I know you know this: Audience is everything. Sending the right message does no good unless we’re sending it in the right way to the right people.
Yep, that’s sort of a “duh” thing to say. But here’s the rub: We have a tendency to make assumptions, and, on occasion, barely mildly educated guesses about our audience. We think we get them, and we think we’re communicating with them in the most effective and efficient ways. But somehow, things still get lost in translation.
This month on Courageous Storytellers, we’re bringing you lots of tips and tools for learning as much as you can about your congregation and community—and how to apply that data toward targeted communication efforts:
- A conversation about your church’s target audience. (Hint: It’s not “everyone who doesn’t know Jesus.”)
- Some basics about targeted communication and why you should care.
- A how-to on running focus groups.
- Tips for surveying your congregation.
- Some thoughts on data and when we should freak out about them.
- A guide for building audience personas for your church.
- An introduction to learning styles theory and a list of creative ways to implement it in your church.
- An excerpt of Drew G.I. Hart’s provocative book, Trouble I’ve Seen: Changing the Way the Church Views Racism.
- Thoughts on how to bridge the generation gap—using technology.
- Tips for getting key data about your community.
- And, of course, ready-to-use social media graphics.
Every month on Courageous Storytellers, we add new, ridiculously practical resources for church communicators who need help. Regardless of when you join, you get access to the entire library of resources—well over 250 of them (not including dozen and dozens and dozens of ready-to-use social graphics). Learn more about membership today.
