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4 Reasons Your Church Should Blog

August 24, 2012 in Communications, General, Marketing, Social with 4 Comments

Blog (noun): A website on which an individual or group of users record opinions, information, etc. on a regular basis.

Many church leaders hear the word blog and they immediately wince. They think of celebrity gossip or mean-spirited rants. But blogs don’t have to be negative. In fact, blogs are an incredibly powerful communication tool. Much like the stage a pastor delivers a sermon from on Sunday mornings, blogs are a place to share your church’s thoughts and views; and make a positive impact on people lives. Blogs offers an innovative and effective way to get your church message to more people.

Why should your church be blogging?

Because of the negative perception many church leaders have of blogs, too few churches are reaping the rewards of blogging. Don’t make that mistake. The benefits of blogging for churches are numerous. Here are four reasons your church should have a blog:

#1  Create a platform for interaction

The mission of your church is people. Blogs offer another way for you to start a conversation or discussion. Just like church services and events or your website and social media efforts, your blog is a place where you can interact with people. They can learn about you and you can learn more about them.

Use your church blog to:  

  • Test ministry ideas
  • Encourage prayer requests
  • Ask questions

#2  Distribute valuable content

A blog provides your church a great place to offer people additional content that reinforces your message. Rather than overstuff your website with info, you can provide updates and resources on your blog. If your website lays out the mission and message of your church, your blog gives it a voice.

Use your blog to post:

  • Sermons
  • Devotionals
  • Resources
  • Stories

#3  Generate linkbacks and boost traffic to your website

One of the most valuable benefits of a church blog is that it will drive more visitors to your website. People will link to your blog posts and they will also turn up in searches on Google and Yahoo. More links to your website means more ways people can find you, and learn about your mission and vision.

Use your blog to get more links from:

  • Search engines
  • Social media
  • Other blogs

#4  Establish an online reputation

A blog is a great way to carve out your church identity online. Through regular blog postings, you can show and tell people more about who you are and why you are unique. Because of your blog, people will talk more about (and even share) your great sermons, stories and devotionals.

Use your church blog to:

  • Reach more people
  • Engage your community
  • Strengthen your identity

If your church wants to reach more people on the Web, don’t be afraid to embrace the power of blogging. A church blog gives you an ideal stage to voice the message and mission of your church on the Internet.

Ready to start blogging? Here are five quick tips:

  1. Always reinforce the vision and mission of church
  2. Share valuable content 3-5 times a week
  3. Keep content simple
  4. Develop a blogging team to help curate content

Include your blog address in all church communications.

Does your church use a blog for communications? If so, how?  

3 Ways to Increase Church E-Newsletter Readership

July 30, 2012 in Communications, General, Social with 1 Comment

There’s a big debate among Internet marketers: Is email dying? Let me quickly address that question with a couple of key stats:

The average email open rate for 2012 was up 2.6 percentage points over 2010, and the click through rate (CTR) was up 1.1 percentage points over the same time period. (Direct Marketing Association)

 Email opens on smartphones and tablets have increased 80% over the last six months. (Litmus)=

These stats show email remains extremely effective. People still use email on a daily basis. Sure, social media has taken away some communication from email but email is still widely used by professionals and everyday people. More significantly, with the world “going mobile”, more and more people now have access to email on their mobile devices.

Having an e-newsletter that is done well can be very effective because people are constantly on their phones. They check their email on the go – while they’re waiting on a lunch appointment or getting an oil change. This makes email an incredibly valuable tool if you can use it effectively.

Here are three ways you can increase readership and subscribers to your e-newsletter:

#1  Provide valuable and concise content

The email newsletter is not a place for you to babble on and provide long and lengthy paragraphs for people to read. Again, you have to keep mind that people are most likely reading your email newsletter on a mobile device.

You want to make sure you keep it very short, valuable and concise.

This can be done with content, design and layout. With the design, you don’t want to be too graphic-heavy because it will be difficult to load on a mobile phone.

With the content, the e-newsletter is a platform for sharing information about events, serving opportunities and similar news. While you want your content to reflect the uniqueness and DNA of your church, this isn’t necessarily the time to communicate who you are, what you do and why it matters. The people receiving this newsletter are already engaged and should have been taught that at a different time in their entry into the church.

The most important thing to remember with your content is to always lead with why. A big mistake communication leaders often make is leading with the what, when or how of the event. They explain what the event is, when it will be taking place and how people can get involved without first gripping the hearts of people. That’s what the “why” does, and that’s why it needs to come first. Tell people:

Why should I go to this is event?

