Upgrading Your Church Communication: Going Beyond Announcements

2023 is speeding along, summer is in full swing, and now is the perfect time to dial in your church communication strategy. Why? For many churches, the slower summer months serve as a much needed respite from busy ministry patterns during the school year. With fewer church events on the calendar and lower attendance on Sundays, this is an excellent opportunity for churches to upgrade systems so your church can be ready for maximum impact in the fall. 

Why Your Church Communication Strategy Probably Needs an Upgrade… 

A few weeks ago, I found myself in an extra-long Sunday service flow meeting. We were gearing up for a jam-packed Sunday ahead, with a multitude of service elements to coordinate. We also had about nine announcements that we needed to share with our congregation, and we knew there was no way we could fit them all into the announcements portion of our Sunday service. It was like trying to shove extra pieces into a puzzle or stack more toppings on an already overflowing pizza – it just wasn’t going to work. 

Luckily, everyone on the team was lighthearted about our announcement conundrum. This is a classic communication challenge faced by many churches. Most churches cannot and should not announce everything during their Sunday service – people will simply tune out. At the same time, however, stage announcements tend to be the most successful form of communication in churches. We can’t guarantee that congregants will open their emails, look at the website, or see that post on Instagram, but we can guarantee that they will hear us talking about the church potluck during the Sunday service. 

So, what’s the solution? I would suggest that this classic communication problem calls for an overall communication upgrade. If we can dial in our strategies so that our communication is streamlined, accessible, and highly visible, we can stop competing for Sunday announcement space while still achieving successful communication. 

With that said, here are a few key communication tips to upgrade your church’s communication strategy. 

5 Communication Tips for 2023 

#1 Use the 80% Rule

When it comes to deciding which announcements to share during a Sunday service, the 80% rule can be a valuable guideline. Simply ask yourself, "Does this announcement apply to at least 80% of my congregation?" If the answer is yes, then it's likely a good announcement to prioritize in your Sunday communication. However, if the answer is no, it's best to reserve the announcement for other forms of communication like the bulletin, emails, or other channels.

There are times when you may need to break this rule. For instance, if the men's ministry is struggling with low registrations for an upcoming conference, it might be appropriate to include it in the announcement mix. However, it's crucial to use such exceptions sparingly. By doing so, you ensure that people remain receptive to these announcements and avoid overwhelming them with information that may not apply to the majority.

#2 Embrace Texting 

It's no secret that texting has become one of the most prevalent and popular ways of communication in today's fast-paced world. One of the key advantages of using text messages for church communication is their high open and read rates. People tend to check their text messages quickly, even if they don't respond immediately. Texting helps ensure that your messages are seen and absorbed by your intended recipients. 

Additionally, texting helps keep your messaging concise and direct. With limited character counts, you are encouraged to distill your messages to convey information succinctly and clearly. This can help you cut through the noise and capture the attention of your audience, ensuring that your messages are easily understood and remembered. Learn more about Breeze’s texting tool – and get access to 10 text message samples – by clicking here. 

#3 Refresh Your Email List

Email marketing is an ever-evolving art (which is simply code for “it changes every day!”). Currently, a more personalized approach to email is the best way to ensure that you keep your audience engaged with your content. Shorter emails with a clear call-to-action are going to be the most effective way to increase open rates and help your audience see your church announcements! 

Keeping your email lists clean is crucial for boosting open rates and reducing unsubscribes. A clean list ensures that your emails reach interested subscribers who are more likely to open them. On the flip side, if your list is filled with inactive or non-opted-in recipients (meaning you added them to your list without their permission), it can lead to emails going to spam or bouncing back, damaging your deliverability. By regularly removing disengaged or invalid addresses, you can increase the effectiveness of your email campaigns and build stronger connections with your active audience.

One of the best ways to clean up your email list is by sending your disengaged subscribers (those who don’t open emails) a new opt-in email. This approach allows you to give them a chance to reconfirm their interest in receiving future email communication. By offering this opt-in opportunity, you can identify those who genuinely wish to stay connected and, if necessary, unsubscribe those who remain unengaged. Importantly, this process should be targeted toward your disengaged audience rather than the entire list.

#4 Leverage the Power of Social Media

Your church’s social media account should be a blend of engagement, inspiration, and announcement communication. Thus, while you shouldn’t make every post about upcoming events, your Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube accounts are all excellent places to share announcements with your congregation! Embrace a strategy such as posting announcements on Monday and then using the rest of the week for other content. This approach ensures that your social media presence remains balanced and compelling.

Vertical videos are by far the most effective means of social media communication at present. This is because most users access social media on mobile devices, and social media platforms are prioritizing vertical video content. The beauty of this emerging strategy is that the vertical videos you create can now be recycled across multiple platforms, lowering your workload! 

#5 Prioritize Two-Way Communication

Effective communication is not just about sending out information; it's also about fostering meaningful connections with your congregation. If you want to improve your communication strategy and ensure your church announcements get heard, make it a priority to create opportunities for two-way communication. Encourage feedback, questions, and suggestions from your church members, and actively respond to their inquiries and concerns. If your congregation feels heard, they will be more likely to listen! The Breeze “forms” platform is a great tool for developing surveys or polls, event feedback, small-group leader feedback, and other contexts where you'd like to collect data from a group of people. 

Conclusion

By implementing these valuable communication tips and enhancing your strategy in the coming months, you will lay a solid foundation for a year filled with impactful communication. For more church management tips and resources, check out Breeze’s free list!