Flocknote Blog

People don't read their email!

matt — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 18:15:41 +0000

I talk to a lot of organizational leaders about their communication challenges. One of the most common things I hear is, "People don't read email!"

I understand why it might seem that way sometimes. But the truth is that people are reading more email today than they ever have before. And they are reading it more quickly and more efficiently than ever before, too.

So, aside from a few niche demographics (like teens, etc.), your members are most likely reading email. And they are reading lots of it. They just may not be reading your email.

Your email is competing with a lot of other voices in your member's inbox. And when they don't have time to read all of their email, they just read the ones that are most important to them.

That's where what you are saying and the relationship you have with your members really comes into play. Technology is only 10% of it. The rest is up to you.

If they aren't reading your email, it's not because email is not an effective form of communication. It may just be because you aren't communicating something your reader feels is important, exciting or intriguing enough.

Coming soon, we'll continue to post more ideas on how to get your message read. In the meantime, you might read our other short post on "7 Reasons why your members won't subscribe to you." Some of the ideas there will not only help your subscription rate, but your email open rate, too!

Flocknote is now hiring (Web Developer)

matt — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 19:17:00 +0000

Flocknote is now hiring! We are looking for a Web Developer to fill an immediate and crucial role in our growing company. If you know of anyone who loves the Church and might be interested, please pass along the news to them! Not only will this position be challenging, fun and rewarding, but it will come with lots of potential for future opportunities.

You can find the details for the position here: flocknote.com/jobs

Thank you so much for passing it along!

God bless,

Matthew Warner
Flocknote Founder | CEO

The Quickest Way to Grow Your Subscriber List

matt — Tue, 19 Mar 2013 15:23:52 +0000

Would you like to double your subscriber list in a matter of minutes? Read on!

You probably already have contact info for some of your members. Great! Hopefully you've already taken that data — whether it's stored in your own database system, excel spreadsheet, Outlook or other email application — and easily imported it into Flocknote.

But what about all of your other members? Flocknote can help. We've had so many great Flocknote stories from churches and other organizations using this to literally double (or better) their subscriber lists in a matter of minutes.

I'm talking about Flocknote's Text-to-Join feature. Every Network on Flocknote can do this for FREE. And even if you don't think many of your members text message (they just might surprise you), the ones who do will be much more connected with you.

The next time you're standing in front of your members, ask them to pull out their cell phone and text in your keyword (which you get to choose). They can also text in their email address.

And all in a matter of minutes Flocknote has helped you gather everyone's cell phone number, subscribed them to a text message alert list for your organization, collected their email address and started them on the path to getting more connected to all of the other Lists in your organization.

Once they text in their email address, they'll find a verification email in their inbox waiting for them when they get home. After they click the link in that email, it will ask them for any other information you'd like to ask them (name, gender, address, t-shirt size, favorite ice cream flavor…whatever you like - you get to customize it). And it will also ask them what other Lists in your Network they'd like to subscribe to.

And even if they abandon the process at any step along the way, you've still gathered whatever they've done up until that point. The process is simple and it works. And it's a powerful way to grow your list in a meaningful way.

BONUS: Add more keywords to your Network. You get one keyword for FREE, but extra keywords are cheap. And then you'll be able to let each of your primary groups/ministries/etc. in your Network have their own dedicated keyword to use for any time that group meets.

TIP: When asking your members to text in your keyword, give them an incentive. You need to tell them WHY they should text in and what value it is to them. If you just tell them to text in so you can send them a bunch of updates they aren't interested in, they won't do it. They'll be scared you are going to bombard them with more information that they don't want. You must earn their trust.

Take this as an opportunity to sit down and really think about the value your organization offers to its members. What are you giving to them? What questions of theirs are you answering? What valuable resources are you providing them? How are you using it to listen to your members, rather than just talk at them? How are you building community for them? What goals are you working toward together?

