I recently updated some of my old blog posts about Text-to-Church. In them I made the case that people already text and many don't want to download or use another App.
However, with all our work preparing for and launching our Member App, I have a different perspective.
Using these two features together adds depth to your overall church communication strategy. By that I mean it enables you to more effectively reach people at different places on their journey and respect their different preferences.
Some people prefer to Text since they know it and use it so much already. Others prefer the App so they have one place to go for church stuff. With the recent release of our Member App, we give you the tools to offer your church best-in-class level solutions for both. Because, like Ecclesiastes 4:9 says of human relationships:
Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor.
To better understand this, lets consider the communication environments people tend to depend on at different stages in their church engagement journey: your website, Text-to-Church, and the Member App.
People at the earliest stage of engagement are just gaining an awareness of your church. Your website is most often their first impression. You want to get their attention and make them curious enough to visit for the first time. I've written a lot about how to create a call to action that leads to a follow up pipeline of text and email content
When someone visits the first few times, maybe some of them will actually take you up on downloading an App. But, they are much more likely to give, connect, register, share prayers requests, check-in, and more if you give them a way to do that on an platform they already use all day, every day - Text.
People who become regular attenders, members, and especially volunteers are significantly more engaged in your church. And, the more invested they are, the more likely it is that they will be interested in downloading your App.
As you can see in the illustration, Text-to-Church is not only a bridge between your website and your Member App, it is also the perfect companion to the App for member and volunteer engagement. Everyone texts. And those who want an App can easily install it.
Consider the latest stats on the success of Mobile Apps in the U.S.
The average American has 80 apps downloaded on their phone. The average smartphone owner uses 9-10 apps per day and 30 per month. 85% of time spent on smartphones is spent using apps.
This means several things.
- People spend a lot of time using Apps. But of course this includes text, podcasts, videos, news, shopping, entertainment, banking, Chick-fil-A, social, and more.
- You have to make the top 80 of these just to be downloaded. More involved attenders and members might prefer it for check-in, giving, and registering. But, if they just come once or twice per year or even per month, Text-to-Church might be easier.
- You have to be a top 30 App to be viewed once a month or more. Your more faithful members will do this. Many of your leaders and volunteers will like being able to easily manage their groups, their calendar, and access a directory and other resources.
- You have to be the top 9-10 for daily use. Only staff are going to use your App this much.
At the end of the day, the goal is to reach people far from God and make them fully devoted disciples of Christ. One step toward that goal is connecting them to the church.
You don't have to choose between Texting and the App to get people connected. It's both. Embracing the "Two are better than one" concept, you'll have an even greater return for your labor as a church communicator.
Whether you're a current client, someone looking for a major software change, or someone who just needs a better communication tool; our team is here to help!
