We released our Member App just over eight months ago and are encouraged by how many people are already using it! As always, we have loved the feedback from real world usage and made many tweaks to make the App experience even more stellar. One of the things people really like has been the ability to simply text "Me" to access and install the App. Our Text-to-Church technology that allows this is one of the advantages of using Churchteams. We leveraged it in the App rollout as a way for staff, online givers, and volunteers to get the App. So, we were asked if we could expand that approach so that everyone could use it to install the App.
I think there are at least four reason church staff are so pleased with the idea of sending a text to access and install a church Member App:
- Less promotion is required. Sunday morning bulletins and announcements are prime real estate. Having to promote downloading an App takes away from being able fo focus on the events and ministries that matter most. Texting is a simple way for people to register. Staff may mention the keyword "Me" as a way to install the App, but it is not necessary. The App promotes itself when people give online or respond to an invitation to serve as a volunteer or an email to install the App. Love it!
- It's more personal. The App has public sections for events and resources that people will be drawn to, but the biggest draw is for the information in the database that matters most to them personally. This includes their groups, events they've registered for, their giving, follow up tasks if they have any, ability to update their information, and ability to manage their communication preferences. This is the stuff that motivates people to access and install an App. Come on!
- No third party requirements. The Progressive Web App technology that Churchteams uses is not subject to the limitations and reliability of third party stores like Apple's and Google's. People aren't required to navigate away from Churchteams to download the App because they can do it directly from the Churchteams environment itself. Super-easy!
- People text all the time. It is incredibly obvious to church staff that everyone around them knows how to text. Texting is more popular than social media, email, and phone calls. It has become the communication tool of choice for most people. There is no need to promote installing anything when asking people to text. This is the world in which people already live and communicate. Go there!
What these friends didn't realize is the additional programming that would be necessary to take into account those who are less or not involved in the minstry or in the database. Once we scoped out what was necessary, our development team went to work and we recently rolled out an upgrade so that EVERYONE can access and install the App by sending a text.
Churchteams Admins: Go to Communicate > Text > Settings to review the Text-to-Me guest registration group dropdown. This is the group that people not in the database will register for when they send a text to install the App. You may need to add or edit the group. You can put yourself in the group as a leader to see who registers. (Knowledge Base Article with more info)
We also updated the Installing the Churchteams Member App KB article and video for your use. Back in October I wrote a blog post on why Two (Text and App) are better than one. It unfolds the same ideas I talk about in Meet The Software about the technologies people use as they go from awareness to assimilation to full engagement in the life of the church.
There is a lot of overlap in these technologies because people have different comfort levels with them. Serving people wherever they are in their use of technology is really important and it is why sending a text is the best way to get people to install a Church App.
