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Coordinating multiple communications options

Coordinating multiple communications options

Dear Godly Geeks - I asked Randy if he wanted to take a turn writing a blog post, and he lifted his gaze from the mountain of paperwork on his desk, looked daggers at me and said "Not. Until. After. Convention." He has some ideas he'll be sharing then, but in the meantime I'd like to start responding to some of the questions already put forward by readers.

A reader named Susan asked a very good question:

"We've got a web page, a facebook page, a weekly newsletter and a monthly newsletter (both distributed electronically) and a weekly paper bulletin. What is a graceful way to coordinate content and to prioritize what goes where? I think people like them all but how do we maximize the potential of each?"

The method I've found most effective, and recommend to churches, is to think of your church's website as the hub of its communications efforts, and post all news and events there, in full, FIRST. Once that's done, your other communications tools, such as Facebook or Twitter, newsletters (printed or electronic), Sunday bulletins, and postings to local news websites (such as Patch.com), are then used to place the information in front of your desired audience, with a link back to your website.

This has several advantages:

  • Once an item is posted on your website, it's easy to share the link via Facebook or Twitter.
  • For items being promoted thorugh e-newsletters or local news sites, you can just publish some brief "teaser" text -- usually the first paragraph -- with an image if there is one, and a "Read more" or "Find out more" link that takes readers to the full item on your website.
  • Once you've lured readers to your website to read the initial item that caught their attention, they may see something else that also appeals to them. For example, a reader who sees your rummage sale listed in your community's online calendar and clicks the "Find out more" link may then notice and be intrigued by what your Sunday School is doing, or your upcoming Habitat build, or a special service you're having.
  • The staff member or volunteer who is assembling printed materials will have their job made easier if they can copy them from the website. This is how I assemble the diocesan e-newsletters, The VOICE Online and Leadership News.

Of course, this assumes your church has a website that is easy to update with announcements, articles and calendar events. If your church doesn't you might want to investigate the Church Website Project. Or, if you have a website platform you already like and just need a little guidance, the Technology Committee is available to consult with you...

...AFTER Convention. :)

P.S. We appreciate hearing your ideas and questions, which you can post in the comments section below.

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