‘I will tell you a story’
From pitching a story to posting on Facebook, we share our faith by sharing our news.
Media relations | Digital communications | Crisis communications
Church websites | Facebook and other social media for churches
Media relations
By Emily Enders Odom
Getting media coverage for your church, mid council, or church-related organization should be the top priority in your communications plan.
“There is no medium—not the Journal of the American Medical Association, not the editorial pages of the New York Times, not the columns of Catholic Digest—that is off limits for the publicist,” says public relations executive Richard Weiner. “Neophyte publicists may think that there are some areas where media people—namely, columnists, editorial page writers, and radio and television commentators—do not rely on public relations assistance, or that they resent suggestions. That is absolutely not true.”
When you have a story to tell, think Presbyterian media first: Presbyterian News Service, Presbyterians Today, and synod and presbytery publications. Also be sure to cultivate relationships with local media.
What’s newsworthy? Although nearly anything the church does will be of interest to someone in the community, we suggest you use these guidelines from Raleigh Mayer, principal of Raleigh Mayer Consulting:
SEVEN PERFECT PEGS . . . on which to hang a news story
1. IMPACT—Does your event involve a substantial number of people or a large geographic area?
2. ODDITY—Does your event have a strange gimmick or unusual theme or angle?
3. RELEVANCE—Can you relate your event to a current newsworthy issue or topic?
4. “CALENDURABILITY”—Will your event incorporate a holiday or seasonal occasion or tradition?
5. CELEBRITY—Can you engage a high-profile person to participate in your event or to endorse it?
6. HUMAN INTEREST—Will you be able to identify “tearjerkers and mood perkers” in your event?
7. CONTROVERSY—Are there any sensitive issues that can generate publicity? (Be careful with this one.)
Learn more
For further study: Speaking Faith: The Essential Handbook for Religion Communicators (J. Richard Peck, Religion Communicators Council, 2004): store.pcusa.org
Jesus said to his people, “I will tell you a story . . . ” (Matt. 21:28a CEV), and you can tell a story too. For writing basics, use reference books such as Robert Knight’s Journalistic Writing: Building the Skills, Honing the Craft. Draw your reader in by adding a little suspense at the beginning of the story. Use your imagination and find the excitement in even the most routine things.
Presbyterians are doing extraordinary things, but too many people don’t know the good news. So go and tell your story!
Emily Enders Odom is a mission communications strategist for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Digital communications
By Emily Morgan
Websites and social media are just parts of a larger digital communications revolution. The proliferation of devices is changing the way people read, and approaches to church communications are changing as well. How can you better communicate digitally?
(1) In general, keep things short. The exception is sermons. Sermons are written for the ear. Digital communications are made for the eye. If you’re uploading a sermon or anything else of substantial length, shorten the paragraphs and make the main phrase or word in the first sentence of each paragraph boldface. That will help both people who skim and people who read deeply.
(2) Use high-resolution photos. Online media are more visually based, and photos can tell the big story of your congregation much faster than a detailed written history can. Encourage people to take smartphone photos at events, which can be uploaded to a Facebook album or other online photo-sharing platforms.
(3) Make sure that videos capture the viewer’s attention in the first few moments. Promotional or welcome videos should be no longer than 45 seconds. (Videos of sermons and certain other events will of course be longer.) Make videos easy to share by uploading them to YouTube and embedding them in your website.
(4) Freshen it up. Your church is always doing something, and your website and social media can reflect that. That doesn’t mean you need to regularly make huge changes to your website, but updates are important to reflect the vitality of your church.
(5) Use online resources. Do you know of a church that does digital communications well? Sign up for their newsletter and pay attention to how they lay things out, the length of notes, and what kinds of things they’re linking to.
(6) Look to the congregation for people eager to use their gifts in technology or communication for the church.
Emily Morgan is the young adult ministry specialist for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Crisis communications
By Rick Jones
If a fire or major storm destroyed your church facilities, how would you notify your congregation? If the news media appeared at your door with questions on a controversial topic, do you know how you would respond?
Disaster or controversy can put the church at the center of a communications firestorm. A crisis communications plan will keep your congregation and the public informed. The key is to be prepared for a crisis before a crisis ever hits.
How to inform your congregation when disaster or tragedy strikes
1. Form a crisis committee that coordinates emergency response.
2. Designate a communications specialist who is a good writer, savvy with social media, and experienced in reaching mass audiences. The communicator must work closely with church staff.
3. Update contact information for all members quarterly.
4. Determine the best way to reach your congregation (social media, email, phone tree, or newsletter).
5. Keep your messages short and to the point. If necessary, include a call to action such as a request for volunteers, prayer support, or other assistance.
6. Provide updates during the crisis.
7. If the crisis generates media attention, have the specialist work with the pastor or designated staff to develop talking points and to coordinate interviews.
Tips for communicating with the public when dealing with a controversy
1. Form a committee to develop appropriate responses to specific issues.
2. Have the committee develop talking points for various issues, including same-sex marriage, climate change, social justice, and scandal involving staff or a church member.
3. Select one spokesperson to speak for the church on all media-related matters to ensure clear, concise messages.
4. Have the designated spokesperson participate in recorded mock interviews.
5. When contacted by the media
• Always respond. Ignoring media calls will only generate more questions.
• When talking with reporters, find out what they’re looking for as well as their deadlines.
• Never say, “No comment.” If you cannot discuss the issues, give a short explanation.
• Keep your answers concise. Broadcast reporters will be looking for that 10-second clip for their story. Don’t ramble; otherwise, your message will get lost.
• Always remain calm in an interview; don’t let your emotions take control.
