We encourage churches to blog consistently. It sounds easy, but we know it can be a struggle. What do you talk about? How do you create engaging content consistently? How do you stay organized?!
All valid questions. Fortune 500 companies spend millions on their blogs every year because they know people are searching for their products and related topics. For churches, instead of selling shoes or books, you’re selling the Gospel. Sure, the “conversion” will be different, but the internet works the same whether a searcher is looking for a vacation spot in Florida or resources for Christian parenting. Why not be the Christ-centered voice in the hundreds of millions of pages online?
Today, we’re so excited to give you a sample blog calendar pre-filled with topics, keywords, and calls-to-action. So, even without millions of dollars at your disposal, you can still churn out consistent blog topics that speak to your church members, your community, and the world about relevant ideas. We’ll even give you tips to make your blogs stand out among the sea of content. But first, let’s talk about WHY your church should have a blog.
WHY HAVE A CHURCH BLOG?
Would it surprise you that people are actively searching phrases about Christianity and the church? Here are some we found:
- Church with special needs ministry
- Why church is important
- Why church membership is important
- Why jesus was crucified
- What jesus said about money
- How God created the world
- Are God and Jesus Christ the same
- How prayer changes us
There are literally hundreds of phrases and questions that people are seeking, some believers, some not yet believers.
Your blog is a way for you as a church to communicate with your members about exciting news like events, new programs, leadership changes, and how the holy spirit is moving in your church. It’s your way of communicating to your community. Talk about your special needs program if you have one, your singles group, or stories from mission trips, etc. Let your community know what you stand for and what THEY can be a part of by joining your church. Lastly, speak to the lost souls about who Jesus is, what it means to be a christian, and how they can accept Jesus. Your blog can do all of these things … if you strategize and commit the time.
TIPS TO MAKE YOUR BLOGS STAND OUT
Using a content calendar to keep you organized is the first step. Writing and sticking with the calendar is the second step and hardest part! Here are eight tips to keep in mind as you write:
- Write conversationally and let the churche’s personality shine through the words you choose.
- When determining who will write the posts, consider the lead pastor, maybe other pastors or leaders on staff, or volunteers who have a knack for writing!
- Choose generic and specific topics that apply to church members and the community as a whole. Don’t be afraid to get more specific as you go forward. There are literally millions of topics that you can write about!
- Include an image or video with every post. There are tons of free image resources or images, but consider having a photographer or volunteer snap some pictures of your people doing things at your church.
- Make the content “evergreen” meaning it will be relevant years from now when someone stumbles upon it. There is a place for blog posts that feature events, but keep those sparse.
- Use keywords in the header and subheaders as well as the paragraph text.
End every blog post with a call-to-action. This could be to “join us for service on Sunday” or “volunteer with us” or “join our prayer team on Wednesday nights” - Don’t forget to promote your blogs on social media! Link to the blog 6-8 times in the 2 months following the publish dates.
- Check analytics once a month to see what kind of traffic is going to your blogs and which ones are the most popular. This will be a indication of what your audience likes and wants more of!
DOWNLOAD OUR FREE SAMPLE BLOGGING CALENDAR FOR CHURCHES
This tool has everything you need to get started. We’ve given you sample titles, keywords, and calls-to-action.
What are you waiting for? Download our FREE Sample Blogging Calendar for Churchestoday and get started. Questions? Give us a shout.
ABOUT MAILYNNE CALVIN
Mailynne is a Believer, a wife and mom, and a virtual business consultant specializing in digital marketing and web development. Mailynne has managed projects for large corporations, nonprofits and small businesses. Her business background and strong Christian faith have given her the unique ability to contribute to ChurchPress. Mailynne believes in her calling to do work that makes a profound impact in others’ lives.