USING TEXTING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

U SIN G TEX TIN G FOR COMMU N ITY EN G AG EMEN T 1 OF 7

USING TEXTING FOR

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT

Texng and messaging apps are fantasc campaign tools

that enable you to have a real-me, two-way dialogue

with supporters and move them to acon. Because

texng is such a common form of communicaon in our

world, communicang with supporters in the same way

they communicate with friends and family members can

help build trust, put a human “face” to your organizaon,

encourage interacon and move people to act. Leverage

text messaging applicaons as an engagement and

relaonship-building tool.

Note of cauon: The California Tobacco Control Program

(CTCP) funded organizaons are not permied to engage

in lobbying. Make sure your texng eorts do not include

language that is, or could be, perceived as lobbying.

Your organizaon may have IT restricons against using

personal cell phones for business purposes that make

implemenng a texng program more dicult. You may

consider engaging your coalion members to drive this

aspect of your campaign if texng is not the right t for

your organizaon.

MAKE SURE YOU

COMPLY WITH

APPLICABLE LAWS

Organizaons can only

text people who have

previously provided their

contact informaon to

the campaign and cannot

use auto-dialers to send

messages to people.

If your supporters ask you

to no longer text them,

you must comply with

their request and take

them o your text list.

While paid peer to peer programs like Hustle and Relay can

be eecve tools in campaign organizing, CTCP funds at

present cannot be used to support them. There are however

eecve free services such as WhatsApp, Google Voice,

Facebook Messenger, and Signal. This resource focuses on

how to use these free texng/messaging applicaons for

community organizing and engagement. These types of

applicaons are available on all major plaorms, including

iOS, Android, Windows Phone, and Mac and PC.

Please note that it is dicult to ensure full privacy while

using these apps.

HOW TO USE TEXTING TO BOLSTER A CAMPAIGN OR COMMUNITY ORGANIZING EFFORT

LET’S BEGIN!

U SIN G TEX TIN G FOR COMMU N ITY EN G AG EMEN T 2 OF 7

FREE TEXTING AND MESSAGING APPS

YOUR CAMPAIGN CAN USE

GOOGLE VOICE

You can send text messages for free to U.S.

numbers using a Google Voice number on your

phone, tablet, or computer. Using Google Voice

allows your volunteers or sta to send text

messages on behalf of your campaign without

sharing their personal phone numbers.

Google Voice is best used to text supporters

with whom you do not have an established

relaonship.

Advantages

• Can send messages to any U.S. number even

if the recipient does not have the Google

Voice applicaon downloaded to their

smart phone or device.

• Allows users to keep their personal phone

number private.

• Allows you to text from your internet

browser.

Disadvantages

• Cannot send mass messages to a list or group

of more than seven people at one me.

• Limits text messages sent from Google Voice

to 160 characters if you are texng a non-

Google Voice number.

• Requires a Wi-Fi connecon to work.

hps://voice.google.com/u/0/about

WhatsApp can be used to send text messages

and voice messages, make voice and video calls,

as well as share images, videos, and documents

to other U.S. numbers who have also installed

the WhatsApp applicaon.

WhatsApp is best used to text supporters with

whom you have an established relaonship.

Advantages

• Works on any smartphone, tablet, or computer.

• Unlimited real-me messaging.

• Allows you to create groups of up to 256

people so users can have a central place of

communicaon.

• Allows you to share images, videos,

documents, and other forms of media.

• Allows you to make video calls with up to

eight people at once.

Disadvantages

• Requires that people you are communicang

with have WhatsApp on their phone, tablet,

or computer.

• Not eecve for recruitment due to the

requirement that others have the app on

their device.

hps://www.whatsapp.com/join/

U SIN G TEX TIN G FOR COMMU N ITY EN G AG EMEN T 3 OF 7

SIGNAL

You can send messages for free using Signal on

your phone, tablet, or computer.

Signal is best used to text supporters with whom

you have an established relaonship.

Advantages

• Simple. Signal only has a single screen

for all of your messages and a single

compose buon.

• Allows you to send texts, photos, videos,

documents, and voice messages to an

individual or a group.

• There’s no limit on the number of people you

can add to a group.

• The app is encrypted and allows you to set an

expiraon date on messages, so they are no

longer recoverable.

• You can download a desktop app for your

computer or tablet.

Disadvantages

• The other person(s) you are communicang

with must have Signal on their phone, tablet,

or computer.

• Few customizaon capabilies.

hps://signal.org/en/

FACEBOOK MESSENGER

Facebook Messenger allows you to message

people using an app on your phone, computer,

or tablet.

Facebook Messenger is best used to text

supporters with whom you have an established

relaonship.

Advantages

• On average, 1.79 billion people log

onto Facebook daily – there is a lot of

opportunity to connect.

• You don’t need a Facebook account to use

Facebook Messenger.

• Allows you to message any Facebook user.

• Allows you to send messages to individuals

or groups of up to 150 people.

• Can send voice messages, photos, and

videos, or capture your own media using

the Facebook Messenger camera.

• Allows you to create polls to quickly get a

group opinion on an idea.