When used properly and thoughtfully, Flocknote is a powerful tool for helping you do all of this. So please make sure you are taking advantage of the Text-to-Join feature. And if you already are, add some additional keywords so you can take it to the next level!

To get started or to add more keywords, go to your Network page and click the "Edit Network" button at the top of the page. Then choose the "Text-to-Join" tab on the left. Let us know if you have any questions or need any assistance. We're happy to help!

- Matt

How much are people using new media technologies?

matt — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:30:00 +0000

Here are the most recent (2011-2013) stats on new media usage for Americans. They should be both helpful and motivating in formulating your communications strategy for your organization:

92% of Americans use email [study]. 66% check it daily.
83% of young adults use social media [study]. 67% of all internet users.
37% of email is opened on mobile device [study]. 30% opened by webmail thru browser.
68% of churchgoers want to connect with their Church via social media [study].
79% of all adults use the internet (95% of young adults) [pew study].
87% of adults own a cell phone [pew study]. Over half of which are smartphones.
26% of adults own an e-reader [study]. 31% own a tablet computer.
The average teenager sends out 50 text messages per day [pew study].
87% of teens engage in electronic communication [study].
The use of cell phones and text messaging is bridging the digital divide for lower income people [pew study].
97% of households have a phone* [study].

One main takeaway is that email (and search) are still the most popular online activities. If you don't have effective email lists for your organization, stop what you are doing and start building some.

One of the other most significant stats to note is summed up here:

As of April 2012, 55% of adult cell owners use the internet on their mobile phones; nearly double what we found three years ago.

31% of current cell internet users say that they mostly go online using their cell phone, and not using some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. [source]

The means by which people are interacting with and using the internet is rapidly changing and is quickly becoming much more mobile. This trend will continue in the years to come, as well as expand to virtually every interface and electronic tool that we use.

* I include the "phone" stat because it is still a really great way to reach people who don't have any other means (which is why Flocknote includes a feature that will actually make a phone call to those individuals - and leave a voicemail using text-to-speech - reading them any new information you send out to everyone).

Do you know someone in leadership who doesn't believe it is both urgent and important to communicate using these media? Sharing these stats with them should help!

Has our communicating gotten dumber? Or smarter?

matt — Thu, 14 Feb 2013 17:21:10 +0000

The limited format for things like texting, Facebook and Twitter has required us all to say what we need to say in a much shorter space. Critics say this has resulted in a "dumbed-down" form of communication.

It's easy to understand their sentiment when we see how many dumb things are said through these media. However, in another sense, the critics have it backwards.

Though much of our communication has gotten shorter, and certainly less formal, it's actually gotten smarter in a lot of ways. After all, you have to be smarter — not dumber — to communicate more in a shorter space.

Just look at text messaging. Teens have developed an entirely new language in order to communicate full sentences in just a few letters. That's smart.

But smart communication is also much more than just crazy acronyms. It's about being concise. It's clarity of thought. It's intentional. Every word is thoughtful and carefully used for maximum effect.

We are all bombarded with (and consumed by) more information daily than ever before. If anything makes it through the noise, it has to be smart and to the point. That means it's usually short.

Think about the most effective communicators you've ever heard. Something they all had in common was that they could communicate deep, complex, expansive ideas with very few words. They made it simple. They were smart.

We have to do the same thing. Whether it's our bulletins, websites, emails, tweets or text messages, we need to shorten the length. That doesn't mean dumbing them down. That means smartening them up!

That's why Flocknote's interface is made for short, simple, to-the-point emails and text messages. It's simple, so you can be smarter.

Flocknote vs. Email Marketing

matt — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 18:33:35 +0000

A lot of churches and other organizations used to use some kind of "email marketing" tool (Constant Contact is the one most people have heard of). Now they use Flocknote.

Here are some of the reasons why they made the switch to Flocknote:

1. Flocknote is focused on communication, engagement and relationships - not just marketing.

That's because Flocknote was designed specifically for the communication needs of churches, ministries, teams, schools, etc…not for business marketing.

