Getting Started with Mobile Outreach

1. Getting Started with Mobile Outreach July 2010

2. What We’ll Cover • Why Mobile? • What’s Possible? • The Complex World of Mobile • Three and a Half Ways to Implement a Mobile Campaign • Understanding Mobile Apps

3. Introductions Me! What do you hope to get from this session?

4. Why Mobile?

5. People Use Cell Phones About 80% of the US population! In 2007! http://www.gearlog.com As of 2009, 88% of all households have cell phones (Neilsen Convergence Audit, 2009)

6. Some People Use Only Cell Phones

7. They’re Doing a Lot of Things with Them

8. Including Text Messaging “On average, teens use more than 3,500 text messages a month and adults about 500.” -The Neilsen Company, December 2009

9. What’s Possible?

10. Phone Viewable Sites A web-compatible phone can see almost any site, but some look WAY better than others

11. Sending Broadcast Texts If you’ve collected cell phone numbers, you can text them messages – very similar to broadcast email Rock the Vote

12. Ask People to Subscribe

13. HELP YES Can you volunteer this Sat from 1-4? Type YES or NO Great! We’ll see you @ 13 Pier st. @ 1:00 pm. Thanks! Two-way Conversations Want to help? Text “Help” to 88888 You can setup automated responses, with lots of branch points if desired

14. Provide Information from a Database Blue Ocean Institute You can connect texts to a database, so people get automatic texts or responses

15. Collecting Information People can report emergencies or incidents via SMS, which are collected in a database Ushahidi

16. Mobile Giving United Way/ LSU – raised $9000 Collect donations in $5 or $10 increments, charged directly to their phone bill

17. A Word About Mobile Giving • It’s not everything you might want it to be • Only allows either $5 or $10 donations (minus 5-7% processing fees) • Your org needs to have yearly revenues of at least $500,000 (for all but one service) • You don’t receive money until they pay their bill (sometimes months) • You only get their phone number

18. Collecting Pledges Will you help children in need by making a donation to GERT this year? Please respond YES if you can help. YES Thank you so much! Are you able to renew your gift of $200? Please enter the amount you can help with. $200 We so appreciate your support. Please go online to www.gert.org to donate now. Tacking a donation onto a phone bill isn’t the only way to go

19. But Tread Cautiously • Text messages are very personal • It’s a new medium, without established conventions • People often need to pay to receive • Always let people opt out with “STOP” • Read and abide by Mobile Marketing Association’s “U.S. Consumer Best Practices”

20. The Complex World of Mobile

21. In Diagram Form! Vendor provided interface ATT Gateway Sprint Vendor provided interface Gateway API Etc Phone users Payment Third Party

22. Supporting Mobile Giving If you want to take mobile gifts, you need to work with one of three organizations • $350 setup fee • You must work with a vendor as well • Works with a bunch of vendors • About two years old. • Org must be over $500K in annual revenue • $500 setup fee • You must work with Mobile Accord • Only about 6 months old • Org must be over $500K in annual revenue • Has an unusual deal with the Mobile Giving Foundation • No setup fees • Small orgs can use • Must use limited Causecast services There will be additional transaction fees from the vendor

23. Do You Need Your Own Short Code? You will need a five digit “short code” to let people text you. For instance you might ask people to text “HAITI” to 90999. Using a Vendor’s Getting Your Own • About $500/ month for a generic code • About $1000/month for a “vanity” code • Can be customized • Much cheaper • Sometimes more memorable • Perfectly workable

24. Three and a Half Ways to Implement a Mobile Campaign

25. Method 1: Email to Phone Not officially supported, so not 100% reliable or for large quantities Email [phone number@provider]i.e., 2079282779@verizon.com A reasonable choice for small numbers of texts

26. Method 2: Through a Hosted Application Very similar to broadcast email software – send messages and set up two way conversations in an online interface. Aggregator

27. Mozes Text and voice campaigns only; no mobile giving. Very basic texting functionality for up 250 text messages a month, for $10/month per keyword. More complex interactive functionality, integrated with websites and voice, at additional cost

28. CauseCast Mobile Specializes in mobile giving and pledges, through MGF, at $99/month Exempt from $500K revenue rule --and size nonprofit can use Also has basic texting, for an additional fee

29. BulkSMS Only broadcast texting to a list; very few interactivity options. Priced by the text, at $0.04 - $0.05 per text.

30. More Full Featured Options Full featured platforms which support complex campaigns Easy-to-use interface, with sophisticated functionality (two way, targeted, more). Supports mobile giving through MGF. Plans start at $500/month Another full featured platform which supports complex campaigns. Supports mobile giving through MGF. Plans start at $250/month Runs and supports donations through mGive. Plans run $400 - $1,500/ month

31. Look At Prices Carefully Pricing is complicated – read terms carefully to understand Setup fee (generally a few hundred dollars) Monthly fees (typically $250/month+) Per text fees (can be a few cents per) Transaction fees for donations

32. Method 3: Via API Use a service that allows you to communicate with the gateway programmatically– with the skills of a programmer Good to integrate mobile with your other data, or to interface texts with a database of information

33. Clickatell Pay per message, averaging $.04/message Existing modules for Drupal, others, to integrate

34. MBlox Bigger, more “enterprise” than Clickatell Supports most mobile transactions including billing, advertising, free to end user, etc. Also consider Celltrust, SMS Everywhere

35. Method 3.5 Sending Via Your Own Phone You could send messages via your own phone or GSM modem and a software package like Frontline, Gammu, or Kannel… But US carriers frown on it and are likely to shut down your account

36. Understanding Mobile Apps

37. What is a Mobile App? A package of functionality (game, directory, or more) that’s accessed through a smart phone They’re platform dependant (so a iPhone app won’t work on a Blackberry)

38. Example: American Cancer SocietyBirthday App Keeps track of your friends’ birthdays, lets you send them eCards, and makes it easy to give to the American Cancer Society. For iPhone.

39. Example: Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch App Mobile version of their “pocket guide” (for iPhone) that helps people choose “ocean friendly seafood”

40. Example: Salvation ArmyChristmas Music App Provides a library of Christmas music. The iPhone app costs $2.99, $1 goes to Salvation Army.

41. Example: The EXTRAORDINARIES Allows people to complete small tasks, like locating something on a map, tagging a photo, or translating text via an iPhone app. Nonprofits can sign up.

42. There’s Lots of Incompatible Platforms You’ll need to choose the platform that supports the phones you want to reach (or build multiple apps) • Java ME • Symbian • Android • BlackBerry • iPhone OS • .Net Compact Framework • BREW • Pocket PC and Microsoft Smartphone

43. iPhones are Trendy... But they’re not the only game in town. What’s your audience using? Source: Neilsen Convergence Audit, 2009

44. You Can Create Your Own Simple App There are several sites that will help you create an iPhone app simply to stream content or create other basic apps Consider AppMakr, Swep Apps, MobBase They’re $100-$200 or so to create an app

45. But You Probably Want to Hire a Programmer The iPhone development environment

46. Questions?