Author Archive
Media Relations & Churches: What Sarah Palin Taught Her Pastor
Well, maybe Sarah didn’t teach her pastor these things, but he certainly learned them as a result of the swoon of journalists who have covered the former Alaskan Governor after hitting the national spotlight during the 2008 Presidential Campaign. Rev. Larry Kroon of Wasilla Bible Church is the pastor at the home church of Gov. Palin.
In summary, Pastor Kroon learned 7 important ingredients to dealing with the media (my summaries):
- CHECK – Confirm the reporter’s credentials – (unfortunately you can’t simply trust who they say they are)
- INFORM – Educate reporters on the laws surrounding privacy between clergy and the faithful
- PROTECT – Don’t put your elders’ and church leaders’ contact information (phone #s and emails) on the website unless you know they can handle the media
- INQUIRE – Find out what you can as far as the reporter’s angle on the story. Do they want a factual representation or a simple juicy quote?
- INFORM – Develop a well-worded, information-rich Q&A section on your website so that reporters can gather information about your church without making stuff up or bothering you with petty details about your brand of church
- MANAGE – Know how to give an interview so as to help ensure the story gets covered like you want- and understand what a soundbite is and what they are looking for (hint: they are not looking for long answers!)
- DOCUMENT – Record the interview yourself – for accountability and protection (don’t just let the reporter record it!)
Perhaps your local media may not be as aggressive as some of the national media, but it is nevertheless important to know how to communicate with the media to maximize YOUR side of the story (they have their own idea of what they are going to do with the information).
Unfortunately, sometimes it is the church scandal or crisis that brings media knocking at your door . . . do you have any plan in place for how you might handle them when they come? “No comment” rarely communicates anything but guilt and often just leads to more suspicion and speculation. Look at this article and notice the section “Know What to Say to the Media” – good stuff to consider. As recommended, seek professional help or counsel in advance to help your church prepare proactively.
Every now and then positive efforts by your church will get noticed – are you positioned to proactively tell your story, share your message and provide the media the information in a manner in which they can actually use it? This is a strategic way of maximizing your communication!
If you have had significant experience in dealing with media in your church, we’d love to schedule a conversation with you about an upcoming podcast on the issue of churches and dealing with the media.
Check out the full above-mentioned article entitled, “Palin’s Pastor Meets the Press.”
PODCAST: Showcasing Your Uniqueness
So how does a church differentiate itself? Is that even allowed? Aren’t we all supposed to get along – and doesn’t differentiation insinuate negative competition?
Listen as I explain how churches should understand the principles of differentiation to reach unique unchurched audiences – and offer a unique path that is unique to your church. Quit trying to be like all the other churches and be you! It is likely your uniqueness that God is putting together so that one soul can discover the magnificent glory of God. It’s that important that you look for ways to showcase your uniqueness.
As always (or at least most of the time), our podcasts are only 14:29 (14 min and 29 seconds), so take time to listen to this one. Click on the ” + ” to launch the media player.
You can always subscribe to our MINISTRY MARKETING PODCAST on iTunes for this interview and more to come!
-Randy
Click to listen – Differentiation- Showcase Your Uniqueness – 1429 Creative Podcast
Join The Conversation! The Benefits of Social Media
So why does your ministry need to get on social media? What are the real benefits?
Let’s first define social media:
“Using online technology to create valuable conversation and mutually beneficially relationships.”
So the idea of social media involves:
- understanding online technology (these are the FREE or low-cost tools people everywhere are using)
- learning how this technology is IDEAL for creating valuable conversations (people talking about what God’s doing in your ministry)
- exploring how to achieve real ROI for time spent on social media (benefiting everyone involved)
Now, here are 10 benefits that I hope will prove to you why your ministry needs to be harnessing the power of social media.
You can download your complimentary copy of our new e-book called “Join the Conversation: 10 REASONS WHY YOUR MINISTRY SHOULD BE USING SOCIAL MEDIA.” (Thanks to RM for alerting us to an error – the new version is now fixed)
Enter the information below and hit “Download” and you will immediately be able to “Open” or “Save As” – start learning the importance of social media for your ministry’s communication and marketing strategy!
Keep In Contact with Your Contacts!
Some of the highlights include:
- “EVERYONE’S DOING IT” – People are talking. Lots of people.
- “OUT OF SIGHT IS OUT OF MIND” - There’s a lot of clutter out there. People are busy and there’s only so much information they can absorb. They talk about, pray about and even contribute to that which is on their minds.
- “POWER TO THE PEOPLE” - People rally to stories that impact their lives and they share with their friends about organizations who are making a difference.
- “WORD OF MOUTH ON STEROIDS” - Social media is like word of mouth online – it is highly exponential and it costs you virtually nothing!
- “WE’RE ON THE GO” – With the constant increase of use of portable communications devices and smart phones (i.e., iPhones and the Blackberry), people are getting information throughout the day and into the night. And most of it is by using social media.
- “SOMETHING TO RALLY AROUND” - People are hungering to be a part of something significant. They want their time and their money to make a difference. Social media is simply a powerful web of tools to enable that to happen in an inexpensive yet potentially big way. What will you use social media to rally people to?
To see all 10 reasons, download the free e-book above! It’s simple and FREE!
Churches: LifeWay and OfficeMax Team Up
This is not a compensation promotion, just something you might find useful. I got an email from LifeWay that they are teaming up with OfficeMax to provide office supplies “up to 78%” off – might be worth a look. Again, this is not an ad – I just thought it be worth passing on in case you hadn’t seen it.