Email marketing tools are made for exactly that - marketing. That makes them great for businesses or specialists who understand (and have a use for) very advanced techniques and marketing analytics. Most churches, schools, teams and organizations simply don't need all that. And the addition of it all ends up making for a much more cumbersome and confusing interface for many of their team leaders — often to the point that they don't end up using it.

Flocknote fixes that by keeping things simple and giving you only what you really need and will use. So Flocknote still lets you know who opened your email or clicked your link (about to be released), but we leave out the stuff you don't need. And people thank us for it.

2. Flocknote is so simple you'll actually use it.

Pick a list, type your message, click send. Boom. It goes out to all of your members via email, text message or phone call. It's so easy that even the least tech-savvy of your staff will love using it.

With most email marketing tools it's take you 10-30 minutes to put together a message to send out. That's fine for monthly newsletters. But it's prohibitive for everyday group communication (like "Don't forget about our meeting tomorrow night!" or "Practice time has changed to 5pm in the gym due to weather." Or "What did you all think about the retreat last weekend?", etc.)

Flocknote is made for quick easy communication. Sure, you can make longer newsletters and include images and videos and format and brand it however you like with Flocknote. But we keep that simple, too. With most email being opened on mobile devices now, if you want somebody to read your email, it's gotta be focused and to the point. So it's quite possible that all of those fancy, long, complex email building sessions that email marketing tools suck you in to are making you a worse communicator anyway. Keep it simple. You'll communicate more and with fewer headaches. That's Flocknote.

3. Flocknote rolls email groups, text messaging lists and phone calling all into one, simple solution for you.

Email marketing tools are really only set up to do email. But so often email is not the best way to reach some people. With Flocknote, you post info in one place and your members can choose to get notified via email, text message, phone or any combination of such.

4. Flocknote is a two-way communication tool.

There really is nothing like Flocknote. When you send out an email, your subscribers can single-click over (through a secure link) and participate in a group discussion together right underneath that note. And they can do so securely without having to log in or register or anything like that. It just works.

We also let you send out simple polls and events that allow your members to click over and vote or RSVP. Again, all without having to log in to anything. So it's a great way to engage your members in discussion, get feedback (i.e. listen to them) and build community. And you can do it all without building some kind of closed private social network that your members must register for and that only your ultra-engaged members will end up actually using. Flocknote gives you the best of both worlds.

5. Flocknote is made for teams.

What I've seen happen too often with the use of email marketing tools is that one person ends up being a bottleneck that all communication must go through in an organization. This is because this one person is the only person with access to or who understands how to use whatever complex email marketing tool they have. So all of that important, up-to-date, everyday communication that needs to happen within a particular group…doesn't happen. Or it happens in other, less efficient, more cumbersome and non-trackable ways.

Flocknote is made for teams of leaders to all have access to *only* the lists that they need to have access to. They can log in securely from any internet browser or mobile app from wherever they are. If you want to improve your organization's communication, your whole leadership team needs to be on board.

6. More easily build your lists and gather up-to-date contact info.

Through our Text-to-Join feature, Flocknote lets you gather up-to-date member phone numbers and email addresses, all via text message. At your next gathering, simply tell people to "Text KEYWORD to 84576" [you pick your own keyword(s)]. Flocknote takes it from there, helping you gather any information you'd like from them and getting them plugged in to all you have to offer as an organization. You can even use Flocknote as a simple member database. All data you collect can be exported to use as you like. And it's your data, kept secure and private.

7. Flocknote was made for you.

Flocknote was made for any group (large or small) who needs to share information quickly and effectively, get feedback, have conversations and to reach their members in the most direct, simple and effective ways (email, text message and phone call). That's it. There's nothing like it.

Implementing a new communication tool doesn't have to be a complex process for you and your organization. It can be fun, simple and easy to get started. Try Flocknote and find out how.

