COMMUNICATING THE GOOD NEWS
In This Issue
January 2023
FEATURED ARTICLES
AT-A-GLANCE
Introducing Brand New Art and Content for 2023!
Our team has been working hard behind the scenes to produce brand new liturgical content for our WeCreate Catholic art & content library. In 2023 we bring to you new gospel illustrations, new authors, and more outlined below. If you don’t have access to WeCreate yet, click here to learn more about this resource library.
New Gospel Illustrations
Introducing our brand-new series of original Gospel Illustrations! You can find these in WeCreate under the Section titled Gospel Illustrations or they can be found in the Sunday date pin every Sunday of the year! These beautiful, hand-drawn illustrations correlate with the Gospel text each week. They are only available in WeCreate, so don’t miss this unique opportunity to be the first to use them in your bulletins, or on social and web!
American Saints & Holy People
In 2023 our weekly saint content will focus on American saints and holy people! This includes many immigrants, religious, adventurers, formally enslaved people and more! Our goal is to bring you stories of our hometown heroes celebrating our local saints, as well as those appointed blessed, venerable, and servants of God on their way to sainthood. Every week this content includes an original illustrated image of the person, a short and tweetable biography, and a longer-form biography.
Social Media Stories & More Social Graphics
Another collection we’ve been populating with new content every single month is our social media posts section. Recently, we introduced Social Media Stories providing relevant new images optimized specifically for use on Facebook and Instagram stories. For ideas on how to use these images or for information on how to make use of the stories feature, check out this recent blog post! Be sure to search the Sections in WeCreate for Social Media Stories, Social Media Banners, and Social Media Posts for images ready to go right into your newsfeeds!
Introducing Practicing Catholic
You may be familiar with the Everyday Stewardship Reflections written by Tracy Earl Welliver. In January 2023, Tracy will be retiring from writing these reflections as we introduce a new, complimentary series that incorporates many of the same themes called (Practicing) Catholic! These reflections, written by author Colleen Jurkiewicz Dorman, speak to families in your parish as they practice their daily faith. Colleen has been writing Catholic content with LPi for many years, including contributing to Connect Sunday Reflections. In this new reflection series, you’ll find relatable, shareable ways to evangelize your community.
New Gospel Meditations
We are thrilled to introduce Fr. John Muir as our new English Gospel Meditation author. For an in-depth introduction to Fr. Muir, check out an interview we did with him recently here. Our Spanish Gospel Meditations will continue to be written by our long-time author Lupita Vital. These Gospel Meditations can be used in many ways, including, but not limited to, homiletic inspiration, bulletin content, and personal reflection.
Every month we add hundreds of new pieces of Catholic art and content across WeCreate to help you create vibrant communications. All LPi bulletin customers receive full access to this resource library. Not a bulletin customer yet? Learn more!
As always, we love to see how you use our content, be sure to tag LPi in your social media posts so that we can see the incredible work you are doing in your home parish!
SOCIAL MEDIA INFOGRAPHIC
Need some help figuring out what to post this January? We’ve got you covered with this month’s social media infographic with easy prompts to get you started.
3 Things Your Church Can Do to Encourage Visitors This Year
Your church takes the challenge of Christ’s missionary mandate seriously. You want to be known as a welcoming place for visitors and a community that people feel comfortable inviting others to. Here are three tips on how to maximize your efforts this year when it comes to encouraging visitors and creating an environment of pastoral care.
(1) Dial in your web presence.
Visitors will often check out your website and look you up on their preferred social media platform before they walk through your front doors. For this reason, it’s important to make sure that your online presence is professional-looking and inviting — not just for computer users but for those searching for information about your church on their mobile devices as well. Statistically speaking, recent data suggests that over half of all visits to a church’s website are from phones and tablets. At LPi we find that 68% of our website visits come from mobile devices! This means that you should expect that at least half of your visitors will be using their phone to view your content as well. Your homepage should be designed to be attractive and easy to use when someone navigates to it via their cell. Feel lost already? LPi’s design team is available to help you get your website ready for visitors this year! They can optimize your online presence for mobile visitors and even give you a logo refresh! We also recently published a blog with more in-depth tips and tricks to make your website more inviting!
(2) Equip your members to invite.