Disadvantages

• Dicult to fully protect your privacy.

hps://www.messenger.com/

U SIN G TEX TIN G FOR COMMU N ITY EN G AG EMEN T 4 OF 7

PAID PEER-TO-PEER PROGRAMS

BEST PRACTICES FOR TEXTING YOUR SUPPORTERS

There are several paid peer-to-peer texng plaorms

that you or your coalion members can use to text

supporters (using non-CTCP funds). Hustle and

Relay are the two biggest peer-to-peer plaorms

that allow you to easily send and track thousands

of messages in minutes using a program or website.

These peer-to-peer texng programs can be used to:

• Invite people to come to an event

or city council meeng.

• Recruit volunteers.

• Recruit people to send messages to

decision makers.

• Solicit signatures in support of a

campaign issue.

• Stay in touch with supporters to maintain

your organizaon’s relaonships.

DRAFT A SAMPLE

SCRIPT FOR

VOLUNTEERS OR

STAFF TO USE

Have the inial text and a set

of potenal responses ready,

so your sta or volunteers

can easily stay “on message.”

USING TEXTING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 5 OF 7

• Keep your texts short.

• Consider how people will respond. Dra

sample answers for your texters.

• Even if you write a detailed script, provide

opons on how to respond. Ancipate they

will go o-script and will need to know how to

get back on message.

• Preparing volunteers and sta to stay on

message will be key to any peer-to-peer

texng eort.

HOW TO DRAFT A SAMPLE SCRIPT:

1. Start with a greeng to ensure

the text will be read.

2. Provide an “opt-out” opon.

3. Pose open ended quesons to lead to

back and forth conversaons.

4. Quickly get to your ask.

5. Say why their support/help is needed.

6. Thank the person for their me.

See some sample scripts below that you can use

when using texng or messaging apps to reach

out to your supporters.

Whether you’re using texng or another

communicaon and engagement device,

eecvely advancing tobacco control

policies requires supporters, people

in the community who care about the

issue and want to make change happen.

These supporters may be individuals –

peers, friends, family, and co-workers

– who want to get involved and support

your policy eorts. Or they may be

local organizaons who could join your

coalion and bring with them their

unique brand and membership. These

supporters represent the people with

whom you can engage through eecve

texng and messaging eorts, to give

them things to do in support of your

policy goals and campaign acvies.

• Somemes a volunteer or sta needs the

help of a leader.

• Make sure your texters know to ask if they

need help responding to a message. If you

don’t have the answer to their queson, let

them know that you will ag it for someone

who has more experience to respond.

• Prepare texters to respond to/or de-escalate

aggressive responders.

CONSIDERATIONS WHEN DRAFTING A SAMPLE TEXT SCRIPT

REACHING OUT TO SUPPORTERS

USING TEXTING FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT 6 OF 7

SAMPLE SCRIPT

You: “Hey Cindy, this is Max with the tobacco free coalion. We’re having an event next Tuesday at

6:00 p.m. to show the Los Angeles City Council how many people in our community are concerned

about how avored tobacco products are addicng our kids. Can we count on you to make it?”

You: “Thank you Cindy! Here is the post: [insert post].”

Supporter: “Hi Max, I can’t make that. Sorry.”

You: “No problem Cindy. Are you concerned about the issue?

We’re also asking for people to post on social media in support

of the campaign. Would you be willing to post on Twier?”

Supporter: ”Sure, no problem!”

SAMPLE SCRIPT

You: “Hey Cindy, this is Max with the local tobacco-free coalion. Have

you heard that we are trying to raise awareness with the Los Angeles

County Board of Supervisors about how avored tobacco addicts youth?”

You: “Sure, visit [website] for more informaon. I can text you later

to see if you need more informaon or answer your quesons.”

Supporter: “Hi Max, no I haven’t.

Tell me more.”

You: “Using candy-like avors is one of the top ways tobacco

companies get kids hooked on a lifeme of addicon. We are

asking you to add your name to the list of people who are asking

the Board of Supervisors to protect kids from avored tobacco.

Will you add your name to the list of concerned residents?”

Supporter: “I think I need more

informaon before I can sign something.”

U SIN G TEX TIN G FOR COMMU N ITY EN G AG EMEN T 7 OF 7

KEEP AT IT!

Remember texng is a great

tool. Rather than texng only

for certain events, use texng

throughout your campaign.

Recruit volunteers and stay

in touch with supporters to

maintain your organizaon’s

relaonships even when you are

not acvely organizing for an

event or campaign. Remember,

be mindful of how much you are

texng your supporters and don’t

overwhelm them with texts!

TAKE TIME TO REFLECT

Don’t forget to take stock of your texng program – what worked and

what improvements you would make. Did your text messages bring

new supporters to an event? Did you receive more peon signers aer

you sent out a round of texts? Take me to think about the things your

campaign should do dierently next me. If you are nding your messaging

is not resonang with your supporters aer mulple acons, think about

new ways to engage with them – for example, by email or on social media.

Remember texng is a mobilizing tool! Use this tool to help create a real connecon with

your supporters and move them to acon. When your supporters are engaged, your

campaign is placed in a posion to win!

California Tobacco Endgame Center for Organizing and Engagement

A Project of the American Heart Associaon

organizingtoendtobacco@heart.org | organizingtoendtobacco.org