Choosing between email, SMS, and voice
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The short version
| | Email | SMS | Voice broadcast | |---|---|---|---| | Best for | Rich updates, storytelling, documents | Urgency, reminders, links | Warmth, emotion, older audiences | | Length | Unlimited, with images & attachments | 160 characters (less per segment for longer or emoji texts) | ~30–60 seconds of audio | | Links | Any link | Pledgix links only | Spoken directions only | | Scheduling | Send now | Send now or schedule | Send now or schedule | | Timing rules | None enforced | Good judgment expected | 9 AM – 8 PM campaign time, enforced | | Attention | Read when convenient | Read within minutes | Heard immediately (if answered) |
When email wins
Email is your workhorse for anything with substance: campaign updates, thank-you letters, event details with attachments, and messages that benefit from your branding and photos. It's the only channel with unrestricted links and rich formatting, and there's no length limit. The trade-off: inboxes are crowded, and delivery timing is up to each recipient's mail provider.
Reach for the Email Studio when the message deserves to be read rather than glanced at.
When SMS wins
Text messages get seen — usually within minutes. That immediacy makes SMS ideal for time-critical nudges: "Matching hour starts now," "We're 90% to goal," "Rally day is tomorrow." The constraints are real, though: 160 characters, only Pledgix links allowed, carrier content screening, and a stronger expectation of consent. A text also feels personal, so overuse burns goodwill faster than email ever will.
Reach for the SMS Center when timing matters more than detail — and keep it rare enough to stay special.
When voice wins
A recorded voice carries emotion no text can match — and it reaches supporters who don't engage with email or texts, including older donors. Voice broadcasts are perfect for a heartfelt pre-campaign ask from your organization's leader, a personal thank-you when you hit goal, or event-day reminders. Legal calling hours (9 AM – 8 PM in your campaign's time zone) are enforced automatically, recipients can press 7 to opt out, and every list is screened against your Do Not Call list. If your list spans time zones, pick a launch time that also suits recipients' local hours — the window follows your campaign's zone, not theirs.
Reach for Robocalls when the messenger is the message.
Combining channels
The strongest campaigns sequence channels rather than choosing one:
- Email first — the full story, days ahead.
- SMS on the day — a short reminder with the donation link, timed for mid-morning.
- Voice for the moment — a recorded message from your leader as the final push, or a thank-you after the win.
Tip: Never send the same message on all three channels at once. Triple-contact within an hour reads as spam, not enthusiasm. Space touches at least half a day apart and vary the content.
One more factor: your audience's consent
Team leaders on your roster expect campaign communications on any channel. Wider audiences are different — texting numbers beyond your roster needs the Open SMS Recipients approval, and calling lists should always come from people who gave you their number. When in doubt, email is the safest default.
Related articles
- Communications hub overview
- Consent, quiet hours, and compliance
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