Reaching Your Community Through Streaming
What is the future of reaching our communities as a church? How do we reach the most homes at the best cost per household? Many churches have already left the traditional direct mail marketing approach. Direct mail marketing still works when targeting a small number of households in a targeted area (close to the church) through Every Door Direct Mail (EDDM) by USPS. This is a great idea for special events like block parties. But it is not the most cost-efficient way to reach your whole city/town.
So, what is the answer? Simply put, digital marketing. Many churches have jumped on the bandwagon of using social media like Facebook and Instagram to boost content for special events and beginning to realize the importance of engaging “socially” with relevant conversations. You can reach tens of thousands of people with very little cost per household using targeted demographics. If you are a church and are not using this method, START NOW. If you are a church and this is something you are already doing, don’t stop. Matter of fact you should increase your budget to do more. Don’t just use “seasonal” digital marketing. Make this part of your monthly marketing plan.
Streaming should be part of your overall digital marketing plan as a church. One strategy for using social media is to drive people to your digital private channel across all Connected TV (CTV) platforms to be able to view your video on demand (VOD). The message of the Gospel can reach homes of people that may otherwise never hear it. Times are changing and so is how we reach every house that God has called us to reach. Most people feel more comfortable first experiencing a service online through streaming before they walk through the doors of your church.
Your first priority as a church for streaming is to find a platform that allows your church to have its own private channel that you have full control over. One option is FaithStream. FaithStream helps churches and ministries build and maintain Netflix caliber connected TV apps on the most popular streaming devices like Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, Android TV, IOS and Google Play. You can find more information at www.faithstream.video.
Kent W. Elliott
President and Lead Consultant
FaithWorks Image Consulting
