The ability to successfully communicate with and engage current and prospective congregation members is essential for any church. In this digital age, church leaders must use innovative strategies to reach out to their lapsed donors as well as inactive church members.
Why?
Because it’s a whole lot easier to reactivate a former donor or member than to find a new one. Plus, there’s the added benefit of strengthening your church’s community bond by bringing back those who have left.
So, what can ministry leaders do in 2023 to get lapsed donors and inactive members back in the fold? Here are 3 church marketing strategies you can use to re-engage your congregation:
Reconnect With Inactive Church Members Using Various Social Media Platforms
Social media channels like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are powerful tools for communication and connection. Creating the perfect social media church marketing strategy on one or more of these platforms will not only boost your church marketing efforts but also help rekindle relationships with inactive members and lapsed donors.
Here’s how you can leverage the power of social media to boost attendance to your church:
Take Full Advantage of Facebook’s Targeted Ads
Facebook advertising can be a great way to get your message in front of the right people. Whether you’re looking to bring back lapsed donors and inactive church members or recruit new ones, Facebook’s hyper-targeted and granular approach to advertising is the perfect solution.
Did you know?
On Facebook, you can customize your ads to display only in the geographical area where you want them, as well as to certain demographics or interests. You can even set your ads to automatically retarget those who have previously interacted with your church’s content on the platform.
Upload Stunning Visuals on Instagram to Reignite Interest in Your Church
Instagram is the perfect platform for sharing visuals and telling stories. Take advantage of this powerful tool by creating engaging posts about your church’s mission, activities, events, and more. Doing so will help you reach a larger audience, spark conversations, and ultimately reactivate lapsed donors and inactive church members.
How to create stunning Instagram posts?
Instead of using stock photos, use real-life images that capture the heart of your church’s mission and purpose. Instagram is all about authenticity and connection, so make sure your visuals reflect this. Also, be sure to optimize your posts with captivating descriptions, hashtags, and engaging calls-to-action to maximize engagement.
Use TikTok as a Powerful Church Marketing Platform to Attract Younger Audiences
Your church’s marketing strategy in 2023 should also include younger audiences – and what better way to do this than by using TikTok? This rapidly growing social media platform is the perfect place to create fun, interactive content for all the world to see.
What kind of TikTok content should you create?
From lip-syncing to comedy skits, TikTok is all about creativity and entertainment. Use this platform to share fun videos that capture the energy of your church and its existing members. You can also create unique challenges and host Q&A sessions to engage your audience and get more people talking about your church.
Boost Your Local Church SEO Efforts to Maintain a Strong Online Presence
In 2023, local church SEO will play an even bigger role in church marketing. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of optimizing your church website and other digital assets so that they appear at the top of search engine results. This helps people find your church online more easily – and, in turn, boosts the visibility of your congregation.
Here’s how you can bring back lost followers to your organization:
Keep your Website and GMB Listing Updated With Fresh Content
If you want to grow and nurture your church community, it’s essential to create regular, high-quality content for your church website and Google My Business (GMB) Listing. This includes everything from blog posts and videos to online events and newsletters.
How to do this?
Put yourself in the shoes of your audience and create content that is relevant, engaging, and informative. Additionally, be sure to update your GMB listing with accurate information about contact details, services offered, upcoming events, and more – as this will help local people learn more about your church.
Position Your Church on Top of Google Search Results With Paid Church Advertising
If you want to get your church’s message in front of a larger audience quickly, consider investing in paid search engine advertising. This will help your church appear at the top of Google’s search results for relevant queries, which can ultimately boost local visibility and reactivate lapsed donors and inactive members.
Want to help your church grow in no time?
Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising is the way to go. With PPC, you can set a budget and target specific keywords as to certain demographics or interests. This will help you get your church’s message in front of the right people, increase website visits, and generate leads with less effort.
Use Top-Ranking Church SEO Keywords to Increase Organic Traffic to Your Site
Did you know that by targeting the right keywords, you can rank higher on search engines and increase organic traffic to your church’s website? This will encourage more people to visit your site, read about your mission, and connect with your congregation.
How to optimize your church’s website?
Research and identify the top-ranking church keywords in your area and then incorporate these into your website’s meta tags, titles, descriptions, headers, content pieces, and more. Additionally, make sure to publish quality content regularly, link to reputable sites, and optimize your website for speed and better user experience.
When All Else Fails, Personalized Email Marketing Campaigns Can Do Wonders
Email marketing is still one of the most effective ways to promote your church and strengthen relationships with both old and new members. You can use email campaigns to share updates, special offers, and exclusive content with your audience – and to remind them about your church and why it should be a part of their lives.
Here’s how you can create great email marketing campaigns:
Compose Engaging, Personalized Messages to Reactivate Members
If you want to bring back inactive members to your Sunday service, nothing beats the power of email marketing. Take advantage of personalized emails to reach out to those who haven’t visited your church in a while and remind them why they should come back and join your worship service.
What to include in your emails?
The key to any successful email campaign is to make each message as personal and engaging as possible. Craft compelling subject lines, add unique images or videos, create detailed and informative content, and always thank people for their time. Above all else, strive to make each message feel like it comes from a friend – not a generic, robotic email.
Don’t Stop at One Email Campaign: Make Sure You Follow Up
Email marketing campaigns can be incredibly effective when it comes to reactivating lapsed donors and inactive church members – but don’t stop at one. Create a follow-up plan for your emails, so that you can remind people about your church every few weeks or months.
What to keep in mind?
The most successful email campaigns build relationships over time. Craft your follow-up emails in a way that shows you truly care about the people on your list and don’t forget to mention how much their support means to your congregation. These small details can make all the difference when it comes to reactivating members and getting them back to your church.
Seek Help From a Certified Expert in Email Marketing for Churches
If you want to get the most out of your email campaigns and ensure the best results, don’t hesitate to seek help from an expert digital marketing agency like ChurchCandy. Using modern email marketing platforms and best digital marketing practices, we can help you create effective campaigns that will resonate with your target audience and get more people back to your organization.
How does it work?
At ChurchCandy, we offer a suite of services that include email campaign design and implementation, strategic consulting, and real-time analytics. With our help, you can create personalized email campaigns tailored to your church’s goals and objectives. We’ll work with you every step of the way to ensure that your campaigns are effective and drive meaningful results for your church.
Gain Access to Top-Notch Church Marketing Resources and Reactivation Strategies With ChurchCandy
Whether you are looking to attract new visitors to your church, boost online donations, or simply reactivate inactive members, ChurchCandy has the resources, expertise, and manpower to help you reach your goals.
In 2023, ChurchCandy remains the go-to agency for churches and faith-based organizations looking to grow their congregation. Our team has years of experience in email marketing, digital campaigns, SEO, website design and development, and so much more – so you can count on us to deliver top-notch results. Contact us today to get started on your church’s reactivation strategy and watch as more people come back to your place of worship. Together, we can make a difference in the lives of many.