There was a time when people’s lives revolved largely around local community churches. Members attended regularly, gave faithfully, invited guests enthusiastically, and supported the church’s efforts however possible. The church provided a sense of community and valuable relationships. While there is still an innate need for community, modern lifestyles make it difficult for today’s faith-based organizations to meet it. Traditional marketing strategies that worked in the past are no longer relevant.
As technology dominates the business world, churches are recognizing the need to leverage it to support marketing initiatives and increase results. While this may seem daunting and out of reach for some churches, the starting point is as simple and familiar as the website.
Creating a dynamic church website designed to attract, energize, and mobilize people provides a natural pathway for building community,” says Julie Gareleck, CEO and Managing Partner for Junction Creative Solutions. “The website is often the first impression a potential member will have with the organization.”
In order to reach new people, the content, both digital and written, must be dynamic and should target multiple audiences with messages written to speak to each of them. For example, a mother of an elementary school aged child will have different needs when looking for a new church than a teenager searching for a youth group. Social media integration extends outreach possibilities even further enabling people to not only follow a church, but also share recent posts across multiple platforms and devices. Tweetable quotes and links, and digital images can be placed on landing pages making it easy for people to share messages. Live streaming sermons allows people who can’t attend in person to experience the service by simply clicking a button or tab. Other beneficial digital solutions include videos of past messages and events, podcasts, and online Bible studies. Imagine the impact a mobilized congregation could have on an outreach or giving campaign simply by sharing information with people they know!
E-commerce technology has also made its way to faith-based organizations enabling the growth of giving options. Recent charitable giving statistics posted by NP Resource show that online giving growth has been consistent for the past five years and 49 percent of all church giving transactions are made with a credit card. Online credit card processing streamlines the process making it possible for people to give more and give remotely.
As with most non-profit groups, marketing decisions are made carefully with little room for trial and error. With new technology emerging daily, it can be overwhelming for churches to identify the best strategy for their efforts. “We developed a proven, collaborative approach that allows both state level and subsidiary organizations to optimize marketing spend while providing innovative digital solutions that will have an impact on its member base,” comments Gareleck.
If your organization is looking for innovative solutions to improve engagement, increase giving opportunities, and engage members, contact us to learn more about our packaged solution at info@junction-creative.com.