Tap to Go: Another Way to Reach People

Connecting with people today is all about options. It’s not just one way for people to connect, it’s offering multiple methods and catering to their preference. At Rally Corp we want to make it easy for nonprofits to mobilize people, so that means options. 

Our latest option? Tap to connect. 

Using a near field communication (NFC) tag, you can use a simple tap of your mobile phone to trigger the action of your choice. 

We call it tap to go. The ‘go’ is up to you. Tap to donate, tap to RSVP, tap to volunteer—and more, the options are endless.

Let’s explore how it works.

How It Works: NFC Tags for Nonprofits

NFC tags work the same way as tapping your cell phone at a checkout to pay. With Rally’s tap to go, we code the NFC tag to queue up a text message. Then you can use keyword workflows to trigger whatever action you want—a donation, sign up, more info, event RSVP, volunteering, and more.

It’s easy. 

You’re simplifying in-person interactions and getting people to connect in the moment. By capturing people right then, there’s no remembering to do it later, no forgetting the phone number, no typos when they input the URL, no missing the QR code, no pen to paper, no data entry with a hard-to-read sign up sheet. Just tap.

• Custom tags: The NFC tag comes in all kinds of shapes and sizes. You can customize it with whatever you want on it, whether it’s a logo, image, text, QR code, or more.
• Placement: You can put the tags wherever it makes sense. Stick it on the wall, set them out on a table, whatever you need.
• Samples: We’ve got a sample sticker version with the Rally logo that we’ll send free to Rally customers so you can give it a try. 
• Tap trigger: You need to encode each NFC tag with your desired action. In this case, we’ll trigger an SMS text message with your keyword. Rally customers can customize all of that through our Rally.so platform.

These NFC tags are fun little devices that give nonprofits another way to connect. You can simplify signup or just make it easy to donate—whatever you want.

NFC Tags in Action

Here are a few simple ways your nonprofit organization might use NFC tags:

• Tap to donate: Put them all over the place at your event to encourage easy, on-the-spot donations. Have them at tables for a gala or slap them on the wall as people are leaving the auditorium.
• Tap to volunteer: Have them around your volunteer table so people can skip the line, avoid the pitch, and sign up immediately. 
• Tap to learn more: A crowded booth is a good problem to have, but that can mean you miss people. Place a few tags at the edges of your booth space and encourage people to tap for more info. No handouts needed.

Why Tap?

So why should your nonprofit organization use tap to go? Plenty of reasons:

• Easy: It’s a simple way to connect directly to someone’s mobile phone and instantly connect them with your organization. No forgetting, no paper handouts, no misspelled URLs. Just tap and it’s there.
• Reduce staffing: The simple connection point means you could have fewer people staffing booths or just free them up to talk with the people who actually want a face-to-face conversation (not everybody does!). 
• No staffing: In some situations, you could still offer connection with no staff at all. Whether you’re short staffed, someone had to step away, or you wanted a minimal presence, people can still tap to connect.
• Contact free: The pandemic taught us that sometimes we don’t want human contact. Tapping works great for people who want to keep their distance but still connect.
• Embrace mobile: People do everything on their phones and this is another way to get on that mobile device where the action happens.

Multiple Methods to Connect

Ultimately, tap to go is worth considering because it gives you what we talked about earlier—needing multiple ways to connect. Everybody has a different preference, and you want to make it as easy as possible with as many different options as possible. 

For example, if you want someone to donate, we’ve got multiple ways to do it:

• Text to donate (text DONATE to 24365)
• Scan to donate (QR codes)
• Link to donate (short URLs)
• Tap to donate (NFC tags)

It’s all about lowering that barrier to entry and making it easy for people (we talk about this in a recent episode of Your Rally Point podcast). In addition to the examples above, if you’re at an in-person event you would also add ‘drop to donate’ with a simple donation box to accept cash (unless for some reason you don’t want people to give you money!).

It’s a busy, noisy world out there. In order to break through and connect, nonprofit organizations need every tool at their disposal. Tap to go is the latest mobile-friendly tool for your toolbox.

Rally Can Help

Whether you’re exploring the latest digital tools or just getting started with text message marketing, we’re here to help you connect:

• Tools: We offer integrations with your preferred fundraising platform, customer relationship management (CRM) system, donation form, and more. We offer mass texting, two-way texting, MMS, and more. Our functionality and workflows can boost donor engagement, encourage peer fundraising, increase recurring donations, and in general make your mobile fundraising more effective.
• Support: We care about customer experience. We’ve got multiple options for help including FAQs, templates, and webinars. Plus, we’re happy to get on a phone call and talk through any issues. We even offer pre-written text message templates to make it easy. Check out our case studies to see how nonprofits rave about our support and user-friendly system.
• Not sure: If you’re still not sure about SMS text messaging, we’re happy to show you a demo, walk through strategy, and take a voice call to talk pricing options. 

‍‍Get started: Sign up now to start using Rally and experiment with NFC tags for tap to go.