Thank God. Saint Thanh Thou’s Guide to Church Internet Marketing
Over the past 20 years, church attendance in the United States has declined by about 20 percent. When the pandemic hit in 2020, many churches were forced to close their physical doors and go digital.
If you’ve noticed a decline in church attendance lately, it’s time to try a new strategy: Online marketing.
Because online marketing consists of many moving parts, it can be difficult to know how to begin publicizing your church. Don’t worry, we’re here to make it easy for you.
Read on for the best marketing tips to help you promote your church to people.
set objectives
Before you think about creating an online marketing strategy for your church, take a step back and set some goals. What do you want to achieve with your marketing activities?
For example, are you hoping to increase your membership or want to better communicate with those you already have? How you approach marketing depends on your answer.
Once you have determined what you want to do, you can identify specific actions that will help you achieve your overall goals.
Create new content
One of the best ways to get your church known is to create new content that can be easily shared online. This is an opportunity to be creative.
You can target any (or all!) of the following types of content:
- Writing blog posts for your website
- Recording of podcasts on various spiritual topics
- Create short videos for your website and social media accounts
- Create attention-grabbing images that can be shared on social media.
- Write regular newsletters to be emailed to members.
Focus on creating content that is useful to current members and content that appeals to non-members. Don’t forget to encourage your members to share the content on their social media accounts to help spread the word.
Creation of a portal for online donations
Your church depends on donations from members and other parishioners. Do you make it easy for people to donate money to your cause?
Make sure your website has a secure portal for online donations.
You may find it too difficult to set this up yourself. So, you can take the help of a technologically savvy professional or hire an online marketing agency.
Make use of live streaming platforms.
Thanks to platforms like Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, it’s easier than ever to broadcast live video to an online audience. Provide live service for members who cannot come to the building. Even after the pandemic is over, there will be more opportunities for those who are sick or disabled to feel connected to the church community.
When the live broadcasts are over, don’t forget to share them on your website and social media for future reference.
Research on marketing programs for churches
Marketing, at its core, works for all industries. But the approach to creating marketing strategies varies depending on the industry and the target audience. Online marketing strategies that work for a clothing store, for example, won’t work for a church.
With this in mind, seek help with church marketing. For example, you can use church software to manage email lists and track donations. Since the software is designed to help churches succeed, it will have features that will make online marketing easier for you.
Similarly, you can look for online marketing companies that only work with churches if you find online marketing too much to take on. You have proven skills and strategies to help you achieve your goals.
Don’t ignore social media
The truth is simple: If you’re not using social media, you’re missing the opportunity to connect with your community, whether it’s a member or not.
At the very least, your church should have a Facebook page. But also consider creating Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts. And if one of your goals is to find younger members, you can also create a TikTok account.
Once the platforms are set up, create a content calendar and schedule publications, either directly or using the scheduling tool.
Posting regularly is good, but don’t forget to connect with your followers.
Make sure you use Google My Business
When you search for a company online, have you ever noticed that additional information about the company is displayed on the right side of the page?
Usually you will see the name of the company, contact information, location and opening hours. All of this is managed by a free tool called Google My Business. With your Google account, you can set up your church information so that anyone searching can get a quick overview.
Make sure you keep it current by updating your contact information and service hours as needed.
Don’t set it and forget it.
Online marketing is constantly evolving, with new tools and strategies being added every day. While it’s important to have a good routine with your church marketing, it’s also important not to fall into a rut.
Change your strategy as soon as you see that something is no longer working. Take the time to invest in online marketing courses so that you never feel like you are out of touch with what is going on in the marketing world.
If you regularly review your strategies and adjust them as needed, you will be more successful in your efforts.
Online marketing is the key to church growth.
You can’t afford to ignore online marketing for your church if you want to grow it. Use the tips above to get started, and don’t be afraid to ask for help if you need it.
As a result, you will see more dedicated members and a growing church family.
For even more tips on how to help your church succeed, read other articles before you go.
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