Houses of Worship and Email Marketing

The way in which we consume media and information has changed dramatically over the past 20 years, to the point where the printed word is on the verge of becoming obsolete as people electronically consume one-time household staples such as newspapers, magazines and books on devices such as the Kindle, the Nook and tablet computers such as the iPad.

One printed product that continues to be read and absorbed the old-fashioned way is the bulletin people receive upon walking into a house of worship. These bulletins are a great, one-stop way for those visiting the church or synagogue to catch up on the latest news about their fellow worshippers, plan their upcoming religious schedule and, of course, learn which local businesses to support in appreciation of their advertising on the back page.

But houses of worship can still benefit from more modern forms of advertising and marketing, such as the organized email marketing of houses of worships. Let’s face it; while most visitors to a church or synagogue enjoy reading the bulletin, they are also used to getting their media delivered to them instantaneously. For houses of worship, email marketing won’t replace the bulletin, but such an initiative can augment the weekly missive and engage worshippers on a more regular basis.

Indeed, the email marketing of houses of worship provides an immediate and interactive experience that the bulletin can’t. Houses of worship can send out news as it happens, whether that news is happy (such as a member of the church or synagogue giving birth or getting engaged), routine (such as someone receiving a promotion at work) or unhappy (such as a worshipper getting sick or passing away).

This news can be delivered in a variety of ways thanks to versatile email marketing software, which is as inexpensive as it is useful. Email marketing software will fit into any budget—a vital consideration since most houses of worship are operating on tight purse strings—and can be implemented, operated and overseen by anyone on staff with even a minimal amount of computer experience.

In addition to current news about the house of worship, the email marketing of houses of worship can include essential information such as the address, schedule of religious services and directions, as well pictures of people enjoying the services and the contents of the print bulletin.

Even better, email marketing software allows the people running the email marketing of houses of worship to embed videos. What better way to keep people engaged, and perhaps entice some new worshippers, than with a video displaying a recent sermon or event at the house of worship? These videos can be viewed right in the email message instead of opened in another window, which makes it more likely the recipients will click the video and watch it.

Not only that, but including a video in an email marketing message can raise the conversion rates by as much as 50 percent. Whether with text, video or a combination of the two, email marketing for houses of worship is a great way to engage worshippers on a more regular basis and get the more casual attendees to visit more often. Look into it today!