With Peer to Peer Texting, admins can upload lists of contacts and assign supporters to text them from an anonymous third-party phone number. It's a great way to get in touch with contacts quickly while keeping supporters' phone numbers private. Additionally, P2P Texting Actions include branched texting scripts created by admins, to provide ready-made messages that supporters can edit as needed.
Setting Up
Follow the steps in the Actions Overview to set up a Peer-to-Peer Texting Action.
You will be asked to select a source for your list of contacts. The source determines where you can pull questions from. For example, if you want to use questions from My Voters, then select My Voters as your source. You can then select a list that has been uploaded to your OutreachCircle.
For instructions on uploading a P2P list, see Import a List/Voter File.
Then, create a texting script. In the P2P Script Editor, you will be able to select a previous script or create a new one.
The editor also provides tips on writing text messages and attaching a survey. Check compliance laws in your local jurisdiction as you’re writing text messages. You can select a previous survey question or create a new one.
Once you’ve added a survey question, click on a response to manage canned responses.
You can create a branched script by adding more responses and survey questions. (Your supporters will be able to read and edit the text messages as desired before sending.)
Click ‘Tags/Alternate responses’ to add tags for recipients and create canned responses for things like wrong numbers or recipients opting out of receiving texts.
You can add tags you created on the Settings page or create new ones in the script editor.
Tags can be linked to external databases such as VAN, and you can provide a canned response for each tag as well.
Once you’re done with the script, click Save and Exit and complete the wizard, which will take you to the Action Landing Page. You can continue to edit the action there.
Click Assign Supporters to select people to assign to this action.
Alternatively, you can send supporters a link that will automatically assign them to a specific P2P action. Simply click Copy Link from within your P2P action or Copy Action Link from the Actions page. If they are already logged into OutreachCircle, the link will take them directly to the P2P action (and automatically add them to the action). If they don't have an OutreachCircle account, they will be first asked to signup to join your OutreachCircle.
From within a P2P action:
From the Actions page:
Type in your preferred area code and an alternate, in case the preferred area code is unavailable. OutreachCircle will bill for usage.
NOTE: For MMS, we purchase five phone numbers to increase throughput. Please ensure that you attach the image to the script before purchasing the phone number.
Before you activate your action, you must acknowledge the estimated cost, which is shown on the Action Landing Page along with a breakdown of what factors into the cost. The minimum is $10 USD.
Set a start and end time and a time zone for the action to be available. If you need to edit the action, you can pause it so supporters aren’t sending texts while you’re editing.
Unlike other actions, P2P Texting Actions cannot be deactivated and reactivated. Once they’re terminated, they cannot be reactivated, but they can be duplicated to save time on setup in the future. (For duplicated actions, you need to select a list before you can create a texting script.) P2P Texting Actions are set by default to deactivate in fifteen days, but the action can be made available for up to thirty days.
Supporters
Once the action is activated, supporters will be able to edit the message before sending to their assigned contacts.
They will manage replies in the OutreachCircle app.
When a contact replies, supporters will be able to fill out the survey questions in your texting script according to the contact’s response. They can edit canned responses before sending.
Supporters can also assign tags to contacts. At the top of the screen, the app will display the survey responses and tags applied to that contact.
Opting Out
If a contact opts out (they send a STOP message or the supporter applies the opt-out tag), that phone number is opted out for that OutreachCircle. The voter can still be contacted through other OutreachCircles. Their phone number will be removed from all future P2P, affinity, and relational texting messages for that OutreachCircle, including existing and future P2P and assigned contact lists uploaded by admins. For actions where the phone number is matched with a voter file, the voter is shown as unavailable.
Results and Reports
Admins can go to the Action Landing Page to see how many texts each supporter has sent and the number of replies they’ve received. The Texts Sent column shows how many initial texts each supporter has sent. In the image below, the supporter has sent one initial text, so they have contacted one recipient. The Replies column shows pending replies (replies from recipients that the supporter has not responded to yet) and total replies (the total number of replies from recipients). In the image below, the supporter has received one reply total and has responded to every reply, so there are no pending replies.
Supporters will also be able to see how many texts they have sent and their pending and total replies in their action feed. Admins can see these results for every supporter assigned to the action, but supporters can only see their own individual results.
On the Reports page, admins can request reports for P2P Texting Actions under the Peer to Peer Texting tab. Check the Reports guide for more information.
Best Practices:
NOTE: For MMS, we purchase five phone numbers to increase throughput. Please ensure that you attach the image to the script before purchasing the phone number
In order to maximize deliverability rates, provide the best experience to your contacts, and avoid having your messages filtered by downstream carriers, we recommend following the guidelines listed in our P2P Texting Guide.
P2P Delivery
- If the number is globally opted out or blocked by carrier or the recipients
- If incoming messages are blocked by the recipient
- If cell phone reception is poor or mobile network are unavailable leading to not receiving delivery confirmation acknowledgement from the carrier
- If message content is blocked due to a violation of MMA and CTIA best practices and guidelines
- Messages get blocked due to carrier spam filters
- URLs in messages get blocked due to carrier spam filters
- Prepaid phone numbers that cannot accept incoming messages
- Disconnected or landline phone numbers that cannot accept messages
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