• If you’re unable to go on the record, get the reporter’s contact information and follow up at the appropriate time.
6. Once a crisis has passed, review your responses and adjust the communications plan and talking points accordingly.
7. Review your communications plan annually.
Rick Jones is a mission communications strategist for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Church websites
By Kristena Morse
As the church and the rest of the world become more accessible and more connected—thanks in large part to the web, social media, and mobile devices—it’s more important than ever that our churches use informative, easy-to-navigate websites. But where does a congregation start? The idea of creating a new website or updating an existing site can be overwhelming—but it doesn’t have to be. Here are some tips:
Where should we start?
When creating or updating your church website, think first about what you’re trying to achieve with it. Is the site primarily focused on educating readers? If so, emphasize key issues they’re facing and the information and resources they need to address those issues. Is the goal of the site to raise funds? If so, focus on sharing stories of impact and inspiring readers to provide financial support. The content of the website should be focused to reflect your goal.
What’s next?
Once you’ve established the goal for your website, start thinking about the kind of content you’ll share. To get started with content development, consider the following:
(1) Who is your audience? This should tie in closely with the goal of your website. Are you providing content for current members of the congregation? Are you providing content for those you seek to draw in to your congregation?
(2) Keep content short and easy to understand. The web is international, and people around the world can find your site. So keep insider language to a minimum, avoid slang and acronyms, and write at a level that can be easily understood.
(3) Write stories and updates in an “inverted pyramid” style. Put the most important information at the top of your story and then provide additional details for readers as the article progresses.
(4) Provide content, not fluff. Provide value on every page
of your site. If you’re valuable
to your readers, they’ll keep coming back.
(5) Use images strategically. Select images that enhance the text or compel your reader to click to read more. The images should be relevant to your audience and to the text. Use images that depict what your church environment and congregation are actually like; avoid using stock photos or generic images. The best photos will be candid “action” shots, not posed group photos.
Additional details to consider for church websites
Appearance
• Use color to highlight key features of your site.
• Select a font that’s easy to read. Arial, Times, and Verdana are three good choices. Set type large enough for most readers to see. Size 10 font is typical for websites.
• Use meaningful graphics and good-quality photos.
• Keep your layout simple.
Functionality
• Be sure that all pages load properly and any flash components or videos work correctly.
• Check text to make sure it’s error-free and up-to-date.
• Keep pages simple and easy to navigate.
• Make sure that pages load quickly.
• Keep pages short, so that readers won’t have to spend lots of time scrolling.
• Use consistent layout from page to page.
• Provide a bit of context when sharing links, so that readers know what to expect when they click.
Five things all church websites should include
1. Building address
2. Worship service time(s)
3. Contact person (name, phone number, and email address)
4. Overview of your congregation and your beliefs
5. Information about upcoming events
Kristena Morse is a mission communications strategist for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
Facebook for churches
By Sara Otoum
Hundreds of social media platforms are available, and deciding which ones to use can be a bit overwhelming. If you’re looking to get your church involved on social media, a Facebook page is a good place to start.
First, determine your goals and the audience you’re trying to reach. Do you want to create a space where current church members can connect during the week? Are you trying to reach nonmembers in the community so that they’ll attend? Whatever you’re trying to do on social media, make sure your posts align with your goals.
Essentials for a church Facebook page
1. Decide who the page administrator will be. Who understands Facebook? Who has the time to post? Whose communications skills will make a positive impression for your congregation?
2. Complete the “about” section. Include your church’s address, phone number, service time(s), a general “what we believe,” and a link to your church website.
3. Post good content. Help people get to know your church through general information, photographs of events and services, videos of messages, life-changing stories, and involvement opportunities such as Bible studies or community service. Engage with your audience by asking questions or soliciting feedback.
4. Tag people in photos you post to your page. Tagged photos will show up on their profile pages and will extend the reach of your church page.
5. Keep posts short. A good rule of thumb: two or three sentences.
6. Update your status regularly and strategically. Often a good starting point is three to five posts a week. For a better idea on when and how often to post, click on the “insights” tab on your page for detailed information on when your fans are on Facebook.
7. Avoid using jargon, acronyms, or language that the general public might find hard to understand.
8. Use the timing tool on Facebook to schedule posts in advance to save time and for days you won’t be available, but be aware of events in the larger world. If a major national news event has just occurred, posting about something unrelated can be seen as a blunder.
9. Be responsive. Set up notifications so that you’ll be informed when someone posts to your page. Try to respond as soon as possible, and always within 24 hours.
10. Don’t refer to yourself on a page you control. Use we, not I, to refer to the congregation.
Other platforms to consider
• Twitter allows users to read and send “tweets” of 140 characters or less. Churches can use Twitter to provide members with breaking info, alerts, news, and event updates.
Learn more
For more information on using social media, email communications@pcusa.org. Also, check out Adam Walker Cleaveland’s Presbyterians Today article “The new front door” in the third edition of Welcome to the Presbyterian Church: pcusa.org/today.
• YouTube is the world’s largest video-sharing website. It’s a good place to post sermons or to share inspirational messages for the week. Videos from YouTube can also be embedded into your church website.
• Instagram is a photo- and video-sharing app that is almost exclusively accessed from mobile devices. Instagram can be a great way for churches to share photos and 15-second videos of events, services, work in the community, and mission trips.
• Pinterest is a place to share and store photos (and videos) by “pinning” them to boards, which are theme-based collections. A church could use Pinterest to create boards with photos and videos on inspiration, mission, living simply, Scripture, and other themes.
Sara Otoum is a social media specialist for the Presbyterian Mission Agency.
