Posts tagged tactics.
Yes, if you send from a two-way number, and you should. Replies are where texting beats every other channel: a voter asks a real question, a human answers, and that exchange moves people. One-way blasting wastes the medium's biggest advantage.
It depends entirely on the ask, consented, well-targeted lists with a clear question see meaningfully higher engagement than cold blasts, but there's no single magic number. Track your own baseline and improve it; comparing to a stranger's stat is noise.
Yes, to consented contacts, and it's one of the highest-value texts you can send. A timely, specific ballot-chase reminder ('your mail ballot is due, here's how to return it') moves return rates, especially paired with each voter's status where you have it.
Text is excellent for volunteer recruitment and coordination, shift reminders, quick asks, event logistics, because volunteers already want to hear from you. Get their consent at sign-up, then use short, specific, action-ready messages to turn interest into shifts.
Segment by what changes the message, vote method (mail vs in-person), turnout history, geography, volunteer vs donor vs supporter, and whether they've already acted. A smaller, well-segmented send beats a bigger generic one on both response and cost.
A blast is one message to many, one-way, efficient for reminders. A conversation is two-way, a voter can reply and a human answers. Blasts scale information; conversations build persuasion and trust. The strongest programs use both for what each does best.
Build the rules into the tool and the training, not the volunteer's memory. Centralize sending through a compliant platform that handles STOP and quiet hours automatically, give volunteers approved message templates, and never let anyone text the list from a personal phone.
Honor opt-outs instantly and don't argue. If the reply is a STOP-type request in any form ('stop,' 'leave me alone,' 'remove me'), treat it as an opt-out. For genuine hostility, stay brief and polite or don't respond, never escalate a fight by text.