3 Ways Churches are Leading the Way with Video

When you think about video and innovation, you might think of the gaming industry, high technology or digital media. While those enterprises may be the face of the technological transformation underway, they’re by no means the be-all-end-all of video marketing.

In truth, every industry must be doing some serious soul-searching nowadays to lure in younger patrons and customers who are tech-savvy and in search of relevant content and targeted messages. That means that traditional marketers should be stepping up their game and trying new ideas out.

There’s been no greater movement forward over the past decade than that of churches and houses of worship in general. They might seem, at first, to be slow to innovate, built around longstanding rules and tradition. Yet spiritual leaders have been doing everything they can to attract new audiences and recreate their sermons and outreach throughout a sea of change. Below are some of the ways that churches have incorporated video.

Weekly Sermons

It’s not just Joel Osteen who has recognized the power and influence of video followers. In fact, many church leaders have brought video into their weekly sermons to help give a creative crowd a more visual accompaniment.

This is how we engage and stay focused during business meetings and presentations, and these spiritual heads have gotten on board with the trend.

Whether the video showcases clips of the community at a recent charitable event, footage from another church to help inspire the entire congregation or a series of stock video clips focused on reaching a more spiritual state, church leaders can deliver a message that will hit home and resonate.

Promotional Videos

It’s something that every congregation has worked on since the beginning of time. How do you bring in new clientele while still serving the needs of existing followers?

Some churches have gone beyond the typical word-of-mouth marketing. Putting out video advertisements, on local television or through social media, will help demonstrate that your community is cutting edge:

If tastefully and professionally done, you can get in front of new patrons using the same methods that companies use to try to find new customers. This investment can pay off with more than just new faces. It’ll bring more attention and pride to the existing patrons.

History of a Church

If your house of worship has a long and important history inside of your area, it’s essential to get that story told however possible. Oral tradition is valuable, but we won’t always have those people’s voices with us.

While there’s still time, hire a videographer to put together a short video that covers the early days of the church. Some congregations have turned to videos like these as valuable marketing materials that convey the longer narrative that might not yet be known by all.

Projects like these appeal to our emotions while showcasing spirituality, commitment and tradition.

These are lessons everyone can learn and other industries should take heed.

Church Photo via Shutterstock