It’s Christmastime, which means there will be an abundance of upcoming events to celebrate the season. It also means more people are looking to find a place to go for Christmas Eve and Sunday service. This time of year attracts more visitors than any other, except perhaps Easter. According to a survey by LifeWay Research, among those people who do not attend church during December, more than half say they would if someone they knew invited them.1 Worried that it’s too late to tell guests about your own event? We can help! Check out these last-minute promotion tips to spread the word and get everyone in the spirit.
Social Media
Get creative this holiday season by promoting your Christmas event on your ministry’s social media accounts. One initial way to generate a buzz online is to create a series of fun graphics that count down the days to your Christmas extravaganza. Include images and key information that visually communicates what your event is all about. Encourage your ministry team to comment, like, and share your content! What about the textual component of your posts? Along with images or graphics, come up with a catchy hashtag to include in posts. (i.e. #ChristmasExtravaganza2018) When you look at social media platforms individually, utilize Instagram by posting videos and graphics or create a Facebook event that you can invite guests to. No matter the network, your message needs to be heard!
Email Campaigns
As the days leading up to your event start winding down, remind guests about your holiday hoopla with an email. If you have a week to go before the big day, one or two reminder emails are good for keeping your event in the back of guests’ minds. An email every day has a higher tendency to only be a nuisance. When sending out an email, this can be as basic or creative as you want. Do you have a list of your guests’ contact information? Add them to a quick email that highlights the date, time, and location of your event. Wanting to produce something that is more aesthetically pleasing? Design a campaign in MailChimp or Constant Contact. These types of advanced resources allow you to not only create a message, but also insert images, sign-up links, and more that recipients will have access to.
Foyer
Outside of the digital world, your church’s foyer is still a valuable location for communicating information to the congregation. Make the most out of your sacred space by setting up a table the Sunday (or any other night the church has something going on) before your event. Slow people down as they walk past by telling them about your event and handing out invite cards. Another unique way to use the foyer to your advantage is to have monitors positioned in people’s direct sight that display graphics or short videos about your upcoming Christmas event.
As the holiday excitement is upon us, there is no need to feel like you shouldn’t even bother telling others about your next Christmas celebration. Boost attendance as well as make guest joyful and merry about your next event with these great tips!
1. Stetzer, E. (December 14, 2015). What is church attendance like during Christmastime? New data from LifeWay Research. Christianity Today. Retrieved from https://www.christianitytoday.com/edstetzer/2015/december/what-is-church-attendance-like-during-christmastime-new-dat.html