Want to increase your contributions and your attendance but not sure where to start? Marketing has significantly evolved over the last century, underpinned by the rise of the Internet and technology. If the wide number of options available nowadays gives churches flexibility, it can also be overwhelming and, frankly, daunting.
The online shift is here to stay, and most churches need to step up their social media efforts and regularly engage with their members online. As 60% of churchgoers prefer to give online, building a strong social media presence to create a powerful online community is key in this day and age. Moreover, 71% of non-profit organizations cite social media as one of their most important communication channels.
In this article, we'll briefly analyze how marketing has evolved over the years (print to digital) before highlighting the importance of social media marketing for your church.
As a ministry, it's important to understand marketing evolution as it is a great way to prepare your organization for big changes to come and harness the power of the next big thing in marketing.
1900-1950s — Marketing, as we define it nowadays, has been around since the beginning of the 20th century. As sales slowed down due to political and economic factors, mass production companies originally focused on economies of scale, efficiency, and aggressive sales techniques using a door-to-door approach along with magazines, posters, and billboard advertising.
1955-1995 — From 1955 onwards, companies started to embrace the need to assess what individual customers really wanted, therefore offering more choices and options based on market segmentation and market research. Radio, TV, telephone, and direct mail were the main mediums used as marketing tools during this period.
1995-Today — By 1995 the idea that customers came first was widely adopted and relationship marketing started to emerge. Marketing campaigns became customer-centric. Businesses have since been striving to ensure customer satisfaction by harnessing the power of the internet, with fields such as email marketing and social media marketing proving to be powerful connection tools.
With billions of people using social media, it's easy to understand why social media marketing is such a powerful tool for companies, charities, and organizations. With 1 in 4 social media users claiming to follow brands from which they might make a purchase, harnessing the power of social media has never been so important for your church to thrive and succeed. But how can social media help your ministry?
Brand Awareness
Creating a social media account on the right platforms is one of the most cost-effective ways to increase your church's visibility. Having a social media presence means that you'll be able to connect with a broader audience and increase your attendance in the long run as well as grow your donations. 91% of marketers claim that spending a few hours a week posting and engaging on social media significantly increased their exposure.
Cost-Effective
Creating a social media account and interacting with your regular members is free. If you want to increase your reach, paid advertising campaigns will give you valuable insights and let you fine-tune your strategy for very little money in comparison to other marketing tactics.
Market Insights
Being on social media and directly interacting with your members is the best way to understand their needs, their fears, and their thoughts. This can help you refine your messages, your content, and your sermons, and better assist both your online and offline audience as you craft messages that resonate.
Display Your Church's Culture
Social media is a great way to convey your church's culture and draw people to your church. You can also post messages of hope and give people some well-needed comfort during difficult times.
Drive Giving Opportunities
Your social media content can be used to drive giving through other marketing tactics too. One study showed that the average click-through rate is 115% higher for church emails that include at least one social media link.
Choosing the right platform and sharing the right content is critical to ensure your efforts are rewarded. For more free resources to help you reach people online and build your church, visit buildthe.church.
