SMS for Faith-Based Engagement
Searching for Answers
Your congregants lead busy lives, and capturing their attention -- getting heard through all that “noise” -- is increasingly difficult. Whether you’re seeking volunteers for an event or requesting donations for a family in need, your messages won’t yield results if they go unnoticed. Email winds up in SPAM folders, direct mail is expensive and environmentally unfriendly, and phone calls are time-consuming. Your messages are important and your community members want to receive them; you need to find a communications channel that reaches them wherever they are. Text-based outreach solve these problems.
Embrace the New
SMS (text) messaging is hands-down the most effective way to reach your congregants, staff, and volunteers. Everyone with a mobile phone can receive text messages. And text messaging is rapidly becoming the communications method of choice, for people of all ages. It’s easy, quick, and -- most important for you and your community -- noticed. Open rates for text messages exceed 99%. And more than 90% of those messages are opened within three minutes! It’s free to try text marketing – why not send your first promotion today?
A Better Way
EZ Texting’s text messaging costs pennies per message and requires no software to download, or monthly minimums or commitments. We’ll even give you free messages to try it, so you have nothing to lose. Use SMS to foster community engagement, increase event attendance, facilitate vital relationships, promote volunteer opportunities, encourage giving, sharing inspirational messaging, and much more. And most of all, spend less time communicating and more time dedicated to your core missions.
In the Beginning...
Faith-based organizations have great messages to share, but all too often do so ineffectively by relying on traditional communications channels. And none of those channels -- email, direct mail, phone calls...even radio and television messaging -- approach the effectiveness of text messaging. Moreover, they are far more expensive, particularly given their efficiency and reach. It’s time to reach out to your community members using the means of communication they’re using with each other. And the time and money you’ll save will allow you to pursue more inspiring activities.
Email Marketing Workflow
CONTENT
DESIGN
HTML
DEVELOPMENT
TESTING
SENDING
SPAM
FILTERING
Looking Ahead
With text messaging, your congregants are contacted wherever they are. There’s an immediacy -- and intimacy -- to text messaging that other channels simply don’t have. And when it comes to faith-based outreach, these traits are ideal. Encourage your parishioners to sign up for daily or weekly inspirational messages or scripture quotes. Share urgent information -- event cancellations, last-minute venue changes, or a sudden need for volunteers -- quickly and reliably. Has a road closure blocked one of the primary routes to church? Send a text recommending an alternative -- you’ll reach people en route, save them time and frustration, and improve the likelihood they’ll arrive at your service.
Trying to connect with parish youth? Average daily screen time for 18-24 year-olds is an astonishing ten hours. SMS is the means by which this demographic communicates; if you want your messaging to resonate with them, try reaching out on their terms. You’ll be amazed at the response.
The EZ Texting platform allows you to log in from anywhere, and on any device -- you just need an internet connection. And it’s truly easy: select your opted-in contacts, compose your message, and send. It is important to have consent before you send any messages, and there are several easy ways to obtain it. For example, why not have greeters with tablets welcoming congregants to your services and encouraging them to sign up on the spot? It’s a warm and friendly way to welcome people to the program.
SMS Marketing Workflow
SELECT
CONTACT LIST
CREATE
MESSAGE
HIT SEND