Consider what tools you may or may not be giving your parishioners when it comes to inviting new folk to your parish. Some things you can do to equip your community to reach out and invite others into the fold are:
- Remind parishioners that there is advertising space for local businesses available in the weekly bulletin!
- Help coach your members on how you’d like them to approach visitors at Mass on Sunday
- Make sure there is a visitor welcome brochure ready for any new folks and that your parishioners know where to find it so that they can direct new people to it!
- Create a visitor welcome table that stays on display in your church narthex, gathering space, or entry to your sanctuary so it’s easy to find friendly information
- Commit to making your parish accessible to those who might be disabled. This could include hearing devices, special signage helping direct people to resources, a quiet room for families, and more
- Have visitor parking close to the doors of your sanctuary reserved for first time visitors!
- Put a sign or banner out by your parking lot entrance facing the road inviting visitors to a specific event or Mass time
- Welcome visitors at the beginning of every Mass and encourage them to visit a point person who can connect them to parish resources and information
- Encourage your parishioners to bring friends and invite others to upcoming parish events
- Make sure your Mass greeters are trained to be welcoming of ALL
For more ideas, we’ve collected over 60 ways for your parish to reach out to your surrounding neighborhoods.
(3) Hold distinctively visitor-friendly events.
Whether events are catered to adults, youth, families, singles, or special groups, your parish should be holding a variety of visitor-friendly events every year. What do we mean by this? A visitor-friendly event might be an event that isn’t overtly religious — an event with an environment that focuses on community building instead of a specific Christian teaching. A great example of this would be a church BBQ, parish picnic, or service project! Youth group open mics, campfires, and game nights can also be options for great events to invite a friend to! Having a free holiday Christmas concert? This type of event is perfect for an invitation to your entire neighborhood! Check out these free flyer templates that are ready for you to customize. Just make sure that your visitor-friendly invites focus on events where your parish isn’t asking for money.
Parish Event Marketing Checklist
Your church has an event or program coming up and you want to make sure that everybody in your parish knows about it. In order to help you cover all of your marketing bases, we created a checklist to use whenever you are planning the marketing for one of your parish’s events.
- Create a landing page on your website with all of the event’s extra information that your other advertising avenues can point to via link or QR code. This landing page should also include registration information or forms.
- Create a flyer/bulletin insert— tips on how to take your flyer game higher are here!
- Create a poster— this could be the same as your flyer/bulletin insert, just printed larger.
- Create an email invite.
- Create a mailer for snail-mail— there is an easy way to do this through the USPS here.
- Create social media posts about it don’t forget to use the stories feature on Instagram and Facebook. We have a blog that can help you get started with the stories tool here.
- Send out a text reminder to interested parishioners.
- Announce it from the pulpit.
- Create a banner or lawn signs for the front of your parish property.
Details, Details, Details!
Details are so important! You don’t want to overload flyers and other advertisements with TOO many details, though so just make sure the following items are included on your advertisements and that more specific details are all found on your landing page/website. Always include your event’s:
- Name or title of the event
- Location
- Time
- How to register
- Contact information
- Who specifically is invited
- If there is any accessibility information for those with varying needs— for example — Will there be a sign language interpreter? Will the event have childcare available? Etc.
Other things to consider:
- Might there be a QR code that you could include that points to a landing page or something that has more detailed information about the event? We have a guide to using QR codes here.
- Are you using imagery from your parish photo library? Images of parishioners and your church community are an inviting way to advertise an event. Some tips on what photos you might want to start including in your parish photography library can be found here.
- Make sure you are working with whoever is running your parish’s social media accounts to get the information about your event shared across all platforms. Not quite sure of how to properly use social media for your parish yet? For the basics on setting up social media for your church you can check out our Social Media Strategy 101 for Parishes blog here.
As far as lasting tips go, we cannot express enough the need for every event to have its own landing page on your parish’s website. This page can have all of the information you’d ever want about the event on it as well as a form for registration if you need one, event pictures from the past, and anything else you want to put there. An event landing page like this will free up your other advertisements when it comes to copy and content so the focus can be on good design instead of squeezing in tons of information. Simply put, use the landing page for all of your exhaustive information and your advertisements like flyers and social media posts for a quick look at the event and a hook to direct people to the website!
