Many churches struggle to stand out among other churches in their community. They’re often unsure about what makes their church brand different and how to build a strong brand that would attract new members.
If you’re a church that has or is currently struggling with this issue, don’t worry, as in this blog, we’ll look at seven ways your church can identify its strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities so that it will have an effective brand in the community.
1. Know Who You Are
If you don’t know who you are as a church, you won’t know where to go with your church branding efforts. Start by asking yourself the following questions:
What do people say about my church when they talk about it;
How does my church make others feel?
What do people think about my church?
What do people expect from my church?
Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll be able to start thinking about how your church could be positioned within the community more effectively.
2. Know Your Audience
Now that you know who you are as a church, you will better understand who you are trying to reach. For example, are you looking to attract more families, retirees, or even single parents? Instead of going for everyone – which, as a church, wouldn’t be entirely incorrect – taking your time to choose the respective audiences will help when it comes to crafting the right message for each one.
3. Identify Your Strengths & Weaknesses
Consider your strengths and weaknesses, as it would help you determine whether you need to focus more on one area than another. For example, suppose you desire to attract more families; however, the relevant church departments are not running effectively. In that case, you may want to work on ways to improve this problem. It could include asking a church member to oversee the department, speaking with members within those departments and asking their opinions on ways they believe could improve the department or even communicating with parents on what they would like to see within the department.
4. Create a Vision Statement
A vision statement is a short description of the ultimate goal that your overall church brand aims to achieve. It helps people understand why they should care about your church and sets a clear roadmap for your church to follow regarding the influences of any long-term decisions.
5. Build a Mission Statement
A mission statement summarises the primary action you will take to achieve your ultimate goal. It is the driving force behind everything you do and is a commitment you will make to your community and congregation.
6. Develop an Identity/ Be consistent with your image
Consistency is key to success, which is true when it comes to creating the visual aspect of your church brand. Using the same logo with the same font and colours across printed and online material ensures that your church brand is easily recognisable. It also aims to provide a feeling of relatability and helps your community know your church on a more personal level.
7. Update Your Website
Something so simple as updating your website can easily be overlooked when the focus is primarily on weekend services.
Updating your site regularly and ensuring all the information is up to date can go a long way. With most people online, having an up-to-date website that shows what is happening can allow people to connect with your church.
Bonus tip: Stay active on social media
Connect and engage with your community throughout the week, not just on Sundays. Use social media to show that your church is more than just a building but a place where people can belong. So get started, post an inspirational message, share details of upcoming events, and respond to comments.
Building a church brand is not something that is done overnight. It will take time, and your church brand will continually evolve and develop.
If you’ve just started or haven’t even put pen to paper when it comes to figuring out your church brand and is not sure what to do next, why not get in touch?
We strive to help local churches like yours strengthen your community presence by providing affordable design and church marketing services to help your organisation and impact those around you. Find ways to level up your church brand with our branding services and FREE digital marketing review.