7 Reasons Why Your Members Won't Subscribe to You

matt — Tue, 29 Jan 2013 17:28:24 +0000

We work with a lot of churches, ministries, groups, teams and other organizations who are trying to connect with their members. They create simple email and text message lists (like we provide here at Flocknote), Facebook fan pages, twitter accounts and websites. Some use it all to great effect, but many others wonder why their members still aren't subscribing, liking, following or visiting.

Well here are 7 reasons why your members still aren't interested:

They don't trust you. - They are afraid that if they connect with you, you're only going to keep asking them for money or bombarding them with information that doesn't really pertain to them. If you're guilty of committing these mistakes in the past, then you'll have to work extra hard to regain their trust.
You aren't focused and consistent enough. - Maybe you're trying to communicate on too many different platforms at once and doing none of them well. Or you've started up new communication efforts in the past on various platforms and you weren't consistent in using them and they quickly became obsolete. Start with focus. A simple email (or text message) list is usually the best place to start if you don't have one yet. Use that well, then expand.
You're begging for attention - rather than earning it. - You can't simply ask people to connect with you. You have to give them a compelling reason to do so. Throughout their day, your members are continually assaulted with things that are begging for their attention. Interrupting them. Distracting them. Sucking their valuable time and energy from their day. Don't be a another desperate entity begging them to pay attention. It won't work. You have to earn their attention. (Read the rest of this list to get some ideas how.)
It's all about you. - If 100% of what you are saying is about what you want them (your members) to know, you will not be effective. Imagine if you had a friend who, every time you got together, just started spouting off things they thought that you should know…and then they left. The friendship wouldn't last long. Yet this is exactly what so many organizations do when they communicate with their members. Then they wonder why people won't subscribe to get more of it.
You're not listening. - The best communication starts with a good relationship. And relationships are two way streets. 50% of your communication efforts should have to do with how you're listening to your members. Start listening to them. It's a necessary part of any good relationship.
You're not providing value. - Rather than just talking about yourself, you should be finding ways to provide value to your members. Give them answers to their most burning questions. Provide them with resources that improve their life. Teach them something that brings them joy and peace. Invite them to participate in your activities as an organization. Provide a community via your communication channels where they can connect with others, discuss like interests, nurture relationships, ask questions and better understand your mission as an organization (Flocknote is great at this). Add value to their lives.
You're not doing anything inspiring. - Finally, if your organization is doing something that inspires people, people will be knocking down your door, begging you to take their contact info and asking how they can subscribe to get your info. It's the truth. And the reality is that your organization is probably doing something incredibly inspiring. Otherwise you wouldn't have started doing it in the first place. But there is a good chance you're not communicating that inspiration to others. Tell your story. Remind people why what you're doing matters. Move them. Inspire them.

If you're guilty of these 7 things, technology is only going to magnify those problems for you. But if you fix these things and combine them with proper use of new media communication technologies, the possibilities are endless.

[photo credit]

Improved Navigation and More

matt — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 15:29:30 +0000

We've made some long-overdue updates to the Flocknote navigation system. And I must say, we are loving them. We hope you are, too.

Because of the way Flocknote developed over time, we had a number of primary navigation buttons spread out in different places on the page. Well, now they are all contained on a single, nice, neat admin navigation bar at the top of each page (if you're an admin for that page).

We've also tweaked some design in a few other places to make things a bit clearer, simpler and more efficient there, too.

In addition to that, here's a few other Flocknote development updates from the past month or so:

Admin notifications: Admins can now get notified (via email) when people subscribe or unsubscribe from one of your Lists.
Faster sending: We've continued to increase how fast we are able to send out your notes - especially when they are to thousands of people at a time.
Save note drafts: Now you can easily save a *draft* of a note you are working on so you can work on it more later or collaborate as a team.
Direct replying to emails: Now when one of your subscribers gets an email, if they happen to reply directly to that emailed note from within their own email inbox, their reply goes back to you (the author) as a private message (and an email).

And, just a reminder, if you'd like to know what features we're working on or have recently added, you can always do so in real-time at our development page here.

