Text Messaging Tips for Churches

A mobile marketing which is familiar with text message marketing platform can be utilized for so much more than just a marketing method. Many organizations are looking to use it as a quick and efficient method of updating, alerting, or notifying their subscribers. One such organization that is finding great uses for a text message marketing platform as a means of updating subscribers is churches.

Uses

Churches can find many different possibilities for the uses of a texting platform. One major usage is reminding members of up-and-coming events and items of importance. Churches can remind members of:

    - a guest speaker appearance
    - a youth night activity
    - special holiday events
    - question/answer session of a sermon
    - study topics for the weekly Bible study session
    - sending daily inspirational quotes
    - keeping in touch with staff
    - reminders of meeting times

Text messaging is powerful, when used for these purposes, because of its timely manner of delivery and high readability percentage. Text messages are delivered to a subscriber within 10-30 seconds of when it was sent, providing instant information. The vast majority of text messages are read within 15 minutes of receiving them. Myself, as a frequent user of text messaging, have often thought about this principle of how quickly I read my text messages and it is true. If I am anywhere near my phone and hear my text message ringtone chime, I find myself grabbing my phone to find out who texted me. If you use text messaging yourself, think of this in your own experience. Do you have a similar reaction when your phone chimes that a new text message has arrived? It is safe to assume that most of you have similar experiences to mine. Now think of this in terms of your subscribers/members. What better way to keep in touch with them almost instantly and have a near-guaranteed read. Other forms of communication–such as e-mail, phone calls, or direct mail–just don’t produce such results.

Examples

Below are some simple example messages of how a church could utilize a group SMS messaging service to contact subscribers:

Youth Group Reminders
Youth group meeting Wed. @ 7PM. Bring friends! We will discuss several topics with refreshments afterward. See you there! Stop to cancel.

Daily Inspirational Quote
It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, ‘Always do what you are afraid to do.’ – Ralph Waldo Emerson. Stop to cancel.

Reminders of Meeting Times
Don’t forget our special Christmas worship service Dec. 25th @ 10:00AM. Normal services are Sunday’s at 9:00AM and 1:00 PM. Come learn with us! Stop to cancel.

You can see, there are several ways that a texting platfrom can be beneficial to churches for a variety of different uses. Members will be able to stay connected like never before when their local church uses text messaging as a means of communication.