Live polls and list growth for podcasts and radio
Say one keyword on the air, in the show or in an ad. Listeners text it from the car to vote in a live poll, get the offer, or join your list.
14-day free trial. Every feature on every plan.
- MORNING
- Today’s question: should the farmers market move to Sundays? Reply A for yes or B for no.
- B
- Thanks! We’ll read the results on air at 8:40.
Your listeners hear the ask with their hands full.
The show notes are three taps deep
The listener has to find the app, the episode, the description, and the link, then fill in a form. Nobody on a commute can do that safely.
A URL is gone by the time they park
“Head to our website and sign up” asks people to remember an address until they’re home. Few of them will.
The phone lines reach a handful
A call-in segment hears from the few callers who get through. Everyone else listening has an opinion and no way to give it.
How podcasters and radio use Textiful
Poll the audience live on air
Ask the question, give the keyword, and read the results a few minutes later. Thousands of listeners can vote by text instead of the five callers who got through, and the live poll results page can go up on the station’s site or a screen at a live taping.
- Should the farmers market move to Sundays? Reply A for yes or B for no.
- B
- Thanks for voting! Results at 8:40.
Say one keyword on the show
Pick a word that’s easy to spell when heard, like NOTES or the show’s one-word name, and say it twice with the number. Listeners get the show notes or a bonus as a handout and join your email list. Tag contacts with the episode to see which ones brought people in.
- NOTES
- Here’s every book from today’s episode: [link]. What’s your email for the bonus interview?
- dana@example.com
A keyword in your radio ad
“Text SPRING to 33777 for 20% off” is easier to remember from a 30-second spot than a web address. Each listener who texts gets the offer right away, and the Reports page counts text-ins per keyword, so a keyword per station or per flight shows which ads worked. How to add a text-in call to action to a radio ad has the details.
- SPRING
- Thanks for listening! Here’s 20% off this week: show this text at the counter. Want early access to next month’s sale? Reply with your email.
Text-to-enter contests on air
Concert tickets, a gift card, a station T-shirt: listeners text a keyword to enter, once each, and you draw a winner at random and text them how to claim. Contest rules vary by state, so check with your counsel.
- TICKETS
- You’re entered to win two tickets to Saturday’s show! We’ll call the winner on air at 5.
The features podcasts and radio use most
- Live polls
Ask a question, let the room vote by text, and project the results as they come in. Countdown, winner banner, and confetti included.
- Keywords
A word your audience can remember and say out loud, on short code 33777 or 55444. Easy to put on a slide and easy to announce from the stage.
- Handouts
Upload your slides, guide, or recording once. Textiful sends it by text or email the moment someone finishes, and tracks every download.
- Giveaways
People enter by text, once each. Draw winners at random, reveal them on a live page, and text them how to claim the prize.
- Capture data via text
Email, name, company, location, or any custom field, asked one question at a time. Start from a template and change the wording to sound like you.
Set up before your next episode
- 1
Pick your keyword
Choose one on 33777 or 55444 in Keywords. One is included on your plan, and nobody else on Textiful can use it on that short code.
- 2
Upload the bonus
Add it to Handouts and start from “Give away a download.” Ask for an email, then connect Mailchimp, Kit, or ActiveCampaign.
- 3
Say it twice
“Text NOTES to 33777. That’s NOTES, N-O-T-E-S, to 33777.” Put it near the part of the episode it relates to, and again at the end.
Before and after
| Show-notes links and the phone lines | With Textiful | |
|---|---|---|
| What the listener does | Find the app, the episode, the link, and the form | Text one word to 33777 |
| Hearing from listeners | The few callers who get through | Every listener who texts a vote |
| From the car | Forgotten by the time they park | One word and one number, easy to do later |
| Delivering the bonus | A landing page and a confirmation email | Sent by text and email when they reply |
| Where they end up | Your email tool, if they finish the form | Mailchimp, Kit, ActiveCampaign, or anything on Zapier |
| Measuring a radio ad | A vanity URL or phone number nobody remembers | Text-ins counted per keyword, per station or flight |
Who it’s for
Podcasters, radio hosts, stations, and businesses that advertise on the radio, with a mostly US audience, who want a call to action that works without a screen: live polls during a broadcast, show notes, on-air contests, and text-in ads. Plans start at $19/month; see pricing.
