20 church marketing ideas

If you’re part of your church’s leadership, you probably focus most of your energy on sermons and services. But taking time to get the word out about your church is essential for building your congregation. Implementing proven church marketing ideas can help you connect with the people who are searching for a church to call home.

Keep reading to find the top church marketing ideas that you can start using today.

1. Create a church website

It’s no surprise that people look online for information when choosing a local congregation. Creating a website not only helps you establish an online presence, but it’s also a great resource you can use to share information about upcoming activities and church-related news. You can use a DIY website builder such as Wix or Squarespace or hire a website designer.

2. Use social media

Not only will a website help you market your church, but you can also expand your online footprint by using social media platforms. Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter are all great places to share information and invite people to learn more about your church. Share photos of service activities, inspirational messages, and free devotionals to engage your audience.

3. Encourage social check-ins

Invite congregation members to use Facebook’s check-in feature to show when they’re attending church events or services. These social media updates spread the word to friends and family who might have an interest in attending.

4. Send email newsletters

Keep congregation members up to date through email newsletters. Share a weekly inspirational message as well as notifications about upcoming events and service opportunities. You can use this newsletter subscription form template to collect email addresses.

5. Post sermons and videos online

Invest in video streaming tools so people can participate from home even if health issues or other situations prevent them from attending in person. Post sermons and inspirational videos on YouTube, Facebook Live, Instagram Stories, and more.

6. Hold educational workshops

Educational opportunities can draw in people who haven’t attended your church yet. Hold soft skills workshops on topics such as leadership, English as a second language (ESL), relationships, or communication. These workshops offer a low-pressure opportunity for people to engage with your church before attending a service.

7. Post events on Meetup

If you’re hosting an activity or service project, post it on Meetup to notify the community. Also, look for community calendars or other bulletin boards where people are looking for local information.

8. Send postcards in the mail

If you want to expand your reach and the public’s awareness of your church, consider sending postcards to people in surrounding neighborhoods. Design a short message that shows the opportunities available through your church. Include relevant information, such as your website, address, service times, and upcoming events. Optimize your budget by targeting specific neighborhoods with your ideal demographic.

9. Create a mobile app

With a mobile app, you can reach people on the go on their devices. An app can be a one-stop shop for people to learn about your church, sign up to volunteer, send prayer requests, and more. With Jotform Apps, you can build your own mobile app without any coding knowledge.

10. Encourage word-of-mouth referrals

Your current congregation members are the best recruiters for building church membership. Word of mouth is one of the most powerful ways to bring people in. Be proactive about asking the congregation to invite others to activities and meetings.

11. Send inspirational text messages

Invite people to join a text message list to receive inspirational messages each week. Create a digital form to collect names and phone numbers — you can use a Jotform list template to organize this information.

12. Plan special holiday sermons

Many churches find that attendance goes up on major holidays, such as Mother’s Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, and Easter. These holidays are opportunities to make your church stand out with special programs and activities.

13. Coordinate community service

Many people want to get involved in community service activities. Advertise service opportunities to support the community, such as a neighborhood cleanup day, food drive, soup kitchen, or holiday gift collection. These activities help people form friendships and feel connected to your church.

14. Offer an online donation form

Adding an online donation form to your website allows people to make offerings online, even if they aren’t attending in-person services. Jotform offers a simple solution for collecting online donations and a variety of donation form templates you can choose from.

15. Host events and socials

Church activities don’t always have to focus on preaching and reading scripture. Building a sense of community through fun socials and activities is a great way to strengthen the congregation and invite new neighbors to participate. Host a field day, community barbeque, holiday festival, or outdoor movie screening.

16. Invest in local SEO

Make sure your church is showing up in local search engine results. Optimize your website for local search keywords. Also, create business listings in Google, Bing, Facebook, and Yellow Pages so your church appears in online maps.

17. Post signs outside

Don’t underestimate the power of outdoor signs. Help people overcome the discomfort of coming inside by placing directions and welcome signs outside the building.

18. Transcribe your sermons

Some people like to rewatch sermons online, but others prefer to read the messages. If you’re posting a sermon video, it’s a good idea to include a transcript as well. Not only is the written sermon convenient, but it also creates more content for search engines to pick up.

19. Ask for volunteers

Save money by using volunteer hours to implement your church marketing ideas. Many people are happy to donate time to share your message and connect with others in the community.

20. Design a content calendar

It’s easy to push your online marketing to the back burner when you’re busy with other responsibilities. That’s where a digital content publishing calendar can help you implement your marketing ideas — a calendar makes it easier to stay current with regular posting and sharing.

With a little bit of effort and consistency, you can expand your reach and welcome more members into your congregation. These church marketing ideas can help you do that, and so can the right solutions. Jotform makes it easy to implement a digital strategy using online forms, tables, apps, and templates. Try it out for free.

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