When a church opens its doors for the first time, it has the challenge to overcome. The church has to build a congregation and let homeowners know it is in town. The church also has to show how it is different from other Christian churches. In some cases, the new church has to follow procedures handed to it, such as Roman Catholic, Methodist or Episcopal. Other times, the new church doesn’t have a history or a government to tell it what to do. These new churches have the biggest challenge because they won’t get help from established dioceses. Here are some ways to build your congregation through marketing.
Social Media
To build a congregation, you want to use social media as much as possible. Create a group on Facebook and post regularly. Invite friends, family, and people you know to join your group. Discuss issues facing Christians today. Engage with people on Facebook. Post photos and videos. Build a following before you open your doors for the first time. People on Facebook will get to know you and your beliefs. They might want to become part of your flock. They also will give you ideas of what people want in a community church. Talk about how your church is different from others.
Press Release
If you are a new church, you need to send a release to Christian publications in print, online and on air. Find the editors and reporters who write about religion for regular publications and send your release to them. Talk about how your Christian church is new to the area, how it is building a congregation and how it will be different from other churches in the area.
Website
Before you tackle social media, you must have a website. This site should be optimized for search engines. You can use Google Analytics to determine the best keywords to use when building your site. You also must have the right meta tags and headers. Pictures and videos on your website are important for search engine optimization. If you don’t know how to build your website, contact an expert in Christian marketing.
Postcards
Create a postcard to hand out to people you meet in the neighborhood. For example, if you are in the supermarket, you could give the manager your postcards to put up front by the registers. If people are interested, they will pick up your card. Or you could ask if you could stand in the parking lot to hand out the postcards. This is an inexpensive way to let people know you are opening a new church in the neighborhood. Invite them to an initial sermon or Bible study.
Grand Opening
Stores are successful with these, and churches could be too. They would be more welcoming if they held a grand opening before the first sermon or service. Have food and drinks available. Give the people who attend a chance to know others who are interested in your church. Help them with problems they might be having. Thank them for the interest in the church. When they come, get them to sign up with their contact information, which will build your e-mail and social media lists.
Blogging
Let others know you are a new church through blogs. The more you write, the more people will know who you are and what your views are. This is a way to show you are an authority on Christianity and are welcoming new members to your church. And, it increases your search engine ranking, which means more people will find you online.
