8 Tips for Church Communication in the New Year
Communication is critical for any organization, nonprofits and churches included. The coming months are a great time to come up with a plan for the new year so you can implement it as soon as the new year rolls around. Whether you’re looking to take your church’s communication efforts to the next level or just want to get organized, these tips will help you achieve your goals.
Set Goals
It’s important to set goals for your church communications efforts. Make sure you have a plan for achieving those goals and that your plan includes specific strategies and tactics. The more specific you are, the easier it is to create a plan to get there. You can set goals like increasing the number of monthly website visitors by 50% or adding 50 new members to the church.
Make It Easy To Give
Some churches still take checks or cash only and they pass a tithe plate every week. A modern church needs modern solutions. You can make it easy for people to give in any number of ways, but the important thing is that you do so. Online giving for churches is an easy way to meet your goals in the coming year. There are plenty of software solutions that are easy to use and encourage people to give regularly. Some of them even have a recurring donation option to help some congregants give more regularly.
Make Your Website Work For You
Make your website easy to navigate. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly because so many people are using their phones these days. Include a contact form, if you don’t already have one. It’s so helpful when someone wants to reach out and make an appointment or ask a question. Especially if they’re looking on their phone while they’re doing it. You can even add blog posts to your site weekly to communicate various things to the congregation.
Don’t Overdo The Emails
It can be tempting to send an email to your church when there’s something that needs to be communicated. If you have a person who is running the communication channels for you, then it may seem like an easy way for them to keep everyone on the same page without having to constantly talk with people individually. However, this approach can backfire if not done correctly. Too many emails will cause people to tune out what you’re saying. If you have something important to say, you can use emails weekly to do it.
Be Responsive to Questions
One person cannot answer all the questions. Make sure you empower your church staff to answer questions through email and other channels. This will help keep the key leaders from doing all the little things. This also improves the response times when people have issues, questions about the church, or are curious about what’s going on at it. Make sure you respond to all questions, including those from the media and people who aren’t members of your church.
Keep Weekly Newsletters Consistent
With a weekly newsletter, you can keep your congregation informed about what’s happening at your church. Weekly newsletters should be easy to access and easy to read so that church members will feel more connected with each other, which will help you reach out to them on social media and in person. This is one of the most important things for communication because it keeps everyone informed about what’s going on within the church community.
Ask for Feedback From the Congregation
The people who attend your church each week might have a specific way that they prefer to receive communication. The more you understand how your congregation communicates, the better you can communicate with them. Find out what they like and don’t like, what they want to hear from you, and how often they want to hear it. This will help you create a church communications plan that addresses the needs of your congregation. Most people don’t mind giving feedback when asked, but some will only provide good feedback if it’s a simple process.
Use Social Media To Draw People In
Social media is a great way to reach people who are looking for information about your church. You can use social media to share news, events, and updates related to the church. You can also promote your church in a creative manner. For example, if you have a new pastor, post pictures of him/her with quotes from their sermons or just funny outtakes from their first service.