The idea of creating a list of do’s and dont’s is not very appealing. Honestly, the very thought of parroting something that has already been said online is actually revolting for me. My heart does not reach for any old bloggers, but for the church to do blogging well.
Instead, I’d like to share with you some of my own experiences with church blogging as well as the views of others. I actually crowdsourced the first half of this list, asking for their thoughts and some of them shared their own. So below is a list of ten signs you are failing as a church blogger.
- You Don’t Know What Success Is
Some say that success is all about the traffic you get. That’s what advertisers reward for those that are trying to make a profit with that venue. But honestly, I don’t buy it. I’d rather have 10 raving fans than 1,000 viewers that never comment. What does your blog need? If you are a church blogging, which would you rather have? 1,000 viewers may never translate into a single person attending your church, so traffic might be meaningless for you. - Come See Me
While you might be the second greatest writer a Christian blog has ever seen (I say second because, let’s be honest, Jon Acuff is the first), you are virtually unknown. And it’s not because people are ignoring it but because you are not marketing yourself or your content well. Maybe it is time to rethink who you are engaging and marketing online. - Just A Noise In A Sea Of Voices
If you want to blog about being a parent, fine. But there are thousands of mommy blogs and a growing number of daddy blogs. Why are you so important? Do you actually have something unique to offer? If so, you may find success. If not, you may need to switch to a more niche market. What about a youth pastor blog for urban ministries? Or a leadership blog for exclusively online ministries? Instantly the voices speaking become less. - Your Falling Victim to Have To Post Instead Of Get To Create
It’s one thing to share a single blog article that you are extremely passionate about. It’s a whole other to blog weekly or daily and keep up the great content. You might be a couple months or a couple of years in. Do you still have that same drive? Maybe instead of trying to do it alone, you should do something similar to what Eric has done with Churchm.ag and join a group of writers. This would create dialogue, lessen the weight of producing great content, and may generate more ideas than you know what to do with. - You Do Not Know The Purpose Of Your Blog
As a business or ministry, you thought it would be a good idea to have a website. Maybe it was a good idea, maybe it wasn’t. But you are trying to shotgun your approach to blogging, writing about anything and everything. What’s your purpose? Right now, it looks more like a mess of stuff that does not flow well and really is sloppy. Instead, figure out why you need a blog, and begin to write from that point. - You Can’t Name Your Target Audience by Dustin W. Stout
and I don’t mean “Young adults ages 21-30 who are newlyweds considering having children”. While some bloggers would do well to actually get that specific, it’s not specific enough. Put a face and a name to your target audience. Someone you personally know who would benefit from what you’re writing. Someone who needs to read what you have to say. If you manage to do this, your writing will change. You will communicate more effectively. And you will hit people in a personal way that compels them to keep reading and sharing. - Write For Yourself First by Christopher Jennings Penders
Then target your audience. How do you do that, you may ask? Think about what others in your sphere are challenged by then direct your article/column/post to THEM using your own style and put enough of yourself into the article so you satisfy your reader and yourself. That’s how I typically construct my columns when I write. - Your Content Is Not Compelling
When was the last time you made something so amazing that you could not wait to share it with everyone? It might have been awhile. People talk about great marketing ideas, but skip the great content. Is your first paragraph so good that people would rather miss the first five minutes of their television show just to finish reading what you wrote? What if that was your goal as a blogger, writing content that inspired and amazed. - You’ve Forgotten Jesus In It All
Among everything that a church must do, they get caught up in the game of getting traffic, crafting the best titles, and finding the perfect stock image that will make it look pretty. But if you read through the text, Jesus’ name might be mentioned, but the article misses the heart of the Gospel, does not demonstrate the power of Our Savior, and is willing to trade Truth for traffic. - You Have Missed Your Calling
Many churches had a reason they needed to start their ministry when the church down the street simply did not work. But they may have forgotten that message or not refined it enough. What was the purpose or mission of your church? If you are being honest, are you truly communicating that purpose or just trying to make sure you get something out on time? Content for the purpose of quantity over quality will end a calling online quicker than anything the Devil could come up with. If you are going to put your ministry online, do it right and make it a priority.
This has been my own personal experience as I worked with ministries and churches for the past few years.
What is your list of failures with church blogging?
[Frustrated blogger image via Sybren A. Stüvel via Compfight cc]
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