Like any other organization, a church needs digital marketing to compete for the attention of web users today. One of the local church’s many goals is to reach the community and the world with the message of God’s great love. Maybe you have the desire to reach people with your church message of hope but haven’t quite figured out where to start online. If Covid taught us anything, it’s to have the tools necessary to be online and stream services online.
Or maybe you have utilized digital marketing, but you want to upgrade your online marketing strategy to meet your congregation’s needs better. Whatever your goal is, here are five reasons why your church needs digital marketing. The valuable tool of digital marketing will set you up for success and give you a platform to meet people where they already are online!
1. Attract New Visitors
One of the first things visitors do before stepping into your church is checking out your church website. According to Grey Matter Research, 17 million people who aren’t regular church-goers visit church websites each year! If you don’t already, give visitors the best first impression with an engaging and welcoming website. Ensure it’s easy to navigate, the service times/information is updated, and full of personality and life-giving messaging.
If you need help with this step, our team of website design experts can help! We can help build you a custom website built from the ground up to encapsulate your brand, mission, values, and goals. Learn more.
2. Easy Online Giving Tools
Did you know that 67% of church donations happen Monday-Saturday? This means online donations are a must-have. One of the perks of digital marketing is the easy online giving tools that are easily accessible to your congregation. Even though some of your members still give on Sundays, it’s vital to have online giving available for the larger majority of your congregation. Here are some easy steps to take to get your giving online:
- Set up an online giving portal on your church website
- During your church live stream, make sure to connect an online giving option
- Alert members of this online giving update!
3. Tell Your Story
No matter who you are, everyone connects with a story. Tell the ‘why’ behind your church with digital marketing. Often, new people are much more likely to connect to a story than a sermon. Here are some unique ways to use online digital marketing tools to capture the hearts of your visitors and continue to inspire your members:
- Turn sermons into blog posts (post to social media & your website)
- Shoot videos sharing stories from people within your congregation
- Create social media posts that highlight your team members
- Share stories of community outreaches & how they impacted your church
Let us help with your digital marketing today! Our creative strategists are constantly learning as tactics develop and change to stay on top of marketing trends and strategies that work for reaching more of your target audience.
4. Connect Anytime, Anywhere With Social
The beauty of social media is the ability to connect anywhere and at any time with your audience! With a simple social media post, people from around the world can be encouraged and led to your website and even into your doors. While you don’t need to be on every platform, it makes a significant impact when social media is utilized the right way.
Here are creative ideas and things to keep in mind with your social media marketing strategy:
- Be VISUAL – let more than words do the talking
- Promote a church series and events via social media
- Use relevant hashtags to attract your audience
- Create encouraging scripture posts and dialog with your audience in the comments
5. Church Outreach
More than anything, there are just some people who will never step into a church without an invitation. Being online reaches people who have never heard the good news of Jesus. One word, one encouraging scripture, and one story could invite them into your doors and into a relationship with God. Digital marketing is a great church outreach tool for reaching new visitors and connecting with your local community.
Our team at Choose Life Churches is here to help elevate your church with various digital marketing services. We would love to help you reach your goals and join your mission in sharing the love of Christ.
