Do’s & Don’ts of Print vs Digital
In the last week of May Christianity Today International announced that it was shutting down four more of its print publications (including Today’s Christian Woman) bringing the total to seven magazines in their stable to be cut this year.
Print publishing in its many forms is bleeding. Big metropolitan newspapers, magazines of all genres, and books are suffering. Some of it is the current condition of the economy, more of it is the influence of digital platforms online that are killing the need for print products. As a result advertising revenues have dropped significantly and the print publications are becoming dated and irrelevant in our culture.
So, what does this mean for the church? Churches need to be aware that information distribution is decidedly moving to electronic platforms. Debates can be had for the love of “print” and I for one still love a good printed book. But let’s be realistic. As more information travels through online channels and through mobile devices like laptop computers, smart phones, and portable reading devices like the Kindle, ministries must begin to transition as well.
Some Don’ts
- Don’t waste money advertising your church in the Yellow Pages – take your listing but don’t buy an ad.
- Don’t advertise in your local newspaper – feed them a press release and maybe they’ll do a story on you but don’t spend money on ad space.
- Stop printing church newsletters – start using e-mail, your web site, and social media to communicate.
Some Do’s
- Do make sure you have a well designed and up-to date web site – a professional web presence for your ministry is critical for getting information to potential new visitors and connecting and communicating regularly to your current members.
- Do use e-mail to communicate within your church – using an e-mail management tool will give you better looking messages for newsletters and can manage multiple lists if you have a larger church.
- Do experiment with social media – tools like Facebook, Twitter, blogs, YouTube, and other social media platforms can give you exciting and cost effective ways to engage with congregation members online.
As print media is being left in the dust I would encourage you and your church to build an electronic tools strategy. You don’t have to do it all. You don’t have to do many things all at once either. Rolling it out in steps, phases, or stages can keep the shock factor to a minimum and can let people embrace the changes slowly.
Please, do something and do it well – with excellence. Once you can prove the effective integration of one or a couple electronic platforms or tools the better they will be embraced by any who may be hesitant.
What are your thoughts? What have been your experiences? Do you agree that it is best for churches to minimize their purchasing of print media?
Tweet-
http://www.redletterbelievers.com David Rupert
-
http://www.redletterbelievers.com David Rupert
« Story 42 | Home | Get Your Church on Google Local Business Center »
