5 Ways to Strengthen Your Online Church Presence

Church leaders face the unique challenge of maintaining an online presence without seeming too “online.”

Too much technology can distance church members from one another and from the experience of attending a service in person. 

However, using technology in smart and effective ways can help churches strengthen their online presence in a way that feels real and personal.

It’s about ensuring that technology isn’t used to substitute for the real live church experience. Instead, using technology to supplement and enhance the actual meeting of the community, not distract from or replace it. A key part of this is being intentional about how you use technology to reach your community. 

With that in mind, we’ve put together a quick list of 5 ways to strengthen your online church presence and connect more deeply with people online.

1.  Establish a website and social media accounts

A website and social media accounts are the first steps to a successful presence. Establishing a presence means making sure you have a site where people can find you. It also means creating a social media presence that reflects who you are, what you care about, and what you want your church to represent.

It’s a powerful way to get your message out and attract people to your church. In a time when people are more interested in video, audio, and social media than they are in reading a book, your website and social media accounts are an important part of your online presence. This will allow you to tell a story, share your vision, and create a community.

If you're interested in making a website for your church, check out Tithlely. With Tithely, you can set up a website with a design that reflects your church’s values and style. You can also add social media accounts, a blog, and share other content on the site.

2. Start a blog and post weekly content

Blogs are a strong tool for churches since they can be used creatively to help you connect with your audience.  People want to know more about what you have to say, and they want to know it straight from you. You can start by publishing a weekly post and then build your audience as you grow.

Churches can benefit from a blog in many different ways. Blogs can be used to build relationships, share content, and create brand awareness. There are a few key elements to any blog: a strong focus on content, regular posts, and easy-to-understand information.

3. Create a video series that people can watch on YouTube

While it is true that videos can take time to create and upload, they can often be a great way to convey important information to a larger audience quickly. In most cases. As people are looking for ways to watch content, they turn to YouTube. If your church has a message, a vision, or a story, then you can use videos to share it.

Don't worry about the technical aspect of creating a video; YouTube has many apps that will make it easier for you to create a video. The key is to make sure that your videos are well-thought-out and shareable. A video series can be a powerful way to introduce a new concept, teach a lesson, or tell people about a new service.

If you're looking for quality church graphics or video files that you can use in a video series, you can find them at Tithely Media. Tithe.ly Media gives your church free access to church media design resources that you can use to create a professional-looking video. 

4. Start a podcast

Podcasts are a little more challenging to create, but they are also a powerful content tool. People love to listen to other people talk, and podcasts are a great way to do just that.

If you have a compelling message, a vision, or a story to share, then you should definitely share it in a podcast. Create a podcast and make your church more accessible to your community. You can start by hosting a weekly podcast and then grow as your church grows. It is important to remember that you don't need to be a professional to create a podcast. You can use services like Buzzsprout or Overcast to create a podcast for free. The key is to be intentional about it and make sure you put out quality content.

You can read this blog to find out more about creating a podcast.

5. Develop an e-newsletter

Church administrators know how to keep their congregations engaged: with sermons, weekly announcements, and other activities. But what about outside the church walls? How can churches reach out to their community and keep them connected?

A great way to do this is by launching an e-newsletter. This digital newsletter can include anything from event invitations to sermon summaries to testimonies from people in the congregation. It’s a good idea to start small and test the waters. If you’re willing to be a little courageous, you’ll be amazed at how far you can go. 

There are various tools available to assist you with your e-newsletter, including Covertkit, MailChimp, and other similar services. Just be sure to follow a good template and have a system to respond to people who sign up. There’s no need to be fancy, but a simple, professional look is helpful.

If you want to send out a newsletter, you can make one on Tithe.ly Sites and send it out through email. To learn more about the Email Newsletter, click here.

Over to you

While each of these suggestions is helpful, the key is to make sure that you have a solid content plan. These tips are only a starting point for helping your church reach out to your community. 

As your church grows, you’ll learn what works for you and what doesn’t, and you’ll be able to fine-tune your content strategy to make sure that you are reaching your community in the most effective way possible.

Hopefully, this article has given you some ideas and inspiration to get started. There’s no doubt that we live in a new digital era, and the time is right for your church to jump on the bandwagon and reach out to people in a new way.