Using the Texting Supporters Feature

You can text one or multiple guests from the Maxgiving site, this can be a handy feature to keep in contact with your supporters.  **Text feature not available in My Simple Auction Platform or Donation Portals.

The system already has auto generated text messages, depending on your event type, that can include a welcome message, outbid notifications, and an auction closing text.  See bottom of article for samples of these.

You should be aware that send times can vary depending on the cell service and the amount of text activity happening.  You want to make sure you are waiting a significate amount of time before resending texts as to ensure you are not sending duplicate messages.

Here are some Best Practices when using this feature:

1. Keep it short and sweet, text messaging is intended for concise messages. You do not want to overwhelm your supporters with information.  If you need to convey more information or offer an extensive explanation consider sending an email. **The Text box is limited to 300 characters.
2. Keep in mind the time of day you are sending this message.  Remember you do not want to inconvenience your guest with messages that are sent too late or early in the day.  You also want to make sure it is a time where the guest will have a moment to read what you have sent and not put it off for later or forget about it.
3. Quality over quantity- don’t over do it.  Do not send too many messages a day, as this could make donors ignore your messages or even push them to opt out of receiving text all together. One or two per day max is suggested and spanned out over a period of time, is a deal.  
4. Include URL links to get them back to visit your site!  You should always include a link back to your site in some way in every text. This allows your guest to return to the site with minimal effort, and also can help get them to specific items, or focused participation in things like donations, etc.
5. Avoid referencing time left, in terms of minutes or hours.  You should always use the actual time not how many hours or minutes left before something is happening. Remember there is a lag time when sending a text message, some carriers could take up to 15 minutes before they receive your text, so what is 15 minutes to you may have already passed to them.  To keep your guest from being confused and frustrated as well as allow them to refer back to a text for reference it is always best to send the actual time.

To send a Text from the site:

Using your Admin Login select Communication (mobile platform) from the DashBoard Menu.

1. Once in the Communication page, click on the Text Supporters tab.

2. From here you will want to choose who you want this text to go to from the drop down.

   

3. In the  Message box Write the text message you would link to send to these guests. **You can pull down on the corner of this box to make it easier to see your text in its entirety. Remember this box is limited to 300 characters.

   

4. Before clicking the send button you can see what your text will look like by using the preview feature. By clicking the preview button it will allow you to send an instant message to the number you type in before sending to the selected guests. 

5. Click the send button. When sent you will see the green success flag in the top right hand corner.

System auto generated text messages:

** "MaxGiving Demo" will be replaced with your event name.

Invitation to register text: When you send Login Links to guests from the dashboard

Welcome Text: Sent after the bidder has completed online auction registration 

Outbid Notice: Sent to your bidder each time they  are outbid on an item

End of Auction Notice: Sent when all Bidding is closed (this corresponds with General Auction close time)