Email has been widely available for around 30 years. A lot has changed in that time!
Spammers have given email marketing and email communication a bad rap. And with the more recent rise of other forms of communication like social media, texting and mobile apps, some people have wondered…
Is email dead?
Nothing could be further from the truth!
Email communication and email marketing continue to provide incredible benefits for businesses and nonprofits.
If you are struggling to reach people, some of your people aren’t very engaged, or you’re not growing as much you would like, making better use of email can help address these challenges.
To help you understand how to do that, we provide an online course – Email Communication that Works! – to all our clients at no extra charge.
Watch the video from the first lesson…
5 Reasons Email Is Still Incredibly Valuable
If you prefer to read, here are the highlights…
1) Nobody checks websites regularly.
It’s really important to keep your website up to date with news and information, but it’s rare for someone to visit a website unless they’re already aware of something and want more info. You have to notify people (and usually multiple times) to keep them informed.
2) 92% of American adults use email.
According to a this 2023 report by Statista, more than 90% of adults in the US use email. This compares to 71% of adults who use Facebook (reported by Pew Research) and 50% who use Instagram (also reported by Pew Research) And it goes down from there with other platforms and means of communication.
3) Email open rates are better than social media.
Open rates for emails sent by faith-based organizations are around 29% (as reported by Nonprofit Tech for Good). While this is down from what it once was, it is still dramatically better than view rates for social media posts.
Only about 4% of followers see an Instagram posts and 2% of followers see a Facebook post (via Social Plus). Social media sites continue to show fewer posts from your friends and the organizations you follow, and more ads and short videos.
4) You own your email list.
With social media sites, you don’t own your list of contacts/followers. If FB, Insta, or X were to shut down, ban you, or limit your communication, you would lose all your contacts.
5) Your people want your emails.
Church leaders – your people want to know what’s going on. Ministry leaders – your supporters want to know what you’re doing and how they can help. Business leaders – your customers want to know about new products, special offers, and professional insight.
Bonus: If you’re a church leader and your main form of communication is the Sunday bulletin, keep in mind that on any given Sunday half your people are not there. And of those who are there, half don’t read the bulletin and the other half forget what was in it the minute they step out the door.
So, yeah, your people need to be reminded via email of what’s going on… multiple times.
The bottom line is…
Email is still a powerful tool to make connections, build engagement, and grow your ministry or business. -Paul Steinbrueck
Click to share this image on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or Instagram
But it’s also possible to do email badly
Ever been subscribed to the email list of an organization that frustrated or annoyed you to the point where you stopped opening their emails or unsubscribed?
Just about everyone has had that experience.
So, in future videos in this course we’ll be sharing best practices, mistakes to avoid, instructions for setting up your email systems and more. Stay tuned!
More insight into how to use email effectively
Click and share your perspective on email, in this month’s Listening Post survey.
Partner with someone who’s got your back
Email can be one of the most challenging aspect of online communication. Spammers, filters, and blacklists are all working against you. It’s become so challenging that most most web hosting companies don’t even offer email service anymore. But OurChurch.com does.
And our Christian, US-based support team will actually pick up the phone, respond to your email, or do an online chat with you whenever you need it.
And if you would like a guide to help with Christian web design, SEO or building your own DIY website, we’d love to talk with you!
Complete the form below (mobile) or to the right (desktop) to schedule a discovery call!
Comment & Discuss
- Is your organization using email to communicate with members, supporters and clients? If so, how?
Co-founder & CEO, OurChurch.Com
Paul has been the CEO of OurChurch.Com since its founding in 1996, combining his passion for faith and technology to lead the organization.
An accomplished writer, Paul has authored over 2,000 articles on faith and technology, featured on platforms like ChurchLeaders.com, The JoyFM, and his personal blog, LiveIntentionally.org.
Beyond his professional achievements, Paul serves as an elder at Journey Community Church and is deeply engaged in his community through his involvement with the Florida Sheriffs Youth Ranch and the Safety Harbor Chamber of Commerce. He is a contributing author of the book Outspoken! Conversations on Church Communication.
