Jenifer Snyder of mGive is back with some tips on how to use mobile during highly publicized events, like this week’s Super Bowl. ~Kivi
Guest Post by Jenifer Snyder, Esq., Executive Director of The mGive Foundation
You don’t need to sit on the sidelines during Super Bowl XLVIII, and the Seahawks and Broncos don’t have to be the only ones who score during the game.
Many football fans will be using their mobile phones during the game and that’s your chance to connect with your supporters who will be tuned in. Using mobile communication integrated with social media, you can leverage the event in a fun way that helps strengthen your relationship with donors and that engages them in new ways.
But first, a few stats. You can’t talk about the Super Bowl without discussing stats, like how the Seahawks led the NFL with 39 takeaways this season while the Broncos set a new NFL single season record with 76 touchdowns. And that 98 percent of all Americans only use Roman numerals during the Super Bowl (okay, I made that last one up). So here are a few additional facts about the Super Bowl and mobile, according to research conducted for Super Bowl XLVI (See? Roman numerals…) by the Interactive Advertising Bureau:
- 56% of viewers planned to use their smart phones during the game.
- 44 to 46% planned to use their smart phones to text, IM or email about the game while watching.
- And 7% who planned to use their smartphones to get some work done during the game—wait, what? Come on, we admire your dedication, but seriously, this is the Super Bowl!
And, of course, the game can be watched on a mobile phone!
So let me suggest an idea for using mobile and social media to entice your supporters to engage with you during the Super Bowl. With the game coming up so quickly you may not have time to execute all of them, but you can start planning for next year or apply the concept to other big events that may be more appropriate to your nonprofit.
Announce to your supporters that you are having a “Mobile Bowl” – a contest between Broncos fans and Seahawk fans on Mobile. Ask each base of fans to send you a text donation each time their team scores, makes a conversion or other favorable play. Have supporters make their donations by texting their team name to your short code. Track the responses for your “Mobile Bowl” and announce which “team” raised more money during the game.
Enhance the contest by asking donors who are holding Super Bowl parties to invite guest to make a small, voluntary text donation when they ask if they can “bring” something.
Announce your contest through email to supporters and social media. Also ask supporters to share your call to action through Facebook and Twitter before and during the game and to ask their followers to post and retweet about joining the cause. Also ask them to share news of the text donations they make during the game in the same way.
After the game, announce the “Mobile Bowl” winners in your own social media and on your website.
There’s some precedent for using a football game to spur donations. According to Joe Waters on his blog, “Selfish Giving:”
According to this story on ESPN, eight Omaha businesses agreed to donate $800 each time [Denver Broncos Quarterback Peyton] Manning said the word “Omaha” at the line of scrimmage. During the AFC championship, Manning said “Omaha” 31 times during Sunday’s game against the Patriots.
Mobile fundraising also has a history with football—mGive launched the mobile channel in 2008 with a call-to-action for United Way from New England Patriots Quarterback Tom Brady.
Social media and mobile makes this type of event-related marketing possible with individual donors. If nothing else you can engage donors in a fun way and raise awareness of your mobile program, possibly gaining new mobile supporters and building your list in the process.
Mobile is the communication technology that ties it all together. Ideas like the “Mobile Bowl” show how it can work and will hopefully spark some other creative ideas for bringing mobile, social media and popular events together for better donor interactions.
Go Broncos! (I’m from Denver, what can I say?)
As executive director of The mGive Foundation, Jenifer is dedicated to expanding the scope and reach of the mobile channel for social good. She brings years of leadership experience in the mobile industry to the position. You can find frequent guest posts from Jenifer on the mBlog.
