Email is one of the most important communication channels churches have to connect with their congregation and community. After all, it is one of the most widely used and important methods of communication in today's world. But how can you ensure your church emails get opened, read, and generate responses? There are ways that you can ensure your emails not only get opened but get read as well.
Here are 6 tips that will help you create an email that people will open and read.
Have a clear, specific subject line.
The subject line is the first thing people will see. That is why it is important to get straight to the point and make them memorable. You can include information such as "Bible Study Group this Tuesday at 7 pm" or ask a question such as "Did you enjoy last week's message?" The more you can make the curious, the more likely they will open it. It's important to note that subject lines over 50 characters get cut off on mobile, so make the short, as well.
Get to the point.
Wordy emails tend to get overlooked. If someone opens your email and sees a bunch of paragraphs, they will look to skim it or not read it at all. That is why it is important to keep it short and to the point. Lead with the key details early on. You do not need to put a lot of fluff into the beginning of the email. After you highlight the point of the email, you can get into the details after that. People are opening your email because they are already interested, they don't need fluff. Make it short and to the point.
Use visual formatting.
In addition to getting to the point, people will immediately overlook the whole email if it is just words. That is why it is important for you to use visual formatting to grab their attention. For instance, you can break up large blocks of text with section headings or short paragraphs. . You can also make key points bold, italicized, underlined or that involve a bullet or numbered list so they jump out. Finally, you can use images, graphics or video that can help draw attention to important information.
Personalize when possible
People don't want to feel like they are just one of many. They want something personal. That is why it would be great to use merge fields to include recipient names when possible. In addition, segment your email lists. Not everyone on your list needs to get an email about the youth ministry or singles group. Organize them (segment) according to groups, campuses, ministries or serving roles. Sure, you will have church-wide emails you will need to send out, but most of your emails can be cemented and personalized to ensure people open and read them.
Share Teasers
This has more to do with making sure your next email gets opened and read. Here you are teasing something in the future. For instance, at the end of the email you can say something like, "Next week, I’ll send information about our next big event." This gives them a reason to anticipate and re-engage with your next email. IT doesn't have to be much, just a simple teaser.
Limit to one call-to-action per email
It can be really easy to include tons of information and tons of calls to action in every email you send. When you include too many calls to action it can seem overwhelming and could confuse people as to what you want them to do. That is why it is important to limit the email to just one action and help it stand out visually with color, size, borders, placement.
Conclusion
Writing great emails may take more time upfront, but it pays off with higher open and response rates over generic blasts. By following these tips, you can craft emails that will help you truly engage your Church.
What do you think? What other tips are there that will help you create emails that get opened and read? Share your ideas below or on social media.
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