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Mobilize Automated Email and SMS Notifications
Mobilize Automated Email and SMS Notifications

This article will explain what automated (and host initiated) emails and SMS are being sent to attendees and when they are being sent.

Updated over a week ago

By default, Mobilize automates common best practices for communications, while allowing hosts and organizers to upgrade these communications with customizations, disable the communications entirely, or send additional ad-hoc messages.

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Communications triggered by a signup to an event or action

These are communications related to signing up for an event. You can see the expected communication timeline for a specific shift time on the timeslot details page.

1. Registration Email and SMS

Upon registering for an event, the attendee will receive an email and sms confirmation of their registration with important details. The sms includes the time of the event, while the email includes the time, location, how to contact the host, how to prepare, how to join. Both will encourage the attendee to share the event if share prompts are enabled.

When: Immediately after registering

Can be turned off?: Cannot be turned off

Customization:

- Customizing the “How to Prepare” field will customize that portion of the email

- Turning off sharing prompts for the event will remove them from this email and sms

2. Group Chat over Email

Group Chat is a way for attendees (and the host) of an event to communicate before, during, and after the event. Common uses include logistical questions, introductions, and continuing discussions as a group after the event. Only attendees who are Registered, Confirmed, or Attended will receive group chat emails (Cancelled, Missed, and Blocked attendees stop receiving emails).


When: Attendees (and the host) will receive the initiation email 48 hours before the event or upon registering if you register < 48 hours before the event

Can be turned off?:

  • It can be turned off at the event level before, during, or after the event on the event details page

  • It can be turned off at the shift level before, during, or after the event on the timeslot details page

Customization: Currently there is no way to customize the group chat emails

Additional Controls: Hosts have access to a control panel where they can shut down the chat thread, remove a person from an event, block a person, or email them directly

3. Confirmation Email and SMS

The confirmation reminder email and SMS are sent the day before the event and serve two purposes: to remind the attendee about the event and so they can confirm/cancel their attendance.

When: 11am in the event’s time zone. If this is between 9pm and 9am in the attendee’s time zone then they won’t receive the SMS until 9am (the following day) in their timezone. If the attendee has not added a time zone to their Supporter profile, the SMS will be sent at the scheduled time before the event.

Can be turned off?: The email and sms can be turned off this email on the event edit page

Customization:

  • You can customize the message on the event edit page

  • Turning off sharing prompts for the event will remove them from this email and SMS

4. Morning-of Reminder Email

An automated email will be sent out to all “Confirmed” and “Registered” attendees, reminding them about the event and including event details. If the event occurs before 8am, or is created after 8am for the same day, there will be no day-of reminder email.

When: 8am in the event’s time zone

Can be turned off?: Since this email contains key information for joining the event that may have been added to the event after an attendee signed up, it cannot be turned off.

Customization:

  • Customizing the “How to Prepare” field will customize that portion of the email

  • Turning off sharing prompts for the event will remove them from this email and SMS


5. Check-in email (in-person events)

An automated email will be sent to all "Confirmed" and "Registered" attendees, asking them to check in when they arrive.

When: One hour before a scheduled in-person event

Can be turned off?: Yes, the check-in email can be turned off when creating or editing an event.

Customization: This message cannot currently be customized.

6. 30-minute before link-to-join SMS

If your event includes a "link to join", an automated SMS with the link will be sent shortly before the event. If supporters click through this link before or during the event, then they will be marked as “Attended” but will also receive the follow-up email.

When: 30 minutes before a scheduled event with a virtual “link to join” the event (for example, a Zoom link or a livestream link).

Can be turned off?: This SMS is not sent if the event does not include a "link to join"

Customization: This message cannot be customized


7. Post-shift Feedback Email and SMS

After the event has occurred an email and SMS are sent to all attendees who were “Confirmed” or “Registered.” This communication collects the attendance of the attendee (“Attended” or “No Show”) as well as feedback on the event (a rating and feedback).

The email also includes suggestions, both for the future shifts of the same event, and for different upcoming events. After responding to the SMS, the attendee will be asked if they want to attend the same event next week.

When: 1 hour after the event ends. If this is between 9pm and 9am in the attendee’s time zone then they won’t receive the SMS until 9am in their timezone. If the attendee has not added a time zone to their Supporter profile, the SMS will be sent at the scheduled time after the event.

