Live Feedback version

0.1

Last Updated Tuesday, May 3, 2011

 

Why Text Messaging?

Text messaging has emerged as a hugely popular communications channel, and it provides some interesting advantages over more traditional electronic communications. Here are some of the benefits:

• Text messaging is quick. Messages are sent and received within seconds, and the 140-character limit means messages are quick to both compose and read.
• Text messaging is convenient. It puts your message in your customers’ pockets wherever they go, even if they aren’t at - or don’t even have - a computer.
• Text messaging is personal. Mobile phones are deeply personal devices, and text messaging takes advantage of that. It can provide a private communications channel to every customer in your store, at the same time!
• Text messaging is contextual. It’s easy to send and receive messages from just about anywhere, and at any time.
• Text messaging is ubiquitous. Almost all cell phones support it, and 72% of adult cell phone users in the US use it!

How does the “Live Feedback” system fit in?

The Live Feedback system results from more than a year’s worth of research into text messaging by Constant Contact Labs. We worked to understand it as a complete communications medium: how it’s evolved, how it’s currently used by both businesses and individuals, what the advantages and disadvantages are, and how it can ultimately be put to use by small businesses and nonprofits.

The beta we’re announcing here is the first result of that research, and we believe it condenses our understanding into a set of three useful features:

1.  Polling. Polling with Live Feedback allows you to gather real-time responses to a question via text message. We handle all of the under-the-hood details: repeat votes, collection and tallying, chart presentation, and even data export to Excel.
2.  Comment Box. Rather than collecting comment cards by hand, why not ask customers to text feedback to you? We collect all comments in real-time for you to monitor, and also provide one-click export for archival purposes. You can also include a follow-up question or custom thank-you note.
3.  Join My Mailing List. Collecting customers’ contact information by text message is both easy and private. You can select the information to ask for - including a custom question, if you’d like - and contacts’ information is synchronized in real-time to your Constant Contact account. We also automatically generate a placard for you to print. Here’s an example:

We think this makes for a good start, but we know there are plenty of other important uses for text messaging as well. If you’ve one in mind, please let us know what else you’d like to see.

How Does it Work?

Live Feedback works by asking you to choose a unique keyword for your customers to send text messages to. Once you’ve opened a keyword, you’ll need to have customers send a text to your keyword at Constant Contact’s shortcode. (A shortcode is a shortened version of a phone number - it’s the phone number that customers actually send the text to.)

Descriptions are nice, but examples are better. Here’s a live polling keyword you can text to right now:

In this demo, LABSVOTE is the keyword, and 22828 is the shortcode. On an iPhone, for example, you’d want to send the text message like this:

All that was needed to set up this poll was to pick the keyword LABSVOTE - everything else was handled automatically.To set up your own poll, comment box or JMML, you just need to pick a keyword!

Who is This For?

We believe that the current, early stage of the Live Feedback system will best serve small businesses and organizations who want to collect comments and signups in physical locations - so that’s restaurants, hair salons, seminars, trade shows, and things of that nature. That’s just a first step, though, and if you think Live Feedback can benefit you, we definitely want to help you try it! Read on to learn how.

How Much Does it Cost?

There’s no charge for this beta.

How Do I Enroll?

If you’re a Constant Contact customer and would like to try out Live Feedback, great! Please contact us to get started:

We’ll ask you a few follow-up questions, and then we’ll email you at the email address you provide when we’re ready to get you started with the system.