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What I Discovered About How To Communicate With Millennials

October 21, 2015 Rodlie Ortiz, D.Min.

Have you ever wondered what the best way is to communicate and get in touch with millennials?

I recently discovered something new that seems to be working on the campus of Andrews University, anyway, and I wanted to pass it along here. In fact, I think this finding is becoming more accurate for society as a whole these days, but let me know what you think.

A few weeks ago, I and Tabitha Umali, our Bible Worker Coordinator, paid a visit to our Women’s Dean here on the campus of Andrews University. We wanted to speak to her because we were having some issues hearing back from students on a few fronts and we wanted to get her counsel on the matter.

You see, we have a follow system in place at Pioneer Memorial Church that involves connecting with people who have made decisions during the weekend worship service. I describe the system in the earlier link, but here’s the gist of it. We use a response card every weekend with various next steps. Depending on what someone selects, we have some various stock emails that we send out as the first step.

I began describing to the Dean our follow-up process and then she stopped me.

“They’re not reading your emails,” she said. She then began describing to me the best way to connect with this age group, and it didn’t involve email. Here’s what I learned and what we have changed as a result:

1. Text first

She said that millennials would rather receive a short text message versus anything else. Don’t email. Don’t call. Text. Students and millennials are busy. They’re in classes. They’re eating out. They’re with friends. If you send them a text, they can see it briefly in an unobtrusive way, and then reply at that moment or later.

2. Emails are considered junk mail

They’ll scan some of it, but by and large emails as a whole are getting labeled as junk mail and are being ignored. I’ve personally begun associating email with work and stress and I know I don’t like it, anyway.

3. Shorten emails

If you must email, make it really short. No longer than three sentences, which thinking about it, is the size of about a text message.

A few days after meeting with her, Tabitha Umali and I gathered to take a closer look at the emails that we have been sending out. Sure enough, they were rather long; around two paragraphs for some of them. We shortened just about every email we send out by about 75%. We aimed for three sentences.

So what’s been the result?

For one, more students have been responding back to the emails since we’ve shortened them. A cell number is sometimes not shared on a response card, sometimes all we have is an email address, so we work with that. Finally, I just went through my cell phone, and for many millennials, I don’t actually have their email address, just their cell phone. I think that probably means something.

So what do you think? What have you noticed when trying to communicate and connect with millennials? To leave a comment write below or click here.

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About Rodlie Ortiz, D.Min.

On the pastoral team at Pioneer Memorial Church on the campus of Andrews University. Tech geek.

Comments

  1. Daniel Verduzco says

    October 22, 2015 at 9:25 am

    As you stated, I find this the case with board members and fellow pastors. Our Spanish caucus in Lake Region does all correspondence through text. Church board is also on this text plan. Never really put much thought into it. Thank you!

    • Rodlie Ortiz says

      October 22, 2015 at 10:08 am

      Very nice. So what texting solution is the conference and your church board using?

  2. Brian says

    October 22, 2015 at 1:20 pm

    Great and simple insight. It seems the first step was to listen… and being aware of the environment, very keen… I wonder what works with centennials?

    • Rodlie Ortiz says

      October 23, 2015 at 8:10 am

      That’s a whole other crowd! 🙂

      But I imagine phone and in-person being best.

      • Brian says

        October 23, 2015 at 10:17 am

        Which is something you should publish in your blog as well. You have many Genxr’s and Millenials going into ministry and can’t communicate with the centennials and the are feeling left out and holding back in their giving because they feel they have the power to do so…

        *Luke 4:18-19*

        *“The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me,Because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor.He has sent Me to proclaim release to the captives,And recovery of sight to the blind,To set free those who are oppressed,To proclaim the favorable year of the Lord.”*

        *In Christ Alone,*

        *Brian González *

        *Seventh-Day Adventist Pastor, *

        *Georgia-Cumberland Conference*

        • Rodlie Ortiz says

          October 23, 2015 at 4:33 pm

          Any counsel you could pass along? Do you have some of them in your church?

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