Want a little jump-start on your event flyers? Our WeCreate library of content and resources has flyer templates for all sorts of church events that have been designed by our LPi graphic design team for you to customize for your own parish events. Every month we add even more templates alongside other graphics for you to use. If you don’t already have access, you can learn more about WeCreate here.
Using the Facebook and Instagram STORIES Tool for Engagement
An awesome tool that both Facebook and Instagram have developed over the last few years is their STORY feature. This tool is so robust and a great (free!) way to engage with your community when used correctly. In this blog you will find some tips and tricks on how to utilize the social media story feature to share your own vibrant parish community with the world!
Stories? Why should I have to learn ONE MORE THING?
Social media is an extension of the wonderful community that your church has already built and, simply put, the way that the majority of your parishioners are communicating with each other in their daily lives. Did you know that 82% of people in the United States use Facebook to communicate with each other on a daily basis? Since this is the case, churches should consider using all of the tools that Facebook and other social media platforms offer in order to connect daily with their community and keep their community connected!
The story feature on Facebook and Instagram is designed specifically to encourage your following to message you and engage with each story post you make. Story posts expire after 24 hours and are usually quick and sweet while also incorporating easy to use tools for engagement. For this reason, using the stories feature makes it easier for you to engage with your followers on a daily basis! Stories are also a quick and easy way for you to collaborate with followers and repost their content — another tool you can use to engage with your community and lift up your parishioners!
So, What Exactly ARE Social Media Stories?
On Facebook and Instagram, a story is a post you can make that consists of either a photo or a short video. These posts work like a slide show and offer a new photo or video after a few seconds. Story posts show up in your STORIES FEED instead of on your regular ol’ newsfeed. Stories expire in 24 hours, so this feed is constantly refreshing. This is appealing to your users because they know that they should look at your stories if they want to find quick, current content from you. This attraction is evident in the fact that most posts using the stories feature get many times more views and interactions than newsfeed posts do. This is due to the allure of quick, current content, as well as the fact that Facebook provides more access points for users to view your stories than it does to your permanent newsfeed.
Why does Facebook prefer to promote story posts over regular newsfeed posts? In part it’s because story posts have a bunch of options for INTERACTIVE features that you can add to your photo or video which keep people using the app for longer amounts of time. These features are how you can direct more engagement with stories, and Facebook is ALL ABOUT getting as much engagement as possible.
Engagement tools you can add to story posts:
- Captions for accessibility for all users!
- viewer polls
- donation buttons
- question and answer prompts
- quizzes
- products to buy
- links
- music
- Countdowns
- Food orders
- Small business support shout outs
- mentions & tags
All responses to a story post will go to the app’s messaging feature as a direct message to you instead of being posted as a comment or a “like” as is standard on newsfeed posts. You can then message the user who interacted with your story, “like” whatever they sent via messenger, or use the engagement data collected from that story post. For example, if you are doing a poll and you get poll results, you could put those results in a new story post for even more engagement! Engagement, engagement, engagement!
What Kind of Content Should I Be Posting in Stories?
It’s this author’s opinion that all regular newsfeed posts should also be mirrored in your stories as story posts. Remember, more eyes are usually on stories than on newsfeed posts so one way to draw attention to a new newsfeed post is to also post it as a story!
Need help getting started? You’re in luck! In WeCreate, LPi’s digital library of ready-to-use content made specifically for you, there’s an entire selectin of images created specifically to be used in social media stories.
In WeCreate, these images can all be found under the section titled "Social Media Stories.” If you click that section and then use the search bar, the words you search will only turn up results that are sized and designed specifically to be used as Facebook and/or Instagram stories. Often these images are grouped in WeCreate with other images that are visually similar to them so that you can use them, one after the other, for multiple story slides! Basically, we made it really easy for you to just take our ready-made images and create in-depth stories for your church in the blink of an eye! You can simply save them from WeCreate and then drop them into whatever platform you are using — or if you are feeling fancy, you can overlay one of the special engagement tools (mentioned earlier in this blog) onto them.
Remember that for maximum viewership, it’s important to make sure that the privacy settings on your stories are set to public. This way, anyone who visits your church’s Facebook or Instagram can view them and interact with you!
