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…digital ministry IS the new…mission field.
As a young media/technical/online pastor, I thought the only way to reach more people online was with a bigger budget and significant upgrades to equipment. I couldn’t understand why the church leaders wouldn’t approve my budget and capital requests. I blamed God for this puzzle. “Why would a church want me to start an online ministry and not give me a budget or the equipment to do it?” I made this a matter of prayer. I’m ashamed that these prayers were made more in anger and entitlement than humility. That’s when the Lord gave me a spiritual punch in the gut. He reminded me how the media ministry started at my church… practicing the parable of the talents. Oof! That hurt.
The Lord reminded me that I must show Him that I am faithful with what I have before I can be trusted with any increase. So, I went down a path of research and discovery that included authors on content creation and delivery. I also learned from the early adopters of online ministry at conferences and by following them online. All of that research, learning and prayer brought me to this fact … I can see an increase in online reach without spending much money by focusing on content, communication and quality.
... research, learning and prayer brought me to this fact… I can see an increase in online reach without spending much money by focusing on content, communication, and quality.
Increasing your online reach begins with your online content on social media. People ask me, “What content should I post on social media?” My answer is always the same, “whatever engages your audience, and finding that out requires creativity and experimentation.” Engagement (likes, comments, shares, etc.) drives your reach. So, the more engagement you have on a post, the more people will see that content. Be creative and use polls, short sermon clips, mission ministry highlight videos, behind-the-scenes videos, short devotionals, object lessons, pictures, a video of the pastor having a blind doughnut taste off on National doughnut Day, etc., in your content. Make sure you have a good description to make it more searchable. Then, watch the analytics and give people more of the content that they engage with and share with others.
People ask me, “What content should I post on social media?” My answer is always the same, “whatever engages your audience, and finding that out requires creativity and experimentation.”
One aspect of content that I observe churches regularly neglecting is their website. A common reason why the church’s website doesn’t stay fresh and up-to-date is because the church administrator or another staff member can’t update it because it’s too technical or complicated. The answer to this problem is simple. Hosting sites like Squarespace and Wix have great website templates that are inexpensive, visual and easy to maintain. By keeping your web content up-to-date you build credibility and reinforce that you care about people online… especially to people who are new to your website and church.
Actively monitor your online and social media accounts for those contacting you and responding promptly—even during off hours.
Allow and foster two-way communication through comments, chats, email and texting.
The second aspect of increasing your online reach involves communication… specifically two-way communication. I’ve learned that announcement-based content is just a part of the strategy to reach people online. You must allow and foster two-way communication through comments, chats, email and texting. This involves actively monitoring your online and social media accounts for those contacting you and responding promptly—even during off hours. When people see that you’re available online and that you care enough to respond that builds credibility for your church and ministry.
Be sure you’re acknowledging reviews, and comments on your social media and on your Google Reviews as well. Ensure you have someone hosting the chat and comments on the live broadcast of your services on social media and the free Church Online Platform. Don’t be afraid to engage a negative comment or review and say that the church staff would love to meet them and discuss their issue to see how it might be fixed. Showing that you’re willing to engage people online, even those who have had bad experiences, is a great way to build credibility that you’re a church that cares, which expands your reach. It’s challenging to grow and reach more people in online ministry using online groups if you’re not already building a positive online reputation through two-way communication.
Finally, upgrade your production quality to improve your online reach. Having good, relevant, creative and thought-out content is a must. But you can't expand your reach if people cannot see or hear your content. Don’t be fooled into thinking that spending more money is the only way to improve quality. The best way to improve your quality is by practicing industry-standard production values.
…don’t allow your mind and your budget to be the limiting factor to expanding your online reach. Practice Jesus’ parable of the talents.
An excellent place to start increasing production quality is learning how to properly shoot video and pictures with the equipment that you have. Practice good shot composition, proper lighting and capturing good audio levels. Don’t be afraid to use your current computer and phone to its full potential if you don’t have the budget for studio and ENG cameras, DSLR cameras, the latest computer with the Adobe Creative Cloud, etc. You can fool many people into thinking you’re using expensive cameras and gear by using just an iPhone paired with the proper accessories for lighting and audio. Use the programs that come with your computer for audio, video, and photo editing to their full potential before moving to more expensive apps.
Here's a big takeaway… don’t allow your mind and your budget to be the limiting factor to expanding your online reach. Practice Jesus’ parable of the talents. Be a faithful steward of what you have, commit it to God and ask Him to bless you with the means necessary to reach more people effectively. Practicing this biblical principle will set you on the correct path to ministry growth and help you earn your budget increase. Finally, don’t forget that digital ministry IS the new local, state, national, and international mission field. And it’s the front door to your church for anyone new wanting to find out more and get involved.
