved in a cause that matters to them. This makes the target audience an important factor. For your business to involve itself in a cause, it is best that there be some kind of correlation between the product or service you offer and the issue at hand. As previously mentioned, Starbucks involves itself in a number of environmental causes due to its reliance on agriculture (coffee beans).
Once you have found a suitable cause that is both noteworthy and is relevant to your target audience, the next step is to craft the text itself. The types of campaigns can vary, from simple donation requests, to interactive competitions and even text-back initiatives to allow the customer to make a simple response.
The text may be the entirety of the campaign, or it may lead to a website with additional information. Either way, the message should be clear, easy to understand, and yet still short; brevity is key, even when dealing with serious issues.
Remember, the reason for the campaign is not only to gain business or exposure, but to support a cause and give something back to the community. This should shine through in your message more than anything else.
Again, the brevity of the SMS can make this difficult, but just a quick smattering of details alongside a link to donate won’t stir anyone into action.
The Receiving End
As with any campaign, marketing or otherwise, the texts cannot be allowed to become intrusive. Companies should have lists of subscribers who have agreed to receive texts, and this is a right that is to be used with caution.
For a campaign awareness campaign, however, a single, well-written text should suffice. A follow-up message thanking all donors and participants may follow, but apart from this, it is best left up to the customers to reply.
The reply itself should be based on a simple task, like requesting a simple word that contributes a donation to a certain cause, for example. Another could be offering deals such as vouchers or coupons to participating customers in order to properly thank them for their contribution.
Serving your clients as well as a noble cause is a certain method of gaining loyal followers who will admire the work of your business, as well as its social awareness.
For the Cause
The trend of corporate social awareness continues to grow, bringing out a philanthropic side of large corporations and engaging their customers with marketing schemes aimed not at taking, but giving something back.
With a well-planned SMS campaign strategy, your business could do the same, all the while cementing your standing as an organization that the public can trust.