PODCAST: Your Church Website is Dead
This is the audio tips on resurrecting your church website from the stale, dead and abandoned site it is now. Give it life by offering fresh content that allows you to interact with others and provides great links for your church members to link to it (from Facebook, for example).
As always (or at least most of the time), our podcasts are only 14:29 (14 min and 29 seconds), so take time to listen to this one. Click on the ” + ” to launch the media player.
You can always subscribe to our MINISTRY MARKETING PODCAST on iTunes for this interview and more to come!
-Randy
Your Church Website is Dead
Your church or ministry website has to be a hub of dynamic activity. If it is not ever-changing and providing rich, valuable content to your users (both visitors and members), then it is dead.
It doesn’t make sense why any church website would be this way – there’s too much going on at most churches that the members themselves barely have time to squeeze in all the activities you have to offer! If church members are some of the busiest people (I know we are), it seems to me that the website for such a congregation should reflect at least some of the consistent flow of coming and going, receiving and sending, much like an airport hub.
Our friends at The Resonate Group and Ministry Marketing Coach published a practical article on church social media and SEO. I enjoy the practical ideas that are shared in this article about creating rich content that is personal and conversational. This is crucial. Yet another reason that a church should have a blog on your website – blogs are platforms that allow for a perpetual dialogue and conversation, but also is a great venue for keyword-rich content that Google and other search engines love!
Is your church website dead?
Would you like to bring it back to life?
Call me – 817-657-4472 or email me
-Randy
31 days to Improve Your Church Website or Blog
I love this guy’s work – nakedpastor on flickr (some great original cartoon work)
Anyway . . . on to the subject at hand: Blogging.
Does your pastor, minister or anyone in church leadership blog? Why not?
EvangelismCoach shares his thoughts and a recommended book to help.
Yes, your church should be blogging!
Another presentation on Scribd by Brad Davis Seal explains:
“How Your Church can Use the Social Web”
Finally, here’s a replay of an article I wrote about churches and blogging (you gotta check out the picture of Jesus on the cell phone!)
-Randy
Are Visitors to Your Church Aware of How Much You Care?
It has been said: “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.”
Jeff Wilson at a Baptist church in Edmond, OK announced today how their congregation is preparing for H1N1.
Efforts like this at HHBC are great reminders:
- THINK LIKE A FIRST-TIME VISITOR: you may be fully comfortable inside the walls of your church, but visitors are not so enamored with the color of your pews or the paintings of the apostles on your walls. They want to know that they will be safe, protected and not walk out of your facility with a free set of baptismal tracks as well as a communicable disease,
- TAKE CARE OF THE SMALL DETAILS: realize that visitors are often much more attune to your faults – or impressed by your attention to detail – than are your charter members who have come to expect such care (and overlook your lack of attention). Before trying to give them the big picture, first try demonstrating your concern about the little things that may matter more to them right now,
- YOU CAN WOW THEM BY DOING THIS: authentically concerning yourself with what THEY are concerned with is potentially the “WOW!” factor that opens their minds to really believing the “until they know how much you care” mantra. When they see that you care for their felt needs, they are often more open to their true need for God’s Word. Who knew hand sanitizer could open doors?
Other ideas:
- Shoot a 5-minute video showing first-time parents that when they come into your building, that SECURITY is a high-priority – show them in advance how you use a state-of-the-art child check-in system, or whatever procedure you use that ensures a newbie that their children will be safe with you (remember, you are complete strangers to them),
- A simple diagram (or short video) helps navigate newcomers on where to park – particularly pointing out parking for folks who might need or appreciate special accommodations (handicap, elderly, single parents with multiple kids, pregnant mothers, etc…)
- If your children’s program has met certain safety certifications or there is someone on staff with special training, showcase that so that potential visitors can feel comfortable in the quality of care you offer their children,
- Even if you don’t offer a complete bi-lingual service, indicate somewhere on your website if a translator or interpreter is available (whether it’s Spanish, Mandarin Chinese or ASL)
- . . . and hundreds of other ideas!
Do they know how much you care?
Social media workshop September 22
Churches and Non-Profit Ministries:
If you have questions about how to use all the tools in social media, like Facebook, Twitter, podcasting and blogging . . . and how to use it EFFECTIVELY to reach your internal and external communities, would you like to attend a FREE seminar?
The Marketing Twins at 1429 Creative are hosting yet another FREE social media seminar here at the NRH Public Library, Tuesday, 7pm. There is no fee, nor any advanced registration.
Come learn about incorporating:
- podcasting to introduce your voice and message in a non-threatening environment to your community
- blogging to expand your understanding of life’s events and what God’s word says about it (and a great place to get feedback and develop relationships, too)
- photo-sharing to highlight ministry events where others can actually see them!
- using sites like YouTube to bring a face to your church brand – showcase so many wonderful things about your church to an inquisitive outsider
- how to effectively use email marketing to stay in contact with your contacts and keeping your church’s name in their minds (without spamming them with a flood of needless emails)
- Facebook to connect in a community where people are already connecting – and to help show how elders and ministry leaders can learn alot about their flock by simply paying attention to status updates
- Twitter to share resource and link people with ideas according to their needs
- . . . and so much more (like LinkedIn, online news releases, etc…)
You can come join us for a PREVIEW on Tuesday, 9/22, 7p at the NRH Public Library (click here to read press release about our FREE social media marketing workshop for Colleyville and NRH area residents).
You may already be ready for the next stop and want to win tickets to laugh your head off with Bob Smiley and Tim Hawkins!
____________
JOIN US BELOW FOR PREVIEW WEBINARS!
