How peer-to-peer SMS messaging boosted ballot turnout for unions
Background: When it comes to increasing engagement and turnout in union ballots, reaching members with personalised, direct communication is key. However, traditional communication methods, such as emails and generic text messages, often fall short in capturing attention or motivating action. To overcome this challenge, unions have increasingly been turning to Movement’s peer-to-peer (P2P) text messaging to engage their members directly, leveraging the personal touch that comes with messages sent by a familiar name or from within the member’s own workplace or branch.
Challenge: Unions have long struggled with low turnout in ballots, particularly in recent years since the tories introduced legislation that made it harder to win (requiring further forewarning and paper balloting), with many members failing to respond to standard communications. When it came time for a critical ballot, several unions realised that simply relying on traditional forms of outreach would not be enough to ensure the level of participation needed. To boost engagement, they turned to Movement’s P2P messaging feature, aiming to reach their members with more direct, personal, and effective communication.
Solution: Movement’s P2P text messaging tool allows unions to send personalised text messages to their members all at once, while ensuring that the message appears to come from a familiar local organiser or rep. By personalising the outreach to include the name of the local rep, branch, or workplace, the union could create a sense of familiarity and trust, significantly improving the likelihood of members reading and responding to the message.
Through Movement’s streamlined P2P messaging system, union organisers could send messages in bulk while still ensuring that each message felt like a one-to-one interaction. This made it easier for volunteers to manage responses and engage directly with members without being overwhelmed by the volume of messages.
A/B testing SMS messages is also available so that unions can work out exactly what message resonates best with what audience, personalising the message with merge tags, and custom fields.
Results: The results were significant. Unions using Movement’s P2P text messaging system saw an impressive 50% response rate from members, a marked increase compared to traditional communication methods. Personalising the messages—so that they were addressed from a local rep or the member’s specific branch or workplace—yielded even greater results, with some unions reporting a substantial increase in turnout for their ballots.
This success illustrates the power of personalised communication in driving engagement and action. By using peer-to-peer text messaging, unions were able to cut through the noise of generic communications and connect with their members on a personal level, resulting in increased participation and stronger mobilisation.
Conclusion: Peer-to-peer text messaging has proven to be a highly effective tool for unions looking to increase ballot turnout and member engagement. Movement’s streamlined system not only makes it easier to send personalised messages at scale, but also helps volunteers manage responses efficiently. By leveraging familiar names and personal connections, unions can significantly improve participation rates and ensure that their members are actively involved in important decisions. In a world where personal touch and direct engagement are increasingly valued, P2P messaging has emerged as a powerful tool for driving success in union campaigns.
