Publicity tips for churches
In today's environment of dropping church attendance, especially among teens and twenty-somethings, it's becoming more and more difficult for churches to reach people. At the same time, publicity for churches is becoming more and more important as people become more dependent on the media. Churches need to learn how to use the media, combined with good old-fashioned publicity tricks, in order to reach the greatest number of people, and to keep them coming back!
Here are some good publicity tips for churches.
1. Communicate well! Make sure that your announcements, posters, news releases, and any other communication is easy to understand. Make people feel comfortable. Speak to your audience using the same language that they use.
2. Be visually interesting! There are some very simple ways that you can make your publicity eye-catching. This is a good publicity tip for churches. Use bold colors. Make your words stand out. Use images. You don't have to be cheesy or tacky, but images communicate even better than words do a lot of the time, and the two work particularly well together. Don't clutter your posters: pick a main message, and say it loud and clear.
3. Use the Internet. This is a central publicity tip for churches. Having a church website is a great way to introduce people to the fundamentals of your religion, and is also an excellent way to keep members of your religious community updated on events and developments. A good website design is important; make your website easy to navigate and easy to understand. A few essential things to include are:
--a photo gallery of your church building
--directions and address
--a basic background and overview of your religion
--information about your particular religious community
--Q & A of frequently asked questions about your particular community and your religion generally
--links to helpful resources
--contact information
--ideas for families and individuals
--an area where members of your community can share ideas and communicate
--an announcement board for both your church and your community
--calendar of events
--list of helpful books
--tips for teaching children about religion
If you're intimidated by the idea of creating a website, there are lots of free resources online to help you use this important publicity tool for churches.
4. Be involved in the community. Reach out to members of your congregation and beyond. Create groups that enable you to mingle with the community: public pancake breakfasts, carnivals, book groups, charity drives, volunteer events, musical productions. Being involved is a great publicity tool for churches, as it makes you more visible to the community. Being involved doesn't mean that you have to proselyte. Just have fun with your neighbors and let them get to know you! Donate to community organizations and causes. Sponsor holiday festivities. Build a float for the local parade. Get your youth involved with community events.
5. Advertise! Most newspapers have a religion section which publishes a directory of local churches. Make sure that your church is listed, and place an ad also. Setting yourself apart is a good publicity tip for churches, especially when people don't know exactly what they're looking for. Advertise your worship program, and make sure that people know they're welcome. Welcome them when they come, too, and they'll come back. Find out if any local radio stations have religious programs, and air a radio ad. Contact local hotels and make sure that you're listed in their visitors' guide. It's also a good idea to contact travel guide publishers and ask them to include you in their listings. Contact local media with news about events occurring in your church, or any interesting stories. Reporters love local stories if they have a twist. If you give a reporter a good story, it will be great publicity for your church.
