5 communication strategies for churches as summer ends

Looking for some summer church communication strategy ideas? We’re in the summer months on the church calendar, so Vacation Bible School is probably over, and regular church ministry groups are somewhat paused for a much-needed break. It’s relatively quiet.

However, fall anticipation is upon us. So let’s use this time to get your church communication strategy ready.

Here are five late-summer church communication ideas to do now, since you have fewer ministry requests, and they’ll prepare you well for the fall!

1. Get to know the congregation better. You can’t go wrong learning about members. Talk with them to truly understand their needs, concerns and goals. Create (or correct) research about large church groups that represent growing demographic groups in your community. What do they need from your church? Are you delivering them in your communication? Is there anything that can be eliminated?
2. Focus on their social media. Discover your church’s social media influencers by searching for their feeds. What are they posting about? Do they follow church channels? Why? Why not? Then ask them how the church can improve engagement and content. Do they think you have enough engaging content? Is there too much promotional content? What’s a successful rhythm for your content?
3. Identify potential volunteers. Talking with members about communication improvements will help you discover talented people you need for a highly effective communication team. Organize a meeting with them to dream about what can be done. Share goals and request help. Be on the lookout for photographers, videographers, writers, editors and designers who’d love to join your ministry. Be mindful, though, of those earning a living doing what you’re requesting. They may not want to give the church free work, so ask them if they’ll offer a discount for ongoing assistance.
4. Talk with ministry leaders. Talk to the leaders who run the ministries. Share what you’re discovering about members. Encourage the leaders, and show interest in what they’re doing. Ask questions to hear how they’re meeting the needs of their groups. Share how you’re trying to help them and enable their ministry. Find out what they’re prioritizing and how you can assist.
5. Simplify your website. Effective summer church communication strategy is about simplification. And since your website is critical to the church’s digital communication, calm it down. Ensure it’s clear and organized well (only 6-7 main menu items). Each page should have short scannable content, not a lot of paragraphs. Include bullet points with answers, three or four links to other pages and calls to action along the way. Are there enough pictures that extend each page’s story? How about staff pictures? Do they look up-to-date? Is there an easy way to contact the people in charge of various ministries?

Make sure your website is ready this fall to lead people from watching online services into an in-person community!

EDITOR’S NOTE — Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author, church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com and executive director of the Center for Church Communication, empowering 10,000-plus churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, websites and social media. His book, “Be Known for Something,” is available at BeKnownBook.com.