97% of people in the U.S. own a smartphone of some kind. So, that means that most of the people in your church and community have a smartphone, and the ability to use church text messaging. The question is, are you using texting as part of your church communication strategy?
At Text In Church, we talk to churches across the country on a daily basis. Some are using texting “a little” and some are hesitant to get started. Why? Because they believe one of these nine text messaging myths. Are you believing these too?
Ok, this one is easy. Texting is only impersonal if it’s, well, impersonal. If it looks like a mass text, then yes, it will be perceived as impersonal. But there’s an easy way to fix this. Simply, add the person’s name to the text and write the text as if you are talking to them! Here’s an example:
Impersonal: We need volunteers! Sign up here {sign up link}
Personal: Hi, Rachel, we’d love to have you on our volunteer team for VBS this year! You can sign up here {sign up link} or reply if you have any questions! ~ Angie
See how easy it is to make a text personal? Write it as if you are talking to that person!
When people say this one, they are meaning it in a negative way. But, texts ARE intrusive…and that’s a good thing. Consider these statistics:
- 98% of text messages are read
- 90% of text messages are read within 3 minutes
- The response time of text messages is 90 seconds
What does this mean? That, yes, text messages interrupt. They draw the attention of the recipient. This is a good thing. This means that the message you are trying to communicate will be received. The trick is, to make this intrusion worth it. And that brings us to myth number three.
We’ve established that your text message will be received. But the question is, do they even want it? Aren’t text messages annoying? We all know what it’s like to receive text messages that tell us about a flash sale, a new product, or the ice cream flavor of the month. These flood our phones all the time, and yes, when the phone dings, we look at it, and then maybe roll our eyes. After all, we just opted into texting to get a free appetizer not to be spammed with texts.
Because these texts are spammy, we think all texts are spammy. That is false! It is not the text that is spam, it is the content, and perhaps the frequency. When a church member or guest opts to receive texts from you, make it clear what they should expect. What types of messages do you plan on sending: information, encouragement, devotionals? And then let them know how often to expect these texts: weekly, daily? AND STICK TO IT! You don’t want to be like the local restaurant bombarding them with coupons they didn’t ask for, but you can be the person that speaks truth and encouragement to them and help them to feel known, noticed, and loved.
If you are making your texts personal and you are texting what your members and guests want, then you are on the right track to starting a conversation. You’ve introduced yourself and established a connection, now it’s time to start a conversation!
How do you do that? It’s simple.
Ask a question.
Here are a few to get you started:
- How can I pray for you today?
- What can I do to bless you today?
- What was your takeaway from Bible Study this week?
With all technology, when we first begin to use it, we can feel overwhelmed. And while chances are that you are among the 97% of people that use a smartphone and perhaps even text your friends and family, the idea of texting your church members and new guests sounds complicated! But it doesn’t have to be.
Download our Text Messaging Playbook with done-for-you text message templates you can copy and paste. Once you get started, you’ll be surprised by how easy it is to come up with your own ideas!
This is a very common myth. Sure, megachurches that have a big staff can afford fancy tools and have the staff to manage lighting and sound equipment, church apps, and texting platforms. Or maybe you think you don’t NEED a texting platform because your church is small and you can just use your personal number.
Let me bust a couple of bonus myths for you right here.
First, texting is an affordable solution for churches of all sizes. Especially when you use a platform like Text In Church where the pricing is based on out-going text messages only, so you can choose the plan that meets the needs of your church size.
Secondly, you don’t need a large staff to use texting to communicate with your members and guests. In fact, it’s perfect for church text messaging with multiple people or groups with ease. Have a last-minute message that you need your members to see? Texting. Want to follow up with each guest that came last Sunday? Texting. Want to check in with that family that you haven’t seen at church for a while? Texting!
If you want to hear more about how a small church can use text messaging, watch this In The Trenches interview!
Now you may be asking yourself, but do I really need a texting platform? Can’t I just use my phone and do it myself?
Technically, yes.
But, this can get cumbersome for a few different reasons. Let’s look at those text message examples in the above paragraph. You have two choices when sending a message to a group of people. Send a group message, but then if someone replies, everyone sees it and it can get a little annoying. (No one likes a group text, am I right?!)
Or, you could text them individually and that can get time-consuming. And what if you want to follow up with multiple guests or families? If you don’t have a texting platform, this is a task that can be forgotten or put on the back burner, making it easy for people to fall through the cracks.
Using Text In Church for church text messaging can simplify this for you with workflows, group messaging features, and reminder messages so that no one is forgotten and you can connect with your guests and members to serve them well.
Try Text In Church for FREE to see just how easy it is to use!
A bonus win for using a texting platform is accountability for ministry leaders who are using it. All messages and conversations are part of each person’s profile, so they are always available to review if necessary.
Even if your entire membership roster doesn’t use a smartphone or other digital devices, in order to reach new people or grow your church, you need to incorporate church text messaging into your communications and follow-up strategies. Remember 97% of people own a smartphone. The average amount of time they actually spend on their phone each day? Three to four hours! Regardless of how you feel about those statistics, the reality is that to reach people, you need to go where they are, and they are… well, on their phones.
For those of us who grew up before the smartphone era, there is still sometimes the myth that texting is only something that young people do. While texting may not be the preferred method for older people, it is still something they use, and respond to. Roughly 75% of senior citizens use smartphones and when they do, they want to connect with friends and family. As a pastor or ministry leader, church text messaging is a way to step in and reach both the young and young-at-heart!
Okay, you’re convinced that texting is something your church should incorporate into your communication strategy, but now you are overwhelmed. It’s just one more thing on the list you have to figure out. You’ve got emails, social media, a website, videos, and live streaming, now texting?! We get it. That is why we have made it super easy to get started with Text In Church and become a communication pro in minutes! (Not to mention, we have an award-winning support team that is ready to help you too!)
Click here to start your free trial of Text In Church!
Text messages are a simple, personal, and relational way to communicate with and encourage people in your church and community. Don’t let these myths and other doubts stop you from using text messaging for your church to connect with your community and build better relationships.
Even if your entire membership roster doesn’t use a smartphone or other digital devices, in order to reach new people or grow your church, you need to incorporate church text messaging into your communications and follow-up strategies. Remember 97% of people own a smartphone. The average amount of time they actually spend on their phone each day? Three to four hours! Regardless of how you feel about those statistics, the reality is that to reach people, you need to go where they are, and they are… well, on their phones.
For those of us who grew up before the smartphone era, there is still sometimes the myth that texting is only something that young people do. While texting may not be the preferred method for older people, it is still something they use, and respond to. Roughly 75% of senior citizens use smartphones and when they do, they want to connect with friends and family. As a pastor or ministry leader, church text messaging is a way to step in and reach both the young and young-at-heart!
Okay, you’re convinced that texting is something your church should incorporate into your communication strategy, but now you are overwhelmed. It’s just one more thing on the list you have to figure out. You’ve got emails, social media, a website, videos, and live streaming, now texting?! We get it. That is why we have made it super easy to get started with Text In Church and become a communication pro in minutes! (Not to mention, we have an award-winning support team that is ready to help you too!)
Click here to start your free trial of Text In Church!
Text messages are a simple, personal, and relational way to communicate with and encourage people in your church and community. Don’t let these myths and other doubts stop you from using text messaging for your church to connect with your community and build better relationships.
Related Content:
How to get people to respond to your text messages [YouTube video]
3 things to include in your church text messages [YouTube video]
THIS is a common assumption in churches [YouTube video]
How to keep your texts from being spammy [YouTube video]