Content that Keeps People Coming

Written for the VEF Blog:

While I realize that not everyone is aesthetically minded, there are basic concepts of marketing that any minister or ministry volunteer can utilize to communicate announcements and news more effectively. I’ll even do you preachers a favor and put it into a minister-friendly format, by having three distinct points… that all start with the letter “C”.

CLEAR…
When you have a lot going on in your church, sometimes it’s hard to fit all of the events into a Sunday morning bulletin or on your website. How do you keep it organized so your average congregant can find the information that applies to them specifically?

Pick TWO fonts.
Let’s use a basic church bulletin as an example. Some churches try to separate different messages by using different font for every announcement. This usually just ends up making your bulletin look jumbled and disorganized. For now, just choose two fonts (you can move up to three if you’re feeling really confident in your design capabilities). Use the bolder, more graphic font as your header, and use the simple, easy to read font below. Then, repeat that same pattern again… and again. This will make your church bulletin more streamline. People will clearly know when one announcement stops and the next one begins. If you have a youth event, go ahead and spring for that third font, but only use it as the header – keep the details of the event in the same basic font you were using before.

Fonts can be a very valuable tool when coming up with an “image” for a certain event, but don’t over complicate it. If you can’t read the text at arms length, try something different. (I personally recommend DaFont.com – they have thousands of free, downloadable fonts for you to play around with).

Contrast, NOT Complimentary.
Now, on to colors. Purple and orange are called “complimentary” colors because they are on opposite sides of the color wheel (Blue and orange, purple and yellow are the other complementary pairings). However, that does not automatically mean they should be used side by side in your images. Especially when it comes to worship slides, if you pick a green grassy background, it is best NOT to use a bright red font over it. Although the colors are about as different as they can get, they clash and can make a screen very difficult to read.

Typically, when it comes to projected images, a darker, muted background and a very light text works best. This allows the words (aka, your message) to pop off of the screen. I typically default to white.

CONSISTENT…
You must set a standard of consistent change before you expect people to check back for updates. If your website has lain dormant for the past year, don’t expect people to immediately start checking it every week for the sermon podcasts you’ve started putting so much effort into.

Set a goal for yourself to write in your blog once a week, have the sermons up by Monday afternoon, or to try this “Twitter” phenomena at least twice a week. Once you start being truly consistent, so will the people you’re trying to reach. If they KNOW that the website is the best place to get an updated calendar of events, then that is where they will check first, instead of e-mailing or calling you. If they still don’t get it, point them back to the website, telling them to make sure they check there first next time.

It may take a little time, but the results will be worth it in the long run. The key is that you have to set the standard  of consistent change before people are willing to change their habits.

CONTENT…
In today’s face-paced world of Facebook and Twitter, it may seem like people are throwing around ideas and information faster than you can keep up. The sad truth is, however, most of the information filling your “News Feed” has absolutely no practical application for your life. Why should I care whether Susie just brushed her teeth? Why did Steven broadcast to the world that he is eating soup? The reality is that while they may be communicating a lot of clear, consistent information, the content is irrelevant.

Don’t fall victim to this trap. Just because you’re trying to be consistent, doesn’t mean that you have to have new information on your website every day, or even every week. Highlight what is truly important, and people will come back looking for more.

However, no news is not good news for your church! People want to know what your church is doing for their community on a regular basis. So, be active in seeking out stories of change and hope in your congregation. Do an article on the single mom who found Christ and was baptized last week. Publish how much money was raised at last nights’ Missions bake sale, and where that money is going to go. Write about things that matter to the Kingdom. And if you don’t have any real content to write about… go out and do something worth noting.