Can be turned off?: The email and SMS can be turned off on the event edit page

Customization:

  • Customize the message in the email on the event edit page or the timeslot edit page

  • Turn on/off shift suggestions for the same event on the event edit page

  • Turn on/off event suggestions on the edit page

  • Customize the events that are suggested on the event edit page. Learn more

8. Five-day-later Event Suggestions Email

A few days after the event has completed, Mobilize can send another email inviting attendees to sign up for another shift of this event or for a different event.

When: 5 days after the event

Can be turned off?: The email can be turned off on the event edit page

Customization:

  • Customize the message in the email on the event edit page or the timeslot edit page

  • Turn on/off shift suggestions for the same event on the event edit page

  • Turn on/off event suggestions on the edit page

  • Customize the events that are suggested on the event edit page. Learn more

9. Mobilize Messaging Email

Before, during, or after the event, an organizer or the host can send an ad hoc email to attendees of an event (on the event details page) or timeslot (on the timeslot details page).

When: Whenever you initiate the message

Can be turned off?: Since this is an organizer initiated message, it’s not sent by default

Customization:

  • You can email “All Past Attendees” of the event or all “Upcoming Attendees” of the event or all attendees of a certain shift

  • You can further limit your message audience based on attendee status: Registered, Cancelled, Completed, No Show, Unknown

10. Event Change Email

If an event’s location or time is changed, or if the event is deleted, an automated email will be sent to all event attendees with the status “Registered” and “Confirmed.” The email is sent immediately once an event is updated, and will include any updated information if it was a location or time change. For deleted events, the email will alert the attendee of the event being canceled, and offer the organization's Mobilize events feed for other upcoming events.

When: When you change an event

Can be turned off?: You can decide whether to send this email or not when taking the action

Customization: You can add a custom message when you are modifying an event but not when you are deleting it

Communications not connected to a specific event or action

These are communications supporters receive outside the context of a specific event, for example because of their affiliation with an organization or with an organizer/host.

1. Weekly Organization Newsletter Email

The weekly organization newsletter includes personalized recommendations for everyone affiliated with your organization (they attended an event via your feed, signed a petition via your feed, etc.). The email will only include events that can appear in your feed (either you are owning or promoting) and when deciding which ones to suggest takes into account the persons location and attendance history.

When: Weekly on Thursday during the day

Can be turned off?: You can turn this email off on the organization settings page

Customization:

  • You can add a custom message to your newsletter

  • You can restrict the newsletter to only surface owned events and not promoted ones

  • You can add custom events to your newsletter. Learn more

2. Weekly Mobilize.Us Email Newsletter

The Mobilize.Us email newsletter is sent to over 1 million supporters each week to supporters who have either signed up for events via Mobilize.Us directly (on mobilize.us/mobilize/), or because they are involved with two or more organizations on the Mobilize platform. It includes personalized event recommendations from thousands of promotable organizations, and may highlight events related to popular or timely topics.

When: Weekly on Friday mornings

Can be turned off?: Supporters can unsubscribe from the Mobilize newsletter

Customization:

3. "New Event, Same Host" Announcement Email

Event Hosts have the option to announce their new event to past attendees to raise awareness of their newest event. (This email is only sent to past attendees of the host's events, not all supporters of the organization.)

When:

Event Hosts are prompted to create a message after creating an event. Emails are sent once an Event is approved if made by a Volunteer Host, or when the event is created, if made by an Organizer.

Can this be turned off? The event host can choose not to send the announcement

Customization:

  • The event host can include a custom message with the email

  • Volunteer Hosts can also decide whether to send the email to their past Event attendees across all dashboards (Organizers do not have this option)

4. Email My Past Attendees

Event hosts have the option to email all of their past attendees. We’ve found that hosts with a tight community of attendees like to do this after a series of events, for example, a Volunteer Host who hosted weekly phone banks for an electoral campaign may want to send a thank you email to everyone on election day. (This email is only sent to past attendees of events you personally hosted, not all supporters of the organization.)

When: Whenever the event host wants to send it

Can this be turned off? The event host can choose not to send it

Customization:

  • The event host can include a custom message with the email

  • Volunteer Hosts can decide whether to send the email to their past Event attendees across all dashboards (Organizers do not have this option)


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