Church Marketing Sucks

Ars Technica reports on a new study on the focus of individuals’ time on the Internet. Here’s what they found of people’s time online:
In 2003:

• 34% of Internet users’ time was spent reading content.
• 46% of their time was spent on online communications.

And today:

• 47% of their time was spent reading content.
• 33% of Internet users’ time was spent on online communications.

These numbers almost completely reversed in four years. So, “How does this relate to church marketing?” you might ask.

Essentially, we have to be asking ourselves what we’re using the Internet for. It’s obvious that communication is still a primary concern of Internet users, so we have to be communicating via e-mail, sending out newsletters and providing other gateways (RSS anyone?) for communication between church and community.

But, what are we doing beyond communication? How much content is your church making available? We’ve beating a dead horse by continuing to harp on online video, but churches have to look at content beyond only video. Some people still want to engage by reading and not simply a flashy web site. Others want to foster discussion and give input to foster the growth of content.

Still, there is another facet to this desire for content. Individuals are looking for content not only about God or theology, but also, they’re looking for content about your church. What are you doing in your community? What does your church value? What real-life actions show these values? With content we can move beyond theology and into practicality.