Texting templates

You can create different text message templates in Guided Fundraising to send to donors at different steps in your Campaign Play. For example, you can create a follow-up text that automatically sends out 2 minutes after an attempted phone call, assuming the agent isn't able to reach the prospect. You can use variables in the templates to personalize the message for each donor. For example, you can include the name of the agent who tried to call them, as well as information from their constituent record, such as their preferred class year.

Before adding text messages to your campaign's Play, you need to create the text message templates in the Messages section of Blackbaud Guided Fundraising.

Create Unique Messages for Different Steps in the Play Sequence

You can build, edit, and delete text message templates in Messages > Texting Templates > Play Messages.

To add a new message template, select the "Add Message" button. It will ask you to add:

  • Template Name: Name of the texting template for internal purposes only (constituents don't see this).

  • Message Content: This is what will be in the text message that is sent to the constituent.

    Warning: For texting templates, you have to include one of the possible institution names listed below the Message Content field, or this template won't be available as an option during campaign set up. To add institution names, navigate to Admin, Phone Settings.

Once you have filled out each section, select Save .

Now think about how you want each message in your play to build on the last message to create a unique experience for your donors. Let's suppose we have the following example Play sequence:

  1. Phone

  2. Text Message

  3. Email

  4. Phone

  5. Phone

  6. Mailing List

  7. Phone

  8. Text Message

  9. Email

  10. Phone

For the first text message in our example Play, step 2, we'll use an introductory message. This is an opportunity for the agent to introduce themselves and let the prospect know why they were calling. We can also encourage a response from the prospect by including a question, such as "will you support the Western Fund with a donation of $50?"

The second text message, step 8 in our example Play, will be a closing message. The agent will let remind the prospect why they were trying to get in contact with them, and provide links so that the prospect can get more information online.

Depending on the Play you've designed for your campaign, you can craft different texting templates for each step in the outreach experience.

Personalize the Message Using Variables

Variables allow you to add personalization to your emails. Some basic variables you will use for most emails are Prospect Name and Agent name. Including the Agent's name in the text message is a good way to create a one-to-one outreach experience.

To add a variable, select the 3-dot icon at the upper-right of the email body area. From the drop down, select a variable to add. The variable options include:

  • Agent Information

    • Agent First Name

    • Agent Full Name

  • Prospect Information

    • First Name

    • Full Name

    • Preferred Class Year

    • Ask Amount

You'll be asked to enter some fallback text here. The fallback text is used when you have a blank data field within the database. For example, a field like "Annual Fund Ask Amount" may be populated for most of your constituents, but not all. For the constituents that you do not have an ask amount populated, you can set the fallback text to $50 or $100 and it will populate for any record without data in that field.

Message Checklist

The Message Checklist to the right provides a quick set of guidelines for writing effective one-on-one text messages that encourage response from your donors. As you add content to your template, the items in the checklist will begin to check off:

  • Introduce yourself: This item will check off when you include the Agent First Name or Agent Full Name variable in your template. Including the agent's name encourages response from your prospects by showing that a real person is trying to get a hold of them and is ready to message with them.

  • Institution name: Include one of the Institution Names listed below the Message Content field. You have to include one of the names in order for this texting template to be available as an option during the campaign set up.

  • Address your constituent by name: This item will check off when you include the Prospect FIrst Name or Prospect Full Name variable in your template. Including the prospect's name also encourages response by showing that you want to speak with them specifically.

  • Ask a question: This item will check off when you include a question mark in your template. Asking a question helps encourage response from your prospects. Depending on where your template is being used in your play, this item may be more or less relevant. Early on in the Play, you want to ask a question to encourage response, but later in the Play you may just want to provide links and other information if the prospect has already not responded to a previous message.

The Message Checklist provides a set of suggestions for writing effective messages, but is not required. You can save your template without completing the checklist items, but will receive a reminder if any checklist items were missing. If those items are not relevant for your particular message, you can ignore the reminder and save your template without completing the checklist.

Adding Text Messages to a Specific Campaign

After you have built your texting templates, you still need to add them to a Play sequence in a specific campaign before any messages will be sent out.

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