Writing Scripts

Your texting scripts should be clear, concise, and conversational. Generally speaking, you should aim to present all the information your contacts need to know in as few words as possible, while still using language that sounds natural. Your scripts should sound like they're coming from real people – because they are! You should always include opt out language like stop=quit and if you're sending a link, please consult our article on short links to ensure deliverability.

Initial Messages

Initial messages typically follow a three-part structure: introduction, argument, and ask.

Introduction

The introduction is where you introduce both your organization and the individual texter to the contact. If you're texting for an electoral campaign, this is also where you would introduce the candidate, as well as the officer they're running for. Here are a couple of examples:

"Hi {firstName}, it's {texterFirstName} with the Rebel Alliance."

"Hi {firstName}! My name is {texterFirstName} and I'm a volunteer with Baby Yoda, who is running for Coruscant City Council."

For second pass initial messages, you can leave out introducing the texter and your organization, since the message will appear immediate below the first pass in their thread, which already contains that information. Here are some examples second pass introductions:

"Hi {firstName}, just wanted to make sure you saw our first message!"

"Hi {firstName}! Just checking in again to see if you can...

Argument

The argument is where you make the case for why the contact should do the thing you're asking them to do. If you're inviting them to an event, you'll want to describe it in way that feels compelling and urgent. If you're asking them to support a candidate, you'll want to give an elevator pitch about what their campaign is all about, lifting up their core message and/or issues. Here are some example arguments, building off our introductions:

"Hi {firstName}, it's {texterFirstName} with the Rebel Alliance. For decades, Imperial bankers and traders have made billions of credits, while ordinary workers have struggled to make ends meet. That's why we're organizing a galactic livestream on wealth and income inequality and what you can do to fight back this Friday, March 26th at 8pm CT."

"Hi {firstName}! My name is {texterFirstName} and I'm a volunteer with Baby Yoda, who is running for Coruscant City Council. Baby Yoda has spent his entire career standing up to the Imperial elite and fighting for ordinary working people across the galaxy. He's running to make health care, housing, and education rights to all people, no matter what star system you're from."

Ask

The ask is where you present a clear question to the contact. Your ask should correspond with the survey question in your Interactions script. Here are some example asks, building off our arguments:

"Hi {firstName}, it's {texterFirstName} with the Rebel Alliance. For decades, Imperial bankers and traders have made billions, while ordinary workers have struggled to make ends meet. That's why we're organizing a galactic livestream on wealth and income inequality and what you can do to fight back this Friday, March 26th at 8pm CT. Can you join us?"

Here are some other common ways of making a clear ask:

"Can you make it?"
"Can you be there?"
"Can we count on your support?"
"Will you volunteer?"

Survey Response Scripts

Your survey response scripts should clearly and succinctly convey the information the contact needs, based on how they responded to the ask in your initial message. Response scripts should be written so that, in most cases, they can be sent with little to no editing. However, they should also be flexible enough so that they're easy to personalize when appropriate.

The survey scripts you create will depend on what your ask is and what kind of data you want to collect. Two of the most common script structures are a Yes/No/Maybe script and a Voter ID script.

Yes/No/Maybe Script

This is the script structure you'll use for any ask that's posed as a Yes/No question, such as an event recruitment or volunteer recruitment campaign. He's an example:

YES they will attend the event
"Great! To join the virtual event, please register here: www.notarealwebsite.com You'll then get emailed a link to join the livestream. Looking forward to it!"

NO they will not attend the event
"I understand, thanks for letting me know!"

MAYBE they will attend the event
"OK! If you're able to make it, please register here: www.notarealwebsite.com You'll then get emailed a link to join the livestream. Hope you can make it!"

Vote ID Scripts

This is the script you'll use when trying to asses voters' level of support for a candidate, or possibly, their level of support for an issue, ballot measure, or union. Typically, voter ID scripts use a 1-5 scale to measure support. Here's an example:

1 - They will DEFINITELY support the candidate
"Amazing! Thanks so much for your support. It's going to take all of us to win this election. Will you volunteer with our people-powered campaign?"

2 - They will LIKELY support the candidate
"That's great to hear! It's going to take all of us to win this election. Will you volunteer with our people-powered campaign?"

3 - They MAYBE will support the candidate
" OK! Please let me know if you have any questions I can answer. Have a good day!"

4 - They will LIKELY NOT support the candidate
"I understand, thanks for letting me know. Take good care!"

5 - They will DEFINITELY NOT support the candidate
"I understand. Have a good rest of your day!"

Generic Survey Scripts

In addition to the survey scripts that are designed to respond to replies to your initial message, you'll also want to include some generic scripts for common replies that don't have anything to do with your specific ask. Typically, these generic survey scripts can be applied across all of your campaigns, sometimes with slight variations. Here are some examples:

Wrong Number
"Sorry about that! I've just made a note to update our records. Take good care!"

Refused/Angry
"I understand. Have a good rest of your day!"

Moved
"Got it, thanks for letting me know!"

Ultimately, there are as many possible scripts as there are campaigns! If you'd like support crafting a campaign script, please reach out at support@spokerewired.com