In May of 2012 when Labor Combat taught our first classes we saw a disconnect in the program. We were training Organizers/Reps in solutions in technology and the use of aggressive/structured outbound social media – only to have those trained going back by and large to existing vendors which overwhelmingly where the problem in the first place.
Long timelines, old technology, passive uses, poor to no content, no measurement analytics and this list is long and is still with us. Most of those attending Labor Combat/Labor Rising had no idea between website developments and design and NO ONE was going to tell them except Labor Rising/Labor Combat. Many checks were cashed for over a decade for mostly junk!
We know because we went thru 1,380 Building Trades websites along with their other uses of social media. Therefore, as we Blog about solutions in the next few weeks, we are dying for some of the vendors to challenge that statement. Approx. 6 companies do a little more than ½ of most technology for the trades and do a very poor to dismal job for the trades as a composite! If they do challenge the above statement, Labor Rising will show exact websites and just how bad or good they are along with the use of, or the lack of use of social media. The bad will outweigh the good by 8.5 to 1.5 out of 10.
The solution was to find a tech leader that set the technology/social media bar high. That is Leading Labor. And BTW, we also done this in finding a research company, (Rochester Research Associates) which we will talk about later in technology and Opposition Research.
2016 will be the year of technology if the Trades are serious about regaining market share, relevance, and credibility with membership and workers – union or not. I want to share with you some ways you can take advantage of technology to solve problems (some of which you might not even realize you have). I want to start by telling you about Mass Texting. So, let’s talk about textsTM.
Leading Labor’s Mass Texting Platform Is:
- A fantastic way to communicate with your membership
- Instantaneous – members receive your messages in seconds
- Inexpensive – texts cost 3.25 cents, making them much less expensive than traditional methods (like postcards)
- Ubiquitous – texting is something 99% of your members already do, so there is no learning curve for them.
- Effective — 95% of text messages are read within a minute of getting them
- Targetable – Build custom lists so you can text only those who need to receive the message.
- Two-way communication – get structured responses from members, but only when you want them.
- Robust – includes a mobile website builder, QR Code generator, and more at no extra cost, most Mass Texting companies make their money on extras like lists.
- Powerful – The platform can solve many problems – use it to dispel rumors, provide timely information to membership, Cyber Organizing, Community Outreach, Building a Twitter platform for pro worker messaging, Getting updates on membership info and harvesting emails, advancing union contractors and more!
- Granular – which means the lists are very specific. Retirees, Apprenticeships, Volunteers, Outreach, Organizing, etc.… No SPAM!
- Easy – login, type your message, and select the recipient list, press send from anywhere including a mobile phone. That is it!
- Ready to go – Sign up today. Be texting your membership tomorrow.
- A great way to start improving your communication with your membership and moving to an engagement that leverages the union’s ability to be relevant in today’s world of technology!
What Mass Texting Is NOT:
- Group texting – this is a sophisticated platform that is designed to send texts to hundreds or thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of recipients at once. This is not the same thing as sending a group text from your phone, which is both annoying and ineffective.
- Expensive, complicated, too “techie” – Leading Labor’s platform is inexpensive, easy to use, and ready to go today.
- The only communication platform you need – texts are limited to providing short messages, so they’re not perfect in every situation. However, this is a great way to get started improving communication and building out a full-blown communication platform, which will include mass e-mails and Smart Phone Apps.
You can learn more about the platform by watching Leading Labor’s video walkthrough here:
http://leadinglabor.com/mass-texting-for-unions/
“if you see a good fight – get in it”
Danny L Caliendo
Organizer
Labor Rising/Labor Combat