Who should skip it
Shows whose listeners are mostly outside the US, since 33777 and 55444 work with US carriers only. A web link will reach more of them.
Solutions for podcasts and radio
How to add a text-in call to action to a radio ad
To add a text-in call to action to a radio ad, give listeners a keyword to text to a short code, like "Text SPRING to 33777 for 20% off." The reply sends the offer right away, can ask for an email to keep the conversation going, and every text-in is counted per keyword, so a keyword per station or per flight shows which ads worked.
ReadHow to grow a podcast email list with a spoken keyword
To grow a podcast email list, give listeners one word to text. Say a keyword like NOTES and the number 33777 twice on the show. Listeners text it when they can, Textiful asks for their email, sends the show notes or bonus you promised, and adds them to your email tool tagged with the episode.
ReadQuestions people ask
Yes. Listeners text your keyword to 33777 and reply with a letter to vote. The results page updates as votes arrive, so the host can read the numbers on air and post the page on the station’s site. Each listener gets one vote, and the results show counts and percentages, never names.
Near the point in the episode that the offer relates to, and again at the end. A mid-roll mention tied to something you just discussed tends to make more sense to listeners than a generic plug in the intro.
One keyword for the show is easiest for listeners to remember. If you want to know which episodes drive sign-ups, tag contacts with the episode, add a second keyword for a specific series, or put a free QR code on the video version.
Only where there's a screen: the video version of your show, a clip on social, or a slide at a live taping. For audio, the spoken keyword is the call to action.
No. The short codes 33777 and 55444 are set up for US mobile carriers only. If a large share of your audience is elsewhere, keep a web sign-up link for them as well.
Yes. A keyword on 33777 or 55444 is short enough to say twice in a 30-second spot, and the reply can send the offer right away. Give each station or flight its own keyword to compare them on the Reports page; one keyword is included on your plan, and more are $10/month each.
Keep exploring
Event lead capture: a playbook for live audiences
How to turn a room into contacts you can follow up with: what to offer, how to ask from the stage or the booth, what to ask for, and what to do in the 24 hours after.
ReadKeyword (texting)
In texting, a keyword is a word someone texts to a short code to start a specific program, such as SLIDES to get a slide deck or LIST to sign up for a list. On a shared short code, the keyword tells the system which organization and which program the message belongs to.
ReadShort code
A short code is a five- or six-digit number that organizations use to receive and send text messages at volume, most often for text-to-join sign-ups, voting, and requests for information. Mobile carriers review each short code program before it goes live.
ReadLead magnet
A lead magnet is something useful offered for free in exchange for a person's contact details, usually an email address. Common examples are slide decks, checklists, guides, templates, recordings, and discount codes.
ReadEmail service provider (ESP)
An email service provider (ESP) is software that stores an email list and sends emails to it, such as newsletters, welcome emails, and automated follow-ups. ESPs also handle sign-up forms, unsubscribes, and delivery. Mailchimp, Kit, and ActiveCampaign are examples.
ReadWebinar audience engagement by text
Webinar audience engagement by text puts the phone next to the laptop to work: viewers scan a QR code on your slide or text a keyword, vote in a live poll, and give an email in the same conversation. You screen-share the results page, and every voter lands in your list.
ReadSend your slides and get feedback on every talk
For a professional speaker, the talk is the product. Textiful handles the two jobs around it: the audience texts a keyword or scans a QR code to get your slide deck on their phone, and rates the talk by text before they leave, so you and the organizer get a report for every session. The people who ask for the deck join your list along the way.
ReadCollect fan emails at concerts and shows
The easiest way to collect fan emails at concerts is to say a keyword from the stage between songs and put a QR code on the merch table. Fans text FANS to 33777, give an email, and get the unreleased track or setlist you promised, and they land in your email list before the encore.
ReadReady for your next event?
Try Textiful free for 14 days. Set up a QR code or keyword in minutes and see who shows up.