Text Message Alerts and Marketing For Churches

Text message marketing is the newest, fastest way to advertise for many types of businesses, now even churches are using Text Messaging. This modern marketing technique can be used for more than just trying to sell a product or draw in costumers. It can be used to inform and remind. Here’s how!

You can create different groups Churches can have multiple keywords/groups for different groups within the church. For example, a high school group could have the keyword “HSchool” and get reminders about gatherings, etc. The main congregation would have keyword “Church” and that group would be alerted about service times and other important church information. This gives the church the opportunity to reach different people about different things at different times!

Special Events A church could use a blast text to remind members about special events, new service times, or guest speakers. This allows the church to get the message they want out within the time slot they need and know that the message will be read. Text Messages have over a 90% read rate!

Questions Many people who attend church will agree that many question pop into your head during service. Often times it can be a bit embarrassing to ask a question out loud especially if you are new to the church. Text messaging allows members to ask questions safely and securely. The pastor or any person within the church can review the question straight from a computer then either answer them immediately from the pulpit or answer them later through a blog or later services.

Text Messages vs. Hand-Outs Church Youth Groups need to communicate with parents, this is often times attempted by paper hand-outs or by e-mail. Most kids don’t think about giving paper hand-outs to their parents, they think about how cool a paper airplane it will be! Also, e-mail has a very low read rate. Over 90% of text messages are read. Text Messages almost guarantee your message will be read!

Church Camps Many churches have used text message alerts during camps and have drastically improved their communication. At church camps, most likely everyone is away from their computers, but they have their cell phone with them! Among other things, pastors and leaders can send meeting times, prayer requests, etc. all through text message and know that their message will be read

A group can also be set up for parents while their children are away to camp. It helps remind parents when to drop off and pick up their children, and most importantly it lets parents get updates throughout the week(s) of camp! They can hear about what activities are happening or what the students are learning. It’s extremely useful for pastors and leaders to keep parents informed.

Case Study Recently a forward thinking church in Arizona used text message marketing for a program called 40 Days of Purpose. A text message was sent out everyday for forty days straight to those who had opted-in. The text contained a virtue and purpose for that day. This church was able to use one of the coolest, easiest ways to communicate and has created some serious buzz about their church! It’s easy and any church could have the opportunity to create their own buzz using text message marketing.

Public Information Churches are always looking for ways to market their church and get more people to hear the message. A church could market their keyword and they auto response of the keyword would give the person service times, website and location of the church. At this same time, the church has captured this person’s information and they are now part of the database, so on a Saturday night, the church can send out a message reminding people of the Sunday service times, etc.