Once upon a time, churches were one of the foundations of strong families and communities.  Over the years, more houses of worship have appeared, but their overall effectiveness seemed to have disappeared.  That’s the bad news.  The good news is – blogs can help remedy this situation.  Following are eight ways blogs can help church leaders appear more community-focused.

1.      Free or low cost media source.

Many churches don’t have huge marketing and advertising budgets; therefore, they cannot afford to broadcast or telecast their services to be seen on network or cable television or heard over the radio.  Blogs allow churches to get their messages to local and worldwide audiences for little or nothing.

2.      Have conversations with members and the community.

Many people have opinions, suggestions and recommendations; others are whiners and complainers.  Either way, church leaders  can use blogs to listen to what people are saying and respond accordingly.  If audiences are talking about relevant issues, chime in with a spiritual perspective without being “holy” or “religious”.  If conversations are more negative than positive, reply with caution or not at all.  Any of those comments could become the next blog post.

3.      Appear more human

It is no secret that many people have negative thoughts and feelings about church and church people for various reasons.  Blogs will allow churches to appear less religious through their conversations.

4.      To tell their story

Every church has a story.  Many have tales of humble beginnings, trials and triumphs, and successes.  Church blogs can be a platform to share these stories as well as encourage others to do the same.

5.      Promote events, activities and members

All churches have meetings, events and activities, but many have limited budgets.  Blogs are the ideal place to promote these church happenings.  Be sure to celebrate the successes and services of members.

6.      Testimonials

Blogs can be used to record testimonials of members who want to share their victories.  Guests may also want to share their experiences from their visits.

7.      Branding

Some churches want to be known for certain things such as “the healing church “or “we love the kids church.”  Such branding can be pushed on church blogs.  Just keep the brand service-focused.

8.      Generate revenue

Donations and advertisements are just a couple ways churches can generate revenue on their blogs.

*******************

Above are eight reasons why churches should blog. In addition to serving as media and communications tools, blogs are also great for building relationships with members and the community.  Consider investing in a church blog today.