Dec 18, 2018
Branding your business or ministry is a way to distinguish yourself in the marketplace. Phil Cooke shares insight on church branding to position you for greater impact in today’s society.
If God has called you to impact culture, then people need to know about it! If nobody knows what you’re doing, you’ve failed.
There are two big reasons for branding:
- Branding establishes an emotional connection with your audience – donors, members of your church, members of your community. Every great company has a brand persona. What kind of an emotional connection are you developing with the people you serve?
- Branding cuts through the clutter of today’s society.It’s not about ego; it’s about becoming distinctive. What do people think of when they think of you?
Steve Jobs asked his team…
- Who is Apple and where do we fit in this world?
- What drives us every day?
- What makes our heart sing?
- How do we help our customers achieve their dreams?
- What is our core value?
- What do we stand for?
- What is our place in the world?
These questions helped his company make an impact in the world. Churches, nonprofits or Christian ministries could benefit by asking similar tough questions:
- Why am I here?
- What is my purpose?
- What is our mission?
- How do we get our story out there into society in a more significant way?
What’s your story? How does that story breakthrough into today’s culture? Building your brand identity will help get your ideas and causes heard above the noise of our cluttered society.
What do people think of when they think of you? Why should someone come to you for help or why should they support your vision? Standing out and positioning yourself in a unique way is important.
Here are 7 things to think about concerning branding:
- You need to get on people’s radar.For churches and ministries, visibility is just as important as ability. Be intentional about getting your message heard.
- Understand that everything communicates.In an 8-second world, first impressions matter more than ever. Your website, your reception area, the lobby of your church all communicate a message. Look at every expression of your ministry and determine those areas of first impressions that need to be fixed in order to change people’s perception of you.
- Recognize that people are unforgivingin a digital culture.Word travel fasts through social media and online platforms. Start thinking of Google as reputation management.
- Understand the power of a name.It’s the first thing people see. What’s the name of your church, your project or your new book?Your name is the first way your audience or community understands who you are; it should connect with people and be unique enough to separate you from everybody else.
- Understand and speak the language of design.Take the time to hire a professional or get a good graphic designer to do your logo. Your goal is to get people in the door. You’ll never reach people with the gospel if you can’t get their attention and bring them in.
- Don’t dumb down your design for an older audience. The minute we make the design more hip or more contemporary, older people love it. Everyone wants to be young.
- Take social media seriously.The image you present really does matter. Social media is powerful for mobilizing people and getting your message out there.
Whatever your budget, goals, vision or size, your branding - how you position yourself in the marketplace and how you’re perceived – is important.
Bonus thought:Don’t give your audience, customers, congregation or donors what you think they want. Give them what they never dreamed possible. – Phil Cooke
For more on branding, watch for Part 2 of this series.
Get Phil’s book “Unique – Telling Your Story in the Age of Brands and Social Media” here: https://amzn.to/2PDViGb
(Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
For more tips on branding, visit Phil’s blog at https://www.philcooke.com
Listen to the Phil Cooke Podcast here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/philcookes-podcast/id1439369056
Find out more about Cooke Pictures here: http://www.cookepictures.com/
Visit Phil Cooke’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzivfiicpepFmAv5ZblgYWQ