Why will it change my life?

Why will it add value for me?

You always want to lead with why.

#2  Provide people ways to connect beyond the e-newsletter

You want to connect people to your church’s entire Web experience, not just the e-newsletter. Remember leaders, the e-newsletter is a piece in the larger strategy for developing a memorable web experience.

You want to make sure that your content is not only good, but it leads people beyond the e-newsletter to find more information and more ways to connect and interact with the church. You want to take people to Facebook and Twitter, your website, your blog, your YouTube page. You want to take them outside your e-newsletter so you can capture them beyond the newsletter.

#3  Provide regular design changes in style and color

If your provide the same format, design and content over and over again, people are going to see the subject line of the email in their inbox and they’re not going to open it anymore. You have to give them a reason to constantly open the e-newsletter.

Two additional tips:

Church leaders are always asking me, “How do you capture email addresses? I usually respond by asking, “When do you have their attention the most?” It’s on Sunday morning when they’re sitting inside a pew or chair in a worship service. This is an appropriate time for you to:

(1) Have the senior pastor emphasize the importance of this communication tool; and

(2) Place a card in the seats that says “Name” and “Email Address”, or tell them to text their email address to the church text-in number.

You’ve got them captured on a Sunday morning. You’ve got them right there. You’ve got their attention. It’s a simple action: write your name and provide your email address. But the senior pastor must also emphasize why they should sign up for this email and receive it on an ongoing basis.

Church Website Content Checklist

March 23, 2012 in Communications, General, Marketing, Social, Technology with 0 Comments

Bill Gates famously once said: “Content is king!” That’s his exclamation point, not mine – but I definitely agree with the sentiment. He is Bill Gates after all. However, I would take it a step further and say: “Clear, concise, compelling and catalytic content is king!” Any individual or organization has the ability to create content, but only a select few generate heart-grabbing content. Church websites, for example, are notorious for overloading visitors with information rather than connecting with people on an emotional level. So how do you develop rich and engaging content? Start by asking: “What content does our audience desire?”

Engage both the head and the heart …

Every organizational website includes two forms of content: 1) Brain Content and 2) Heart Content. Brain content is informative and knowledge driven. Heart content is inspiring and emotional. These two are not at odds with each other; rather, they work together to give visitors a total experience. Each serves a specific purpose. Let’s take a closer look at these two forms of content and how they function on your website:

Continue Reading…

Your Brand Is the Sum of the User’s Entire Experience

March 5, 2012 in Communications, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy with 3 Comments

“A brand is no longer what we tell the consumer it is – it is what consumers tell each other it is.” - Scott Cook

In the old days, branding was a means of telling one owner’s cattle from another. Today, branding is a way of telling one organization from another.

Many organizations spend a lot of time carefully honing the “brand” they want to present. Problem is: Brand isn’t what you want people to think about your organization, it’s what people actually think about your organization. So what can you do to create a positive perception? Short answer: Everything. All your efforts should work to provide a positive brand experience.  Your brand is the sum of the user’s entire experience.

How You Can Influence Brand Perception

Whether you know it or not, you have a brand. It’s what people think about you and how they perceive you. Ultimately, your brand lies in the minds of others. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have any control over your brand. You may not be able to open people’s heads and toss in the ideal version of your brand, but you can influence how they think about you. That’s what branding is. It’s effectively communicating what you are all about and why you are beneficial to your audience.

Make All Your Efforts Reflect Your Brand

Brand is not just an ad or a logo or a mission statement or a website. It’s the culmination of all those things. It’s how people decide to perceive you because of your ad, logo, mission statement, website, services, products, customer service, PR, communications, etc. Add everything you do together from top to bottom and you have your brand. It’s the sum of the user’s entire experience. That’s why your ability to make every interaction a positive one is essential to building a strong brand.

Here are five proven traits of a positive brand experience:

Continue Reading…

4 Ways to Become the Leader People Want to Follow

February 24, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 8 Comments

We’ve all had bosses we are proud to follow. People we’d do anything for. Even run through brick walls. On the other hand, most of us have also had bosses we follow only because, well, they’re the boss. So what separates the leaders we “want to” follow from the leaders we “have to” follow? The answer lies in the 4 Cs of Effective Leadership.

I have the great privilege of Guest Blogging on Michael Hyatt’s blog, today.  Read this complete article on Michael Hyatt blog.

