Best practices: Communication strategies and tools
The context
The 2010 census is expected to find that 309 million people live in the US. No racial or ethnic category describes a majority of the population. Audiences are fragmented, media is fragmented.
We are living in a time when people are engaged in mulit-media and instant communications.
The “technology divide” between affluent white segments and minorities is shrinking much more rapidly than predicted.
Budgets are tight – Like most congregations, The Episcopal Church has no money in a marketing account: What they – and we -- have is a website, Facebook page and Twitter account.
Q: On the web, where are the most conversations about the Episcopal Church?
1. virtueonline2. episcopalcafe3. babyblue4. cofe.anglican.org
Neilsen study commissioned by Office of Communications, The Episcopal Church
Surprise! Lifestyle sites lead the Episcopal church buzz
People talk about The Episcopal Church at specific moments or stages in their lives
Communication strategies Communication strategies in Southern Ohio:in Southern Ohio:
Moving from either/orMoving from either/orto to
BOTH/ANDBOTH/ANDTo be effective, we must integrate print and To be effective, we must integrate print and
online technologies. online technologies. ALWAYS think: What is the best tool/medium to ALWAYS think: What is the best tool/medium to
deliver this content?deliver this content?
Diocesan communicationsDiocesan communications
Print: Interchange -- only print piece distributed diocesan-wide. Cost: 34-cents to print and mail to 10,000 homes. Advantage: Goes into every home. Shares
stories of ministries, connects churches and resources. Refrigerator-value.
Disadvantage: May be used to train puppies.
Primarily internal (some external value)
Website: www.diosohio.org
Website: www.diosohio.org
Question: Question:
Who’s the primary audience
of the diocesan website?
Members of the diocese?
or
First-time visitors – Seekers?
You have the statistics.
So what?
Lunch discussions1.What opportunities do these statistics
reveal?2. What challenges?3. What changes need to be made on our
congregation’s website?4. How can we use Facebook to build
community (virtual and in-person)?5. Can you imagine a Lead Generation
strategy? What would you be doing?