WHY USE SMS?

As the nation prepares for storms and travel, communication with constituents and the public takes center stage. SMS is the perfect solution for texting critical alerts to the public about public safety alerts, weather warnings, power outages, events, and traffic updates. So, join us and see how government agencies use SMS to streamline communications with the public, their employees, partner agencies, and volunteers.

ENSURE PUBLIC SAFETY DURING EMERGENCIES

A key component of emergency response is informing the public, quickly, of dangerous conditions or emergency responses or evacuation routes. Studies have shown that 90% of all text messages are read within 3 minutes of delivery. This means text messages are one of the most reliable forms of communication when it comes to emergency notifications. They can be an especially effective in supplementing emergency broadcasts and are accessible to most of the public. Sending mass text alerts allows government agencies to notify the public in a timely and effective manner.

INFORM YOUR AUDIENCE

Texting has proven itself to be an important tool when it comes to sending event reminders, road collision notifications, and weather alerts to the public. Using mobile keywords and online sign-up pages built into their emails and websites, agencies can quickly collect contacts to begin sending them these messages. Additionally, iZigg allows two-way texting to allow government agencies to ask the public questions and receive answers in real-time about emergency situations they encounter, from infrastructure challenges like blackouts and burst pipes, to reporting flooded streets or fallen trees.

ENGAGE YOUR COMMUNITY

With a read rate of 98%, SMS messages are the best way to increase donations and coordinate volunteers. Getting the public to engage at events and coordinating volunteers can be a daunting task. But with SMS, government agencies can send mass alerts to receive feedback from the public about events and services. Send surveys and polls directly to their phones and allow them to text back responses. With a response rate 750% higher than email, text surveys sent via text messaging will garner enough feedback to actually make an impact.

IMPROVE OPERATIONS

Government-related processes can be time-consuming  and human-resource heavy, and there often isn’t enough funding to pay for software automation or additional employees or workers. Tasks such as voter registration, billing, health insurance enrollment, and information lookup can all be streamlined by implementing an SMS service. 

Text messaging can effectively increase voter registration and insurance enrollment by sending scheduled reminders of enrollment deadlines, step-by-step guides for registration, and even locations of the nearest polling and enrollment centers. Free up the lines at public offices by sending documents, appointment reminders, and queue updates to visitors. Or schedule appointments entirely via text, alleviating the pain of waiting an eternity in line for a simple form or document.

STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?

Follow the practices above to improve client engagement and watch satisfaction rates soar! And check out our other articles for more advice on specific industries and use cases.