Although not many Congressional Offices are using it yet in official communications, staffers from both sides of the aisle were eager to learn more about how mobile technologies can improve their interaction with constituents.  The statistics say a lot in this space.  Over 90% of Americans use a mobile phone.  Even more importantly, according to Experian, the open rate for a text messages is between 90-100%, well above other forms of communication.

Chris Taylor of Tusk Mobile advised Republicans on mobile strategies and statistics, along with David Popp of Congressman Bob Latta’s office, one of the first to embrace mobile technology.  In fact, text “LATTA” to 82442, and you’ll see for yourself how effective mobile can be.

Scott Goodstein of Revolution Messaging shared his expertise from leading Obama’s mobile campaign with Democrats.  Goodstein converted his lessons learned on the campaign trail into a presentation full of actionable strategies for official communications.

Key takeaways:
•    Work with a consultant or provider to set up a “short code.”  You can decrease the costs by sharing the code, but using your own unique keyword to avoid confusion.
•    Grow your list organically.  Just because you have a constituent’s cell phone number doesn’t mean they’ve opted-in to your mobile communications.
•    Text messages are immediate and great for things like alerting people to last-minute appearances, high-profile votes and tele-townhalls.  But stick with email for longer messages.
•    Set up your account to identify keywords, so that you can target an appropriate auto-response.
•    Let your local media know if you’re using mobile alerts.  Even if it’s not a story, journalists will likely sign up.
•    Like other social media tools we’ve discussed in our Social Media for Staffers series, using mobile should feed into your larger communications strategy.

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