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