Christmas is an extraordinary occasion where people not seen in the church throughout the year attend church services with their family and friends. Whatever kind of service you’re hosting, it is a great time to attract more people and an opportunity to invite a large audience to your event.
While personal invites are a great way to invite them, social media and online tools make your life easy and help you reach a broader audience. It is an effective way for churches to spread the news about a special event. If your church is hosting a Christmas service or event, it is equally important to market the program perfectly to reach the people who might be interested.
Here are some promotion ideas that will help increase the awareness of your upcoming church event.
Promote using event calendars
Online event calendars are a great way to promote your Christmas event, as many people search for events online. An online event calendar is excellent for making people aware of your event. Posting on local event calendars is usually free, so it is suitable to use those, but if you have the budget and want to use paid services, go ahead and mark the date.
Create accounts for your church’s event on all the available event calendars in your locality and nearby areas to reach a wider audience. It is essential to post all the details clearly and accurately, and in case there is any change to the event, make sure to change the event calendar accordingly.
If your church is a part of any region-specific community, or your locality has its local radio, TV channel, or newspaper, then use them to spread the word about your event. You can influence many people by inviting them over the radio or television.
Advertise on your website
Once you advertise your event online and offline, people will frequently visit your website for further details about the church and the event. So if you have posted about the event online, ensure you have also updated your website.
The church members do not just visit the website; many new audiences also see it through search engines, and you want them to know that you’re hosting a fantastic church event. You can monitor the performance in real-time through web advertisements and make changes as needed. No other form of advertising provides comparable benefits.
Set a special tab where they learn everything about the event, its activities, and what they can expect. You can also add a special section on your website that focuses on the event and is written in a way that attracts people to attend the church event. Using images and videos that give a good impression is always a good idea. So use appealing pictures from your past events or services and make them go ‘wow’.
Use email marketing
Email marketing is one of the best ways to market your event, as it is easy and affordable. And because people regularly check their inboxes, if you pop in there with a cute invite, we are sure they’d think about coming to the event. There are a few ways you can promote your event through email.
One is to use Christmas email templates that are readily available online. They come in handy, providing compelling and graphically attractive emails without the hassle of putting in extra effort. Just choose from hundreds of options and create a Christmas-themed invite.
Another way is to use GIFs and small videos in your email that give out the event details and what you are offering. They help with grabbing the attention of people, so use them to get the focus on your message or add them to build some momentum in your email, so they can’t stop scrolling.
Leverage Facebook
We now live in a world where our lives are incomplete without sharing every little part of it on social media. It is suitable for us to use it for networking and promotion. It is a game-changer for marketing, as you can share your message with people living on the opposite pole with one click.
Facebook is a great platform for your event’s marketing and promotion. Open the church’s Facebook page and select the promote option, where you can quickly boost your event. This feature also helps you select the target region and audience, enabling you to generate RSVPs for your event. Optimize your post and regularly post updates and event details. You can also use creative hashtags, as they never get old.
Ensure to invite church members to promote it outright and share that they are attending the event. If you have a designated church group on Facebook, don’t forget to use it to discuss ideas and plans.
Ask Church members to participate online
Promoting your church event on social media helps you get the message across, but if you want them to feel like they should attend it, they need to hear more about it. And how will that happen? Your church members and attendees must be encouraged here and spread the word. This is called word-of-mouth marketing.
It helps share the positive experiences of people attending your Christmas services and events with those who have not. Their stories and experience become a powerful tool influencing others to want to hear.
Ask your members to share their past experiences on the church’s social media pages, where you have already posted the details and even ask them to tag the church in their pictures. You can even create a specific wording or image and ask all your members to share it. All these are great ways to attract new attendees.
Create a promotional video
Your church’s event video should include the true spirit of Christmas. It should be welcoming with a focus on the support, goal, and friendships people will gain once they join the congregation. You must remind them why it is the most beautiful time of the year.
You can add several things that make this promotional video attractive and joyful, but remember to add only a little, as most people prefer shorter videos. The promotional video should be just a minute or two long. You can try different ideas as per your resources. Some examples are:
- Your church members explain to them what your event offers and has offered in the past
- Animation that incorporates Christmas and Church activities
- A religious story that brings them closer to God and church, or
- Compile previous events’ images and videos with a great Christmas song
Whatever you think suits you the best, jingle with it!
Try these promotional ideas to boost your attendees, and just remember, it is all about spreading joy!