Excellent List of Web Tools for Church Creatives

February 22, 2012 in Communications, Marketing, Social, Technology with 5 Comments

At the Texas Ministry Conference, I was asked to provide a number of web site resources to help creatives working for churches. This is a good list to get started. Use these tools to intentional design great websites that generate positive web experiences.

Review resources for stock designs, fonts, colors and web examples -

Continue Reading…

Top 3 Church Websites in America

February 21, 2012 in Communications, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 8 Comments

After hundreds of hours reviewing and testing church websites, I present to you the Top 3 Church Websites in America.  What makes these websites the best?  First, they present an experience.  Secondly, they deliver value added content to users in seconds.  Thirdly, they do a great job of engaging the user via social media and life-change stories.  Fourthly, they present content in a simple but effective design.

Mars Hill Church

Simplistic design, captivating graphics, ease-of-use with detailed drop-down menus, relevant content via blogs and videos, consistent and clear messaging.

The Village Church

Ease-of-use with detailed drop-down menus, captivating life-change stories via video and written story, brilliant site architecture, succinct and informative New Here? section, highly accessible sermon media, effective use of video communications.

The City Church

Clear emotional communication via images, excellent use of videos to communicate stories and important details, vector graphics/icons to illustrate content, consistent and clear content, instructive and detailed pages with no wasted space or language.

What other church websites would you place in the Top 3 in America?  

How To Be A Social Media Leader

February 20, 2012 in Communications, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Technology with 4 Comments

lead·er  noun:

  1. The person who leads or commands a group, organization, or country.
  2. A person followed by others.

Being a leader means setting a precedent. It’s standing in the front of the line and guiding people in the right direction. If there’s one area where leadership has been lacking in businesses and organizations, it’s social media. In fact, many leaders have taken a hands-off approach to online communication. Today, I’ll tell you what I am learning as I strive to be a social media leader.

Here are four ways you can work to become a social media leader:

 

Continue Reading…

Texas Ministry Conference Notes

February 18, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 0 Comments

I had a fantastic time presenting to organizational leaders at Texas Ministry Conference.  The experience was very satisfying in knowing we helped Texas Ministry Conference reach an all time attendance record through Internet Marketing Campaigns.  Additionally, the conference was very enjoyable knowing many people were impacted by receiving relevant content on ministry best practices.

Below you will find my handouts, notes and presentation decks for all three sessions -

Create a Web Experience, Not a Website – Maximizing Your Digital Front Door

After word-of-mouth, your website is your most powerful marketing tool.  In 2011, your “new front door” starts with Google and ends with a click of the mouse.  Are you capitalizing on the opportunities technology provides? Do you tell an online story or simply provide a PDF brochure online?  Do you present people with an experience or an “every day” website?  Learn compelling statistics and practical ways and tips to create a memorable website.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

Vision in Action – Vision Beyond the Whiteboard

Does your organization have a vision statement? How about a mission statement? You probably do. If you do not have these two vital statements, or if you have them but are not using them to guide your organization’s work, you are missing out on the most effective ways to create movement in your church.   This movement requires action driven by vision and mission.  Without an action, the vision and mission will never leave the whiteboard.  Learn practical ways to identify and integrate vision and mission within your church and ministry.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

Healthy Leaders Lead Healthy Organizations – 10 Keys to Being a Healthy Leader

Being a pastor is a demanding and at times, a chaotic role.  It is difficult to find restoration.  Restoration is a key ingredient to being healthy. The mind, body, and soul need restoration…daily restoration.  In this workshop, you will learn 10 principles that will change the way you do ministry.  These principles penetrate every area of life, from spiritual to growth to marriage to physical exercise.  Concluding the presentation, each attendee will be equipped to take the next steps to full health.

Handout

Notes

Presentation

I am available to speak and train your organization and leadership on these topics and more.  Connect with me to start a conversation.

How Is Your Church Responding?

February 17, 2012 in Communications, Culture, General, Leadership, Marketing, Social, Strategy, Technology with 0 Comments

We (Resolute Creative) developed an informational video.  The video addresses the overwhelming opportunity to spread the Gospel via the Internet.  We know Internet stats.  We know the power of the Internet.  We know the Internet is not a fade. We know that Internet stats represent people.

The Great Commission does not exclude the Internet, it includes it.  How is your church responding? 

 

Internet: A Mission Field from Jacob Abshire on Vimeo.

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