1. It is no secret that we live in a fast-paced world, and in the church world, it is even faster. As the saying goes “Sunday is always coming.” When sending out important information you need it to be acknowledged and understood quickly, this is where Mass Texting really shines. An astounding 98% of text messages are opened within 1 minute of receiving them*! So, when an event gets rained out, a small group needs to cancel, or Sunday morning service times are changed, your first option should be sending out a Mass Text.

1. Using email, a 35-40% open rate is considered “good.” However, as stated above 98% of text messages are opened within 1 minute and 98% are opened overall*. It should also be noted that 97% of US adults own cell phones*. So, while an email might be a good 2nd or 3rd option when communicating important or time-sensitive information sending a text message gives you the best chance for success. 

1. Keyword Texting gives you and your congregation the tools to immediately respond when they are the most engaged. For example, users can send “Prayer” and can have a Prayer Request Form sent to them! Keyword Texts can be used for giving, signing up for events, or requesting more information on things. Customization is easy and they should be easily recognizable for the campaign or purpose you are using them for. Want to learn more about Keyword Texting? Click Here!

1. You are allowed up to 140 characters per message. Rather than seeing this as a limitation, look at it as an opportunity for you and your team to be concise in your messaging. If 98% of users are reading these messages and 90% are reading them within 3 minutes*, it is important to make sure that the information sent to them is concise and on-target. Ask yourself these questions:
   1. What is the MOST important information my people need to know?
   2. How do we want them to interact with that information?
   3. How do we make the CTA (Call to Action) easily accessible?
2. Within our Mass Contact tool is a Link Shortener. This maximizes the space to communicate pertinent information while making the next step, or CTA easy to access. So, if an important event is coming up and there is a form that needs to be filled out, send a text with the most important event info with a link to the form (using the link shortener to maximize your characters) and use the event-form to answer any additional questions there may be! 

1. 4.9 billion people use SMS Text Messaging personally and professionally around the world*. Of those 4.9 billion people,  98% are reading those texts within 1 minute*. Millennials are active texters, and they are the generation of church-goers in their 30’s and 40’s. This is a wildly important demographic of young families who are the future of the church. Millennials are texting 67 times a day on average and when millennials were asked about receiving texts from organizations 40% said they are more likely to act and 62% said they are helpful reminders*. Utilizing Text Messages in your church is a guaranteed way to improve your communication, so why not give it a try?

Important Note: Mass-Texting is one of your most powerful ministry communication tools. Moreover, a regular cadence of directed SMS messages can significantly improve weekly ministry engagement.

*telesign.com/blog/millennials-text-message...