In the extremely digital world we find ourselves operating in, leveraging digital marketing for your church is important. It can help you reach a wider audience, which is even better for spreading the gospel!
You might be wondering why your church should implement digital marketing. If you want to increase attendance and extend your impact for the Kingdom, definitely consider utilizing an online marketing strategy. Not only can you bring more awareness to your church, but it’s often more cost effective than traditional marketing efforts as well.
Below are some ideas to increase your digital church marketing endeavors:
Website
You’ll definitely want to start with your church website, where you will also be able to host much of the other aspects of digital marketing. If you have a beautiful and easy-to-navigate church website, people will be inclined to learn more, show up, and get involved. If you don’t have a website, many people won’t even know your church exists. A church’s website is one of the main avenues new guests find a church and also what can encourage or hinder them from attending in person.
Search Engines/SEO
Utilizing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is a great way to drive more traffic to your website. With SEO, you can help your website rank higher in online searches, which is important since so many people look for a new church via the internet. When I was searching for a church in the new city I had moved to, I plugged in “churches near me.” It just so happened that the church that ranked highest in the SEO was the one I ended up visiting and ultimately getting connected with. In order to increase SEO, answer the questions that people are asking. Include important keywords and phrases throughout your site, blogs, and pages.
Blogs
Speaking of blogs, this is one aspect of digital marketing that can also help increase SEO and traffic to your website. As a church, it should be fairly easy to collect content for blogs. Share stories about what your church is doing in the community. Publish testimonies about how God is moving in the lives of people at your church. Highlight successful events that a ministry hosted. Don’t forget to include links throughout your blog posts that will direct people to other areas of your website and also help to drive up SEO.
Social Media
According to multiple sources, the average American spends 2 hours and 20+ minutes a day on social media. With so much time staring at our phones, it makes sense that your church should utilize that space to share the good news and invite people to services and events. You can have a presence on multiple platforms too, like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. The great thing about social is that posts can be organic or paid, which will help drive traffic to your website and/or create an awareness about your church. Be sure to think about who your target audience is — those who are more likely to attend your church — and curate your content accordingly.
Email Marketing
Emails are a great way to inform your congregation about what your church is up to. It also provides the opportunity for the reader to share that content or invite others to join them. Consider sending consistent email newsletters that keep people up to date with the latest church events or how they can get involved. You can also utilize email marketing for the new visitors who want to learn more and get connected.
Video
Incorporate the use of videos on your website, social media, and emails. People love receiving content via video because it feels a little more human and personal. Live stream the Sunday sermon, share the latest message, or give a quick update via video. Sometimes people won’t take the time to read a long piece of written content, but they’re more than willing to tune in to a short video.
Next Steps
Digital marketing is utilized by churches all over the world in order to bring awareness to their ministry and help spread the gospel. If you’re looking to leverage digital marketing for your church, allow Clover to help!
