One popular phrase these days is KEEP THE MAIN THING THE MAIN THING. At GMO, the idea behind that phrase is to keep the direction of the conversation on track to make sure the contact understands the gospel message, accepts Christ as their savior, finds fellowship, and grows within the body of Christ.
It is important to make sure contacts know you are a caring human being and that the message they received is not a computer generated reply. Also, to communicate well, you must establish trust and rapport with your contacts. It is easy to fall into the trap of being a pen pal and dwelling on everyday things. Instead, in each message, acknowledge what they say, but keep pointing to the gospel truth and the love of Christ. Your contacts need to learn that accepting Jesus is the real answer to life issues and living in peace.