Benjamin Stein

Mobile Commons Advocacy offers a powerful, effective way for organizations to petition Congress for legislative change. By connecting your supporters directly with their Congressional representatives, you can turn popular support into legislative results.

This video will give you a brief overview of how Mobile Commons Advocacy works. For more questions, email us at sales@mobilecommons.com

Next Thursday, June 6, Mobile Commons will be presenting Mobile Commons Advocacy at the Personal Democracy Forum here in New York City. PDF explores the ever-widening intersection between technology and politics, and brings together some of the biggest thinkers in each of those spheres to pow-wow about the future of our society. Representatives from Upworthy, Mozilla, ioby, and GitHub are among the speakers – as are Harper Reed, the CTO of Obama’s reelection campaign and Nancy Lublin, CEO of DoSomething.org.

We liked the conference so much, we decided to sponsor it!

We’re particularly excited to present Mobile Commons Advocacy to the PDF audience, because MCA’s very purpose is to use technology to make political advocacy easy. Mobile Commons Advocacy immediately connects callers with their Congressional representatives, allowing an organization’s supporters to influence their Senators’ opinions on key issues.

• Read more about Mobile Commons Advocacy here.

Mobile Commons Advocacy’s mission dovetails with the theme of this year’s PDF conference, “Think Bigger.” The theme is in honor of the late Aaron Schwartz, who asked “Why not harness the power of the Internet to work on the larger-scale problems?” MCA gives ordinary Americans the power to have their voices heard on some of today’s biggest moral and political issues, such as immigration, gun control, marriage equality, the environment, and social security, to name just a few. By driving targeted groups of people to the place where they will have the biggest effect, MCA helps organizations have a concrete impact on legislation.

To sign up for the conference, register here.  To see what’s being discussed at the conference, follow the #PDF13 hashtag on Twitter.

Read More About Mobile Commons Advocacy

• Jim Carrey, Paul McCartney, Elton John and More Raise Their Voices Against Gun Violence
• RI4A Drives 60,000 Calls to Congress And Brings Immigration Debate to the Senate Floor
• What Do Rachel Maddow and Piers Morgan Have in Commons? They’re Fans of Mobile Commons Advocacy
• Mayors Against Illegal Guns Want You to Demand Action
• Anti-SOPA/PIPA Activists Drive Over 200,000 Phone Calls in One Day
• AARP Mobilizes 123,000 People to Say NO To Social Security Cuts
• Three Features You May Not Know About That Can Supercharge Your Advocacy Campaigns
• Mobile Commons Advocacy Instantly Connects Your Supporters To Their Congressional Representatives

Over 48 million non-elderly Americans are currently uninsured. This Fall, the Affordable Care Act will provide them, and others in need, the chance to purchase affordable health insurance that works for them. The problem is: most people haven’t heard of the ACA, they don’t understand it, and they don’t know how to take advantage of it.

It is vital that governments, insurance agencies, health centers and non-profits educate citizens about their new insurance options and drive enrollment – both for the health of the system, and for the health of the citizens themselves. We need to reach those citizens, educate them about the changes in the system, and enroll them in plans that work for them.

Mobile Commons has a solution. Text messaging is the most effective way to educate people about health insurance. Using Mobile Commons text messaging, you can keep uninsured populations informed about the changes to health insurance and drive their enrollment in the new plans.

How Text Messaging Can Keep Citizens Educated and Empowered

Text messaging is the best way to reach everyone, no matter their income level. There are over 326 million mobile subscribers in the US sending over 6 billion messages a day. What’s more, the at-risk populations that are most in need of health insurance send a disproportionate number of those texts.

Mobile Commons Enroll is an out-of-the-box text messaging solution to educate the uninsured about the new health insurance marketplaces and drive enrollment. Our customers include insurance providers, marketplaces, hospitals, clinics, heath departments, and nonprofits.

By sending information to people in a way that is easy for them to digest, on the device they have in their pocket, you can provide them insight into the health care system, and the inspiration they need to sign up.

It works in three easy steps.

1)   Outreach: People sign up to learn about health insurance via text message. You can reach new people by adding simple instructions to your flyers, social media, and website.

2)   Education: Subscribers receive text messages about health insurance marketplaces. Mobile Commons provides the content, which can be customized for your brand and target population(s).

3)   Enrollment: Starting October 1, subscribers get alerts about open enrollment deadlines.  You can send instructions about how to enroll online, over the phone, or in-person.

