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?