Based Organizations
Can (and Should)
Repurpose
Written by Aimee Cottle
@FishhookHQ
MARKETING | 5 MIN READ
Aimee and the team at Fishhook have the
opportunity to work with many churches and faith-
based organizations. They see congregations start to
think about re-purposing existing stories and content
to engage on a new level with old and new
audiences. The four suggestions below can be used
by any type of religious congregation or organization
and, in Aimee's experience, have been very effective
methods when producing engaging content.
Congregations have many moving parts with
complex budgets, passionate leaders, and individual
ministries all competing for space and attention in
print and online channels. There are volunteers to
organize, fundraisers to coordinate, and events to
plan -- all in the midst of being a place for spiritual
growth and healing.
These congregations also have the chance to
communicate who they are to one of the most
captive audiences around -- an audience that they
see faithfully (no pun intended) each week. And
now, thanks to technology, they have the opportunity
to connect with them on an even deeper
level. Inbound marketing focuses on creating quality
messages that pull people toward your mission.
Isn’t that what you’re always striving to do?
Ponder this …
If your objective is to create content people love
and connect with, the first step is simple -- find the
content.
Okay, I know you’re probably thinking “duh!” but
stay with me. The good news is you're already
sitting on tons of great stuff! While companies
spend time, money, and manpower brainstorming
content, a religious institution can simply re-
purpose the already dynamic content at its
fingertips.
And how do you do this, you ask? Here are five
existing sources that you can re-purpose for
publication on your blog, as free PDF downloads,
and share via social media and your e-
newsletters to engage your current audience
members and attract new ones:
Existing Content Source #1:
Sacred Texts and Writings
If you’re going to start anywhere, you might as well
start here. People have been inspired, educated, and
challenged by these texts for centuries. It’s the
perfect content to start with because it not only
connects people to your organization, but also
makes the reader think about his/her own faith.
By using religious texts as the basis for some of
your online content, you’re showing your audience
that you value their spiritual growth, and that, even if
they aren’t a member or follower of your
organization, you still care about connecting them
with content they might be interested in. This starts
to create trust and can help take someone from a
stranger to a weekend service visitor -- the basic
first step of the inbound marketing methodology.
Existing Content Source #2:
Weekly Teachings
Let’s just say for the purpose of this article that
you're at a congregation that speaks about a
different topic each week, and you decide that for
each teaching you're going to write a supporting
blog post. There are 52 weeks in a year. That
means you're sitting on 52 different blog topics.
That's an easy slot to fill on your blogging
calendar on a weekly basis!
Within each topic, though, there are probably a
couple of subtopics that you could write about
separately. So now we're at a couple hundred topics
and lessons that you can re-purpose into blog
posts.
But wait … what about videos? Podcasts? Tweets?
Infographics? The list goes on and on. This is a
huge opportunity to create engaging content and
one that is, unfortunately, often overlooked.
Existing Content Source #3:
Classes and Group Studies
You know that one volunteer who has been teaching
class for years? Let's just call her Ms. Grace.
Anytime you talk with Ms. Grace, she seems to give
you a new piece of advice or a story that somehow
enhances the quality of your life. She’s always
asking you if there's anything else she could do to
help. What if you asked her to write? Because she's
taught classes for years, she can bring stories of
life and faith into your online content.
Ms. Grace isn’t the only one you could ask. Look
for people who’ve lead a small group study or
prayer group. Ask them to contribute something
they’ve learned to your online content. They're
usually eager to volunteer and would love to have
the opportunity to tell their own stories.
Existing Content Source #4:
Your Supporters and
Constituents
One of the easiest, most effective ways of creating
content is to tell stories of the people who make
up your network. College Park Church incorporates
this into their robust blog in a clever way. This
section of their blog, called "College Park People,"
allows members of their audience to write their own
story.
These posts are moving, powerful, and full of
insight and inspiration for the readers. It doesn’t
take you -- the communications director or religious
leader -- any time to write, but the impact is huge.
Allowing people to tell their story not only highlights
the lives of your supporters, but shows readers that
you are invested in the people who invest in you.
Existing Content Source #5:
Wisdom From a Religious
Leader
Have an officiant that loves to write? Ask him/her to
share their wisdom.
Our friends at East 91st Street Christian Church use
this tactic to fuel their online content. Their blog
post entitled "Latest From Rick " is filled with
inspirational advice, straight from the senior pastor.
While all religious leaders may not have a love for
writing, if someone on your staff has that passion,
use it! Dedicate a weekly or monthly blog spot to
them. Give them the opportunity to write on any
topic and speak directly to your online audience.
This is a great opportunity for your people to feel
like their leadership is connecting with them and
giving them advice one-on-one. It can be an
opening to create meaningful relationships that start
online.
On April 27th, 2014 from 2-3 p.m. EST, Evan
McBroom of Fishhook will be hosting a HubSpot
webinar on the "7 Deadly Sins of Church
Communication Strategies." Register for this free,
live webinar today.
How does your organization share your community's
stories online?
Originally published Mar 11, 2014 4:00:00 PM,
updated July 28 2017
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