What’s more, you can easily measure the results. The Mobile Commons system lets you track enrollments, measure your ROI, and send follow-up messaging and surveys.

Citizens in Need of Information

Right now, one in five Americans is uninsured.

• 9 out of 10 uninsured people are in low or moderate income families
• 1/3 of Hispanics and over 1/5 of black Americans are uninsured
• More than 70% of uninsured people have gone without health coverage for more than a year

In October, the Affordable Care Act will give these people the chance to find health insurance that works for them by instituting statewide health insurance exchanges. According to a piece in the Wall Street Journal, “millions of Americans will suddenly be able to log on to a website and choose their own health-care coverage from a menu of subsidized options for prices and coverage levels.” From a confusing morass of paperwork and conflicting options, one simple online solution will connect Americans with the health insurance plan that makes the most sense for their family and their lives.

However, if people don’t learn about the new health care exchanges, they won’t know how or why to enroll.  And if enough people – especially young people – don’t enroll, premiums could skyrocket and further dissuade enrollment.

The majority of Americans do not have enough information to understand how the Affordable Care Act will impact their families. 59% of Americans with income under $30K and 51% age 18-29 are unaware that ACA is the law of the land and going into effect this year.  According to the Journal,

Enrollment begins in October. Outreach and education must begin today.

Why Text Messaging?

Text messaging is the de facto way our society communicates. 97% of 18-29 year olds text and 99% of text messages are read.

Moreover, text messaging is a reliable way to reach minority and at-risk populations, who may not have access to other types of digital communications. Non-English speakers, people with disabilities, and those living near the poverty line often do not have reliable web connections. Households making less than $30,000 – over a third of whom are uninsured - text twice as much as households that make over $75,000.

Conversely, it’s these very populations who often have the most need of vital public-health-related communications. At-risk populations can be difficult to reach; text messaging presents a reliable, effective way to get them the information they need.

Contact Us Today!

Mobile Commons is the premiere provider of health care campaigns over text. Our customers include insurance providers like Harvard Pilgrim, health departments like the California Department of Public Health, and hospitals like New York Presbyterian.

By contacting us today, you can get started reaching out to your target populations – providing them the valuable information they need in advance of the October launch. Together, we can help people live healthier lives.

To learn more,visit our ACA Enrollment website or download our presentation about why texting messaging is the best way to educate and enroll the uninsured.

Contact us at info@mobilecommons.com to start educating your audiences about health insurance today!

Health Care Case Studies

The Human Rights Campaign, an advocacy group fighting for LGBT civil rights, has been hailing their banner year of political successes through celebratory updates that inform their member base and raise money to push their causes further.

As different states legalize gay marriage – the most recent, Minnesota, puts the number at twelve, plus the District of Columbia – HRC sends out a triumphant text message to its followers, informing them of this new step toward national marriage equality.

The text messages also include a link that directs recipients to a mobile giving site, reminding members that raising more money allows HRC to continue its advocacy.

Driving members to a mobile website asking them to donate can be extremely effective. Moreover, unlike text to donate, a mobile website allows you to ask your members for any amount of money – not just $5 or $10.

What better way to broaden the impact of HRC’s work than to contribute to the fight? After all, there are still thirty-eight states to go.

Related Posts

• HRC Creates a Text Message Quiz Timed to the Presidential Debates
• NY Passes Marriage Equality & the celebration goes mobile
• Dane Grams of HRC on their Mobile Successes
• Human Rights Campaign’s Mobile Voter’s Guide Lets You Text to Learn Your Candidate’s Positions
• HRC’s New mData Program Puts Company Info in the Hands of Consumers – Wherever They Are

How do you use your organization’s data to reach more members? Much ink has been spilled about how data mining can transform your organization’s outreach. But it can be confusing, on a practical level, to figure out where to even start to mine.

Fortunately, the data wizards at DoSomething.org are here to help. Do Something has dedicated itself to connecting with teens using the medium they love most – text messaging. Because every text they send or receive is tracked by the Mobile Commons platform, Do Something has been able to apply extensive data analysis to their program.

They’ve used the insights they’ve unearthed to increase signups on each campaign by almost 500% and to bring in 837% more new members. The organization recently reached its millionth mobile member.

In a presentation entitled “The Dot Organism: Creating a Culture of Testing,” data scientists Jeff Bladt and Bob Filbin walk through their deceptively simple 4-step process for turning raw data into unadulterated results.

Check out the highlights from the presentation below.

