Engage: Mix it Up!

As a church, maintaining your brand is really important. (See here.)

However, there are times it’s good to mix it up! Sometimes for special events or for different departments within the church, it’s OK to branch out from your church’s brand. Here are a few tips for mixing things up a bit.

Start well. In order to branch out from your church’s brand, you need to start with a good brand. If you don’t have one, start here. It’s important to choose a logo, 2-3 colors, and 2-3 fonts that convey your church’s personality. For most things  produced by your church, stay consistent with this brand. The 2012 Music Ministry Directory has some great resources for help with digital resources.

Choose wisely. For upcoming events, outreaches, special Sundays and for different departments within a church, it’s OK to diverge from the norm. For your church bulletin, website, stationery, and newsletters, it’s good to keep things consistent with the branding.

Don’t overdo it. When you do choose to mix it up, it’s important to stay as consistent as possible with your church’s brand while conveying the message or mood you want to convey by mixing things up. Make sure your church’s logo appears on every piece of printed and digital material you produce. Also, here are a few great reminders on using different fonts.

Fun with Fonts

I love fonts. I love they way they can make a word feel different. Fonts can add emphasis, make something seem fancy or make  us feel calm and relaxed. However, sometimes we can have too much fun with fonts.

When you’re building a brand for your church or ministry, it’s best to pick one text font, one heading font and a color scheme that all correspond with your logo. It makes everything you produce recognizable as something specific to your church or ministry. It might feel a little boring to use the same one or two fonts and colors all the time, but it will add to your brand strength.

Veer is a great site with tons of great videos explaining how to install fonts, different types of fonts (no pun intended) and some great tutorials and inspiration. Veer also sells fonts and clip art (they also do great giveaways,  offer free backgrounds for your computer, phone or tablet and have pretty good sales).

The internet has several great sites to download free font. I get many of my fonts for free from dafont. But, I’ll warn you: it can be a bit addictive.

The top left design is from the Phrasology Project (you can find more about it here).

Renewed Communication

The way we communicate has changed. No longer are we limited to the phone and mail to disseminate information. Now we can communicate through several mediums, utilizing their individual strengths and weaknesses to communicate effectively. Church is not immune to these changes. Although it can feel confusing and frustrating to change the way we communicate, these new avenues open up a wold of possibilities! Here are a few things to keep in mind as you assess how your church communicates.

Say more with less. In this digital age, people have access to a plethora of information literally at their fingertips. This access can easily turn into information overload, so people pay attention to pertinent information communicated concisely. In written communication, be sure to edit not only for grammar and punctuation, but also for conciseness.

Develop a brand. As ministers, we often cringe when we think about communicating the Gospel using marketing terms. However, in order to make sure your voice is recognizable in a world with so much noise, it’s important to develop a consistent look. Choose a logo, 2-3 colors and a text and heading font that all complement one another and stick with it. Keep it simple and consistent. The more you develop your brand, the more clearly your voice will be heard.

Remember your manners. Although in some ways the rules for communication have changed, some things have not. It’s still important to use correct grammar and proofread. With the ease of digital communication, sometimes we are able to communicate too quickly for our own good, so be sure to read what you write before posting or sending. In the world of visual communication, USING THE CAPS LOCK IS THE EQUIVALENT OF YELLING, AND IT’S EVEN MORE SERIOUS WHEN BOLD! Avoid using the caps lock. Instead bold important dates or pieces of information for emphasis.

Consider new avenues. Nearly 85% of visitors will check out a church’s website before actually going to church. It’s important to have an online presence in your community. If you don’t have the time or resources to develop a detailed website, you can put together a church website for free here. Provide information about your staff, service times, location and a brief overview of what you believe. Keep your communication simple, clear and up-to-date. Setting up a Facebook page, Twitter account or moving your bulletins to an email service like Mailchimp can add to your online presence. Remember to keep your branding consistent with your online communication by using similar colors, fonts and language.

Although the way we communicate has changed, our message has not. We have the unique opportunity to utilize so many great resources to connect people with a Father who loves them!