Thanks and have a great day! - Matt

IMPORTANT: How (not) to tell your members to sign up for Flocknote

matt — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 22:11:39 +0000

Once you set up your Flocknote Network and Lists, you need to get your members subscribed. Then you can send them some sweet email newsletters and text message updates.

Of course, if you have (legally gathered) existing contact info from your members, you can import those directly into the system and start sending them email updates right away.

Other than that, there are a few simple ways to invite your members to subscribe.

Do not tell your members to go to "flocknote.com", search for your Network, etc. This is needlessly complicated for them, won't work and you should never need to send your members to the flocknote.com home page.

Here are 3 simple ways to invite your members to connect:

Tell them to text in your Network's keyword(s). (i.e. "Text FAITH to 84576" etc.) Every Network has at least one keyword they can set and use.
Send them to (for example) "flocknote.com/holycross" (except use your own vanity url that goes directly to your Network). This plugs people directly into your own Network in one step. You can link to this page from your own website or simply send them directly to this url from your announcement, bulletin, etc.
Embed the full registration process on your own website. Then just send your members to your own website to get plugged in.

You can learn more about the specifics of doing each of these things by clicking the "Grow your Network" button that shows up on your Network page (FYI - this button only shows for admins in the Network).

You want to make it as simple for your members to subscribe to your information as possible. And we're constantly working on ways on our end to help you do that even more effectively. Let us know if you have any questions or feedback. Thanks!

How to Create a Great Email Newsletter Header (and why)

matt — Thu, 06 Dec 2012 23:07:43 +0000

As you know, here at Flocknote we like to keep things simple. And not just because simple is easy, but because simple is powerful. And it lets your reader focus on your message (which is the point of the email in the first place).

When you send out a Note on Flocknote, you have the choice to post it in a basic format or a "newsletter" format. The newsletter format lets you put your own image banner across the entire top of your email.

This is a great way to grab your reader's attention a bit better, have custom branding, look very professional as an organization and to just have all-around more awesome email communication.

Here are a few tips to creating a great email newsletter header image (with some examples below):

Make it visual. Pictures communicate a lot in a small space and short time. The main message body of most emails is plain ol' text (as it should be). But this first image they see communicates a lot before they even start reading.
Keep it simple. Don't put too many words or complex images. Simple and bold is good so its understood quickly (esp since many people will be viewing this on-the-go from their mobile phones).
Be consistent. Make sure the header image used is consistent with the rest of your communication branding (i.e. it matches your website, logo, etc.). You can change it up a bit to best fit the format, but keep the primary elements consistent. Bonus: Try to make sure all of your Lists in your Flocknote Network have similar consistency where appropriate.
Make it look good. Don't just throw this together hastily or use some random picture you have on your computer. Find somebody in your organization with professional design skills and tools (I guarantee you they are there waiting for you to ask them to contribute their gifts to your mission). Get them to come up with something amazing. Better yet, get multiple people to come up with multiple options and then all vote on the best one. Even if you have to pay a professional designer a couple hundred bucks to do this, it's probably worth it.
Don't make the image essential. In other words, don't put all your important info only in the header (or any) image. It's important to remember that some of your readers will choose not to load images for some email they get. If you put all the essential info in the image, those people will never see it.

In Flocknote, your newsletter header image should be at least 600px wide, but it can be any height you like (short, tall, whatever). Here are some examples and thoughts to give you some ideas.

I like this one because of the great, simple design and the cool fade to the white below:

This one is nice in how the dog extends over the border of the box in the background, breaking some of the closed boxiness of a typical email template:

A nice simple, thin design that brands well but still lets the reader get right to the message:

Great use of a photo:

Good example of promoting an event with your header image:

Here's a bunch of other cool ones for ideas:

Once you've got your newsletter header image, simply add it to any new Note you're creating. Even better, have it show up as the default image for new Notes on that List by simply going to Edit List -> List Pictures and then changing your Default Newsletter Header Image (and clicking Save Changes).