Do Something’s Data Mining Process

Step 1: Monitor the Data

Do Something’s first step for data analysis is to monitor the data that’s coming in. As the presentation notes, a mobile campaign provides a wealth of information about your users. When someone texts in their phone number, you essentially know their location. When they tell you their first name, you’ve got a good guess at their gender. First, gather the data that’s available to you. Then you can start to seek out patterns.

Step 2: Detect Patterns

Once they’ve isolated their data, Do Something looks for patterns. For example, Do Something noted that certain cities have far greater user retention than others. They had the greatest user retention in McCallen, Texas, and the most user drop-off in Provo, Utah – and the difference was significant. Do Something started to see that their retention rates were much better in cities with more diverse populations that skewed towards lower incomes. Wealthier, more homogeneous metropolitan areas had higher drop-off rates.

Step 3: Test Campaigns

Knowing their different user groups allowed Do Something to test which campaigns performed better with different sorts of users. The data analysts saw that campaigns that focused on the family and on individual health did better among the minority populations of cities like McCallen. People in Provo preferred campaigns that looked outwards towards the community – for example, a campaign to help the environment.

Step 4: Prescribe

Once you know what sorts of users prefer what types of campaigns, you can start to design initiatives that resonate with their intended audiences. For example, Do Something designed a campaign that combined dancing and diabetes, to connect with the minority users who felt passionately about family health issues.

Results

The results speak for themselves. Do Something increased signups for each individual campaign by almost 500%; they increased the total number of signups almost 600%; and they increased the percentage of new members from campaigns by 837%.

The process feeds on itself, too. Do Something data scientists can monitor the data from the prescribed campaigns, start to detect patterns, test more campaigns, and then prescribe even better ideas.

“With data,” Bladt says, “we no longer have to rely on intuition. We get constant feedback.”

Rigorous data analysis has helped DoSomething.org, an organization of about 40 people, to rally millions of members – and have a concrete impact on the broader world.

Watch the full presentation from DoSomething.org’s annual meeting below. (The data mining presentation starts at 19:30.) And if you’d like to discuss ways your organization can start to take advantage of the data that’s already at your fingertips, contact us at sales@mobilecommons.com.

With an immigration reform bill about to be up for debate in the Senate, Reform Immigration 4 America has launched a new and concerted push for awareness with a new commercial featuring actor Edward James Olmos.

The commercial drives home one of immigration reform advocates’ most salient points: that current US immigration laws tear apart parents, children, and siblings. It encourages viewers to join the fight to keep families together by connecting with the RI4A cause. Olmos is the latest in a long line of celebrities supporting this issue. In an NBC article about actors and actresses who have taken up immigration reform advocacy, Olmos talks about why he feels so passionately about it and how it relates to pride in his family:

“I’ll never forget my first day of kindergarten, when my father took me to Belvedere Elementary in East Los Angeles,” says Olmos. “I looked up as I entered the school courtyard and written at the very top of the archway was a sign that read ‘If it isn’t worth saying in English, it isn’t worth saying at all.’ That’s what greeted me in during my first day of school in 1952.”

That painful memory – and many others, says the Mexican-American actor – is why he will continue to fight for immigration reform.

RI4A has raised tremendous awareness about the crucial topic of immigration reform, driving over 60,000 calls to Congress since the beginning of the year. The bill is currently being written by the bipartisan “Gang of Eight,” and will most likely arrive for vote at the Senate floor by the end of the month.

The issue of immigration reform is a critical one, and there’s never been a better time to get involved. You can join RI4A’s cause by texting “Justice” to 69866. You’ll be asked to provide your zip code so that you can be get updated about the latest developments in the fight for immigration reform, hear about opportunities to take action in your community, and invite your friends to join the movement.

Watch the RI4A commercial below. RI4A also released a Spanish-language version of the PSA. The spots were produced by the award-winning firm Revolution Media and aired through Entravision, a media company that reaches 105 markets, including 53 TV stations, 49 radio stations and multiple interactive owned and licensed platforms and data analytics.

A new study shows that text messaging can increase your sales conversions by a staggering 328%.

Leads360, a sales software provider, recently aggregated data from almost 3.5 million leads across 400 companies. The resulting study, “Text Messaging for Better Sales Conversion,” makes a clear case for how vital a text messaging campaign can be in the sales process.

Below are the key takeaways:

• Text messaging, if used properly, can increase conversions by 328%.

The study specifies that it’s important to use texting in the right way. Texting a lead before contacting them via another medium can drop that rate significantly. Make contact first – then use texting to follow up

• Sending 3 or more texts has a significantly greater conversion rate.

