by Dr. Jeff Mathis
I’ve recently become familiar with the metrics for our electronic communications. Suffice it to say, the statistics about our church messaging is both fascinating and exhausting.
According to the reports from the online client that sends out our weekly emails, 50% of you are reading this right now. Well, you’re likely more interested in each week’s featured recipe than reading the pastor’s comments, but let’s stick with the fact that 50% of you are giving this your attention.
That is, for the moment. It’s a race to keep your attention. Let’s hope I’m up for the challenge!
Our metrics tell us that of the 238 copies of the Chimes that we emailed to our church family, 120 of them were opened. In the communications business, this is called the ‘open rate.’ Someone opened the email and didn’t immediately delete or archive it.
“Yikes,” some of you are saying. “Only half of the church messaging is being accessed? That doesn’t sound good.”
Here’s where it gets fun. As it turns out, a 50% open rate isn’t just good; it’s excellent. A good open rate among all industries is a rate of 15-25%. You would want to aim for this when you send out messages to the masses. Faith-based organizations have the highest open rate among all industries that send out email communications. The industry standard is 41%.
So, our 50% open rate looks pretty good right about now.
Why do I care about our open rate? To be clear, I don’t care about our open rate. I’m obsessed with it. When I write an article, I constantly try to balance good content (something to say!) with readability (keeping you reading!). When I decided to create a weekend outlook video, it was with the intent to communicate in a way that would get and keep viewers. When we make new programming—like mid-week studies and seminars—I’m trying to discern what will get individuals to show up and be open to new ideas. And when I’m in the pulpit, I’m keenly aware of the congregation’s non-verbal communication—drooping eye-lids, device browsing, general fidgeting, and all-out sleep fests.
Keeping your attention is the task of ministry in the 21st century. We constantly compete with other offerings, content, and entertainment—you name it—for your attention. Centuries ago, when there were few messages to deliver and even fewer ways to receive them (the literacy rate coupled with one’s access to written material was meager), people would travel miles and stand for hours to hear a sermon or a lecture. Why? What else were you going to do? It does make me wonder. If Jesus had to compete with Netflix, Tik-Tok, Apple TV+, Hulu, ESPN+, work, school, and people’s social lives, would there have been a feeding crisis where a miracle was needed to provide food for the multitude? Five loaves of bread and two fish may have been sufficient for the small group that had gathered.
It’s one thing to have something to say. Our faith experience as people of the Book under the Lordship of Jesus Christ confirms that we have something to say. But it’s another thing altogether when it comes to how the church gets something said or heard.
You’ve probably noticed that we receive more content than we ever have. It’s not an exaggeration to say that technology constantly bombards us with information. With so many things to give our attention to, how does the Church Universal keep anyone’s attention?
How we deliver a message is just as important as the message itself. Breathless ministers know this and are desperately trying to keep up in a landscape where messages get drowned out by those with the tools and wherewithal to manage them well.
If you find me with a furrowed brow, I’m likely trying to determine the best way to get God’s message across to the masses. Our commitment to the Gospel calls us to be attentive to the best ways to communicate. How we once delivered a message may not be very effective today.
The open rate matters. However, it’s not about the open rate of our communication with our church family but our open rate to God. I wonder what percentage of our openness and responsiveness is to God?
Hmm. You know what, you’d better not answer that.
God’s ‘open rate’ may be far lower than the industry standard.