Howard Langston:
SMS texting has become a vital component of a strong constituent engagement strategy. As email inboxes become more and more cluttered, SMS has become one of the most effective delivery methods for constituent communications. Unfortunately, too often SMS communications are not tracked together with other constituent interactions – leaving elected officials and their staff with only a partial picture of their communications history. Leidos has addressed that weakness by integrating SMS with our industry leading Constituent Relationship Management system, Intranet Quorum (IQ).
IQ and Twilio integration
We’ve combined the comprehensive functionality of IQ with the power of Twilio – the global leader in SMS delivery. Elected officials nationwide can now send, receive, and record text messages in a single system of record along with their email and other outreach. With IQ and Twilio, every communication you have with your constituents can be captured to provide a better understanding of their individual needs, interests, and positions. Your records will be complete whether you are blasting a text out to thousands of constituents, micro targeting smaller groups, or conducting one to one information exchange. We can even provide you with a trusted 10-digit local phone number to maximize your engagement.
Twilio handles the complexity of mobile carrier and global regulations, and they diligently protect the security, privacy, and availability of their platform with intelligent software and resilient infrastructure so that our customers can deliver secure, engaging experiences to their constituents.
How to use SMS in your communications strategy
While SMS is not a substitute for email, telephone town halls, digital advertising, and printed mailers, it is part of a balanced messaging strategy. In fact, leading industry analysts report that up to 98% of SMS messages are opened with up to 45% response rates. That’s a much higher rate than email alone can generate. Texting is particularly effective because more than half of smart phone users spend over 4 hours per day actively using their devices. So, whether leaders are promoting a legislative agenda or constituent services, SMS helps focus attention on the important issues of the day.
IQ and Twilio give you the opportunity to reach more people more effectively, but there are some important best practices to adopt to maximize long term engagement. Messaging rules and regulations continue to evolve. Public-private stakeholders including government regulators and telephone carriers are driving users to message only to recipients who have opted-in to the communication channel.
We recommend a multichannel strategy for gaining and maintaining opt-ins. For example, you can promote texting opt-ins from your website, request opt-ins through email outreach and surveys, and promote opt-ins with appropriate signs, postal mail and QR codes. Your opt-in strategy will be further enhanced by a branding package that ties your multichannel engagement together with a common look and feel. Building that brand also builds recognition, pride, and engagement across your constituency.
Depending on your message, you may even want to upgrade to use Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). By applying common visual elements will also help you build and retain those opt-ins over time.
Together IQ and Twilio make sending and receiving texts easy but whatever your constituent communication strategy is, Leidos is ready to help. We offer the most comprehensive and proven solution available to elected officials. Contact us today about how we can help you support the people you serve.
