Ministry Marketing CoachMinistry Branding and Marketing that Works

I recently asked a few stateside people to take a look at missionary websites and make a few observations. I am compiling the ideas from their comments and my own observations into a brief blog series for missionaries. Here’s the first one:

Reason Number One: You already have an off line relationship with your Mama so she visits your website…

You love your Mama and you keep up with her in more ways than just through your website. Because you have a relationship with her, she uses your website as a tool to facilitate your already existing relationship. People who are not your Mama are not likely to form a relationship with you and your mission team merely by reading your website. You need to find more ways to get to know people and stay in touch with them.

People sometimes complain that missionary websites are too sterile and sometimes feel closed and abrupt. One stateside supporter said of a missionary website:

I think after [seeing other missionary] sites that engender a feeling of warmth and compassion for the people of those areas, that this site feels cold and even a little presumptuous. It assumes that all they need to do is share the list of jobs and people will flock to them to take care of the needs presented there.

Try to spend more time thinking about who is reading your site and what their perceptions might be about the information you provide on your website.

Also, try to do more than just communicate with people via your website. It is easier to be misunderstood when people don’t know you very well. It’s hard to develop good relationships with people through one-way communication. As time consuming as it may seem, you still need to develop other channels for your communication with supporters—a website and mission display table won’t cut it!

Write letters, set up a Facebook profile, use Skype to call your supporters on the phone, set up an email newsletter, add a blog to your website with RSS feeds, send birthday e-cards, try to get creative and find 10 separate ways to connect with people. (Note: Your booth and your website can be two of them.)
Make an effort to keep in touch with people in your list of contacts besides when you need something. Relationships, even mission supporting relationships are two-way. Your website is only one part of your relationship building with supporters!

Stay Tuned for more!