The study found that the more texts sent, the greater the conversion rate. Of course, the study advises that you text responsibly. Following up with a lead, asking for more information, or reminding your contact about an appointment are all great ways to add texting into your sales pipeline.

• Texting doesn’t replace email; texting supplements email.

Text messages have higher open rates and greater response rates than do email messages. But the study suggests that texting shouldn’t replace email entirely. ”Our research suggests that texting can be an effective way to supplement email and phone communication channels,” the study says.

At Mobile Commons, we know that well-executed mobile campaigns can be an invaluable sales tool for every company or organization. If you want to get started with your own text messaging campaign, or even just discuss how texting could help your organization, contact us at sales@mobilecommons.com

When someone texts in a donation, why let the conversation end there? You can turn a one-time mobile donation into a lifetime of engagement.

Mobile donations usually consist of four texts (see below). But did you know there is a lesser-known 5^th text you can send? Once the mobile donation is complete, you can send an additional message that directs the donor to a mobile web page, where you can collect further information.

Take advantage of this underutilized 5^th text. Several of our clients have already successfully used this, driving additional participation in a very restricted message flow.

At Mobile Commons, we believe that the best way to build relationships – and encourage further donations – is to engage in a two-way conversation. The 5^th text is a perfect conversation starter!

It’s been an active couple months for us at Mobile Commons. We launched Mobile Commons Advocacy; we got generous praise from some notable figures; and we worked on a wide variety of exciting mobile campaigns.

In this newsletter, we wanted to share some of our biggest news and most innovative partnerships from the first third of the year.

Top News

Rachel Maddow and Piers Morgan Praise Mobile Commons Advocacy: They come from different countries and work for rival networks, but CNN host Piers Morgan and MSNBC host Rachel Maddow both lauded our ability to turn popular opinion into legislative results.

Best Practices for Writing Health Care Related Text Messages: How do you craft health care messages that will inform your audience and change their behaviors? The CDC has written a guide that can help you write better texts.

RI4A Drives 60,000 Calls and Brings Immigration Debate to the Senate Floor: Since the start of 2013, Reform Immigration 4 America has driven tens of thousands of calls to Congress in support of immigration reform. Last week, that outpouring of direct advocacy paid off, as the Senate introduced a comprehensive immigration reform bill.

Mobile Commons Webinar Series

How can you best use mobile at your organization? How can you plan ahead for big bang wins? And how can you grow your mobile list? Our mobile strategists will walk you through tips your company can employ to make mobile a powerful tool in your marketing utility belt.

Keep your Mobile Subscribers in the Know: What information does your organization have that people could use at any time?

How to Set Yourself Up for Big Bang Wins: Watch this webinar on how you can take a few simple steps today to set yourself up for a big pay off down the line.

Contact Us

We only succeed by working with our clients to create innovative and effective mobile campaigns. If you have any ideas – or want us to brainstorm some ideas with you – contact your mobile strategist, or email us at support@mobilecommons.com.

Last week, a Senate vote halted the Obama administration’s proposed gun control legislation. That hasn’t deterred advocacy group Voices Against Violence, a nonprofit committed to saving lives by keeping guns out of the wrong hands. VAV, and their celebrity supporters, are asking Americans to call those senators who voted against the legislation and demand they reconsider.

• Watch Voices Against Violence co-founders Tony and Danny Bennett discuss their initiative with  Piers Morgan.

VAV has enlisted the help of stars including Jim Carrey, Paul McCartney, Elton John, Mario Batali, Juanes, and the group’s founder, Tony Bennett. They’ve recorded messages that instruct callers in key talking points, and take a powerful stance against gun violence.

For example, Jim Carrey’s message says,

By logging on to the Voices Against Violence website, you will be asked to enter your email, your phone number, and your zip code. Your phone will then be connected with one of the celebrity recordings, and then routed to one of the targeted Congress people.

You can also text MyVoice to 877877 to get involved.

The Senators who voted against the gun control legislation are already facing the backlash in opinion polls. A Fox News poll recently found that voters would be much more likely to support those who voted in favor of expanded background checks. Voices Against Violence is hoping to keep the pressure on those politicians and induce them to change their votes in this charged issue.

We’ve included some of the celebrity calls to action below. Take a listen, then log onto the Voices Against Violence website to take action.

Jim Carrey’s Call to Action

Paul McCartney’s Call to Action

Elton John’s Call to Action

Juanes’s Call to Action

Mario Batali’s Call to Action

Tony Bennett’s Call to Action