Stop Sending Church Newsletters to Everyone You Meet

People are inundated with email every day. Some work hard to get to inbox zero where they turn email into to-do items and archive it. Others keep those notifications of new mail on their devices for everything they hope to come and read one day.

Enter the Church Newsletter.

Church newsletters are notorious for being filled with a busy menu of overwhelming content. Crammed with as much content onto it as possible the hope is to have one resource people can find everything they need.

But how efficient is this?

Maybe your church has headlines for your different ministry sections to help people navigate. Or maybe you color each section something different. Or (please say no) maybe you use Microsoft Clipart to help people know what section is for them.

But is all this really helpful?

We believe churches should stop sending church newsletters jam packed with overwhelming information and instead create smarter, more focused communication that allows people to know exactly what they need to.

Decide the best content for the right people
Your church has a variety of people groups. Single. Married with kids. Empty nesters. Church members. Seekers. Devoted Christ-followers. Single moms. And so many more.

So how do you choose the right content for the right audience? And how do you communicate that content without making someone feel overwhelmed?

The keys to great communication are being personable and direct. Overwhelming your users before they’ve even read one sentence doesn’t help you build trust with them.

Don’t you hate when sales people speak as though you’re sold on their product before you are convinced it’s what you need? Don’t do the same for your prospective church members.

Here are three simple ways you can start creating the best content for the right people:

1. Create digestible chunks of content that you can email out to people during the week.
2. Create different lists that people can opt into and out of and communicate regularly how they can do both
3. Create a way for people to send in their questions

Digestible chunks of content are best sent out via email. If you need to convey longer information then do so by posting it on your church website and linking to the rest in your email.

Each email you send should have no more than 1-3 ideas or topics. The goal is short, simple, and effective.

Creating different lists will allow people the chance to get multiple digest emails from your church. Maybe some focus on children and others adult activities. By separating these out in different emails, people are more likely to read them and not feel overwhelmed.

The biggest reason people are turned off to a church has to do with poor communication. Follow up is possible when you are focused on the group of people you need to follow up with.

Which leads to our third point. Create a way for people to send in their questions. If you have a point person for each ministry area then allow people to respond directly to them in an email. Or send them to a form on your website that people can fill out and get access to have their questions read and answered.

These are quick and easy ways to build trust and help you decide the best content for the right people.

Creative an effective web and email strategy
Your church needs to create pathways for people to find the information they need. From children to youth to what to wear to a service, all of this information is essential to communicate. But needs to be done so effectively and without overwhelming everyone with content.

You might have a way for people who are unfamiliar with your church to get connected to learn more. Ask them to opt in to an email list on your church website and provide them with a free guide to how church attendance can help their kids build confidence. This is just an example, but providing something of value will allow people to be more trustworthy of your church.

Once someone has opted int to your communication, now your strategy can take off. If you want to reach more people for Jesus and keep all your current members connected to the heartbeat of your church, then you must build an effective digital strategy to accomplish your goals.

We’ll be posting more about our thoughts around creating a full digital marketing strategy soon, but the key is to have it on your wave length. To know this is something that is essential and important for your church. And then to execute on this to start ditching your current newsletters and start creating content that resonates, connects, and informs.