Should Your Church be Texting? Part 1

R U going 2 church this weekend? Texting can be a powerful tool to get your message out there and connect with people in your community. In this article on texting best practices for churches, we’re going to break down all the things you need to know to build a successful texting plan for your church.

Quick Facts About Texting

How many texts are on your phone right now? If you’re like most people, the answer is “a lot.” Now that we’re not paying per text, we use texting almost like instant messaging. This means BILLIONS of texts are being sent. Yes, you read that right: billions.

We know that:

• 5 billion people use texting globally (Source: Slicktext)
• 23 billion texts are sent daily (Source: Forbes)
• WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger account for an additional 60 billion messages per day (Source: The Verge)
• Americans send more than 180 billion texts each month (Source: CTIA)

Who is sending all of these texts? It’s primarily the younger demographics, but it’s not exclusively the youth. You’ll find that texting is a powerful tool even in the 55+ age group. This is something that can be effective for all ages.

texting stats

SMS (or “short message service,” aka, texting) is the most widely used data service in the world.

• 3 out of 10 people would give up calls entirely in favor of texts.
• 45% of texts get responses.
• 88% of people say that texting is the number one reason they use their phone.
• 90% of text messages get opened within 3 minutes.
• 98% of SMS messages are opened.
• The population as a whole spends 26 minutes a day texting.
• College students spend on average 94 minutes a day texting.
• US smartphone users send and receive five times more text than the number of calls per day.

In short, people LOVE to text. If you’re not using SMS services to enhance your church’s marketing program: you’re missing out!

texting benefits

There are some general benefits of texting that we know your church will appreciate, such as high open rates, high response rates, efficiency, affordability, and high engagement rates. Many churches that incorporate a text messaging communication plan along with their current marketing practices enjoy:

• Increased church attendance with service reminders and check-ins.
• Making sure guests and new members feel welcomed.
• Cultivating deeper relationships.
• Building a culture of prayer.
• Encouraging donations.
• Increasing volunteerism.

Simply put, texting is a way to connect with your members quickly and easily. It's also important to note that texting appeals to the younger generation. They prefer that form of communication more than any other age group, so if you're looking to cultivate younger members, texting might be the right solution for your church.

Rethinking Evangelism^®

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If SMS is something you’re interested in, but you don’t have the capacity to take this on yourself, we’re happy to work directly with your church. Simply contact us to start the conversation.