Throughout years of experience in community engagement, experience and market data has shown Credemus Associates that the future of community engagement globally will be shaped by the use of mobile phones and mobile software platforms. Community engagement and community development will no doubt be shaped by innovation in these areas which are leading the way.
Although many have stressed the massive role played by social media such as Twitter and Facebook in enabling charities and Not-for-profit organizations in developing campaigns to reach their audiences, Credemus Associates strongly believes that the fast changing face of technology means that there needs to be consistent engagement and dissemination of good practice on innovative technologically driven social projects. Part of this focus, we believe, should be on mobile phones. As a matter of fact, figures show that people are more likely to access mobile phone facilities than internet based social networks. Even in regions like Africa and Middle East, mobile penetration rates are reaching extra-ordinary numbers. Just to quote a few examples: Seychelles has got a mobile penetration rate of 271% in relation to the entire population, Gabon 129%, Uganda 108%, Congo Brazzaville 90%, Zimbabwe 68% (Africa and Middle East telecom-week report, June 2011), while the Middle East region has seen a total subscriber rate of 285 million mobile
subscribers (Africa and Middle East telecom-week report, July 2011).
Why Charities Should Use Mobile Phones and SMS to Engage Their Audiences?
If we think about our daily life and the activities that we undertake regularly, it becomes immediately obvious that we spend a lot of time using our mobile phones. Whether undertaking work related or personal functions, communication becomes easier through mobile phones and I-phone and I-pad applications. Whether we are running late to appointments or whether we just want to say a quick “Hi” to someone we have not seen in a while, these technologies are becoming essential. Indeed, SMS is one of the quickest and easiest ways to communicate and this simple mechanism was a key driver in sweeping thoughts and communications in the Arab Spring across the Arab World. Furthermore, we need to note that mobile technology is being driven in areas like East Africa and being used by consumers in these regions in a more innovative fashion than is being used in Europe and the US.
So, it is clear that SMS use is fundamental to UK Not-for-Profits, whether in raising funding or whether used in engaging with new and ‘hard to reach’ communities or groups. What also should be mentioned is that mobile phones are seen as very personal modes of communication and people become attached to their phones. Messaging through this medium therefore will and does have an impact given the reach and continual engagement that mobiles allow for.
NfpSynergy have recently published an interesting report that gives great tips to charities on how to use mobile phones and text messages. Among these, a few points need to be underlined, as the results of this research support our vision. These points include the facts that:
- Text messages are immediate, effective and easy to remember, factors that would enable
them to support any kind of communication campaign,
- Text messages create a close relationship and can be used to thank audiences for their
support and donations without the need to send e-mails that can potentially be ignored,
- They are personal and make people feel special,
- They are a great medium to develop effective petitions and voting systems,
- They are new enablers for fundraising (NfpSynergy, 2009).
An organization, Faith Matters (www.faith-matters.org & www.faith-matters.pk) has developed an interesting project based on the use of mobile telephony which helped develop innovation in the organization and which also helped them to develop new income streams and engagement with new communities. Launched with the aim of countering extremism in Pakistan, the project has disseminated over 55,000,000 SMS messages into Pakistan which are based on peaceful Qur’anic, leadership and poetry based themes. By asking respondents to reply to messages they agreed with, Faith Matters managed to create a two-way communication process that produced a very positive feedback. It also helped them to develop close relationships with recipients so much so, that some are now part of focus groups which are held across the country and on a face to face basis.
Developing Mobile Software Platforms and Applications for IPhone and IPad
Charities and Not-for Profits should therefore start taking advantage of the amazing opportunities offered by new technologies such as IPhone applications and mobile software platforms.
IPhone software programmes not only have penetration amongst young people constantly looking for the latest and funniest applications, they also support learning and have a psychological and habitudinal impact on people using them. As a matter of fact, the greatest impact of these tools is that people easily get used to using them and increasingly rely on them on a daily basis.
These are some reasons why developing mobile applications as part of the marketing and engagement strategy of a Not-for-Profit can bring enormous advantages both to awareness-raising and fundraising.
As the Third Sector magazine reports, DEPAUL UK, one of the leading UK charities working on providing support to homeless people, launched an application entitled IHobo. The application was launched in May 2010 and it enables users to take care of a virtual homeless person. It has been downloaded over 600,000 times (www.depauluk.org/ihobo) and in doing so, it has engaged with large numbers of people who are now aware of what the charity does, as well as being aware of some of the issues that homeless people may come across. It also brought in £7000 worth of donations from individuals who had downloaded it. As Depaul UK has reported, IHobo also fulfilled another key aim. It has helped to develop behaviour change in people towards the homeless.
