The problem isn’t your Pastor. “No One Knows You’re There”, is a phrase I heard a while back. It references the reality that in today’s online world, no one goes to a church without first checking out the worship service and campus online. The cultural landscape in America has changed dramatically. As a result, churches face increasing difficulty in attracting and keeping members. Traditional marketing doesn’t work anymore. Direct mail seems to be a waste of money. Most print materials get trashed.
Younger generations were born with a cell phone in their hands. Unlike older generations, they do things online first.
5 Reasons No One Knows You’re There
- Lack of Online Presence: A strong online presence is essential in today’s digital age. If a church doesn’t have a website, social media profiles, or other online channels, it will be difficult for people to find information about them.
- Outdated or Inaccurate Information: Even with a website, if the information isn’t updated, you’ll get ignored.
- Limited Outreach: Without a website a church is limited to word-of-mouth outreach or phone calls. You can use direct mail and other print materials but that’s becoming cost-prohibitive. A website isn’t the only way to communicate. Social Media has become a standard form of marketing.
- Lack of Clear Messaging: Having a website and social media presence is one thing. Having a specific message is another. What message are you sharing with the general public? Is it something that interests them? Focus on your community’s greatest need as it relates to church.
- Poor Search Engine Optimization (SEO): A website is a good first step. Websites need visibility. If a church’s site isn’t optimized for search engines, it may not appear in search results when people search for relevant keywords.
Bonus: Resistance To Change
Congregations can be unwilling to adapt to new trends and technology. That can limit your reach. It’s not your fault but you can help make things happen. Taking charge of change is vital for reaching new people for Christ.
How do you find out what your community needs? Most denominations can provide area demographics. That will give you a lot of information. If you don’t have that option, Google Analytics can help.
Let’s make sure you don’t fall into the category of – No one knows you’re there.
Take the time to figure out the most pressing things in your community and you’ll make a difference. Start there. Once you have that part figured out, branch out beyond the community. The same rules apply. Find out about the pressing issues. Good sources for this kind of data are datausa.io and Google Analytics.
Once you have the data, you can start creating things to address the biggest issues.
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