The All-Important Story Highlight Menu
For Instagram users, your stories don’t actually have to have a 24-hour expiration date. To avoid this, make sure to build a library of your most important story posts by using Instagram’s Story Highlights tool. When you highlight a story, you are effectively building a catalogue of story content that you want to save permanently on your Instagram feed. You can separate these permanent story posts into categories of your choosing like news, milestones, staff introductions, polls, parishioner highlights, or whatever else you can come up with. This library of story content will show up as part of your Instagram profile and viewers will see these category options for story highlights before they even see your main newsfeed!
Conclusion — Tag us!
Want to connect with us? Tag LPi in your stories! Tagging another user in your story post makes it possible for that user to easily re-post your story into their own story feed! This is a great way to promote each other online by sharing content so, if you use our WeCreate story resources, feel free to tag us and maybe you will find your story reposted on our own social media accounts! On Facebook we are @LitPub and on Instagram we are @LPi_Community. See you in the social sphere!
10 Ideas for Small, Manageable Communications Goals for Your Parish in 2023
Is “become better at communication” on your parish’s short list of new year’s resolutions? If so, here are 10 ideas for small, manageable communication goals you can strive for to make your parish a more vibrant community in 2023.
- Tidy up your email lists. It’s a good idea to check in with your members once a year to make sure the information you have on file for them is still correct. You can take this goal one step further by making sure that you have notes on the kinds of communications each member likes to receive. For example, you might send one kind of email to parents of school children and another to empty nesters. Our blog about targeted email messaging may be helpful.
- Use the same branding across all communication channels to make it easier for parishioners and visitors to recognize your communications. Not quite sure what to make of this tip? Learn more about church branding here.
- Is the signage at your parish easy to read and in the right locations? For example, do visitors know the best place to park or where to find the office vs. the sanctuary?
- Post your Mass times everywhere. Make sure Mass times are posted on your website, in your bulletin, on your social media profiles, on lawn signs in front of your buildings — everywhere!
- Advertise parish happenings through multiple platforms. Flyers, Facebook, Instagram, bulletin inserts, everywhere you can think of to reach more people.
- Don’t forget the pulpit announcement. Events and happenings will get the most attention if they are announced at Mass! Even better if a parishioner who has a personal experience with whatever is being announced does the announcing.
- Brag about your ministries in the bulletin frequently. Commit to making a Good News section in every weekly bulletin where you celebrate all sorts of things — from youth group service projects to new ministries starting and old ministries still doing great work! How else will people know about all the great things going on?
- Commit to sending out 4 mailers via the USPS Every Door Direct Mail program to your neighborhood this year inviting everyone to different parish events.
- Post more on social media. We have you covered every single month in our Vibrant Parish Newsletter which always includes an infographic with ideas on what to post about each month! Register to receive this free newsletter directly to your inbox here.
- Lastly, make sure you are letting the world know about all of the great things your community is doing! Commit to writing a press release for at least three of your community events or happenings this year.
“The two words ‘information’ and ‘communication’ are often used interchangeably, but they signify quite different things. Information is giving out; communication is getting through.”
-Sydney J. Harris
ALSO FROM LPi
Revive Parish — Setting Goals
Check out this short video from our friends at Revive Parishes that has great tips to help your parish set simple, actionable goals.
Branding Matters
A good brand invites parishioners and seekers into the mission of your church, helping everyone to grow in faith, live in hope, and reach out in the love of Jesus Christ.
Become a Bulletin Customer
Spend less time worrying about your church printing and more time transforming your community for Christ.
Join Our Team!
Looking for a great new career? See if a new job with LPi is right for you!
In This Issue
January 2023
FEATURED ARTICLES
- New Art and Content
- Social Media
- Encourage Visitors This Year
- Parish Event Marketing Checklist
- Communications Goals For 2023
ALSO FROM LPi
More resources
- DIGITAL CATHOLIC ART & CONTENT FOR EVERY WEEK
With WeCreate, you’ll find the latest in stock photography, church clip art, Catholic prayers, weekly Gospel reflections, and more to make your communications engaging and vibrant.
Learn more - HOW TO TAKE MASS ATTENDANCE IN A PANDEMIC
Discover how the Archdiocese of St. Louis showed that just because church doors were closed, didn’t necessarily mean the faith community was inaccessible.
Click here to learn more. - THE STEWARDSHIP OF THE GOOD SAMARITAN
”Are you and I required to respond to the daily call of Jesus Christ? No. True stewardship requires nothing of us because true stewardship is all about giving of oneself freely. ”
Click here to read more.
