Nowadays, most information is distributed electronically. Most churches send out their newsletters via email. However, there are some churches that choose to print newsletters as well. Some of our church communicators find some benefits to this.
The Question
Jeremy Tuel raised this question in our Facebook group:
“How many of you have a print newsletter at your church? What is its purpose? What do you make sure is included and what doesn’t qualify to be included?”
Answers
His post received some helpful engagement. Here are some of the responses:
“Currently, I’m using it to generate enthusiasm for upcoming events and to share highlights from prior events. I’ve also been reaching out to church leaders and asking them to write a short article. Curious to hear about what others are doing!” – Emily Meade
“We did our last one a few weeks ago. It was produced quarterly. It included predominantly photos and write-ups of stuff that has been happening at church (ie. news) along with an article or 2 by the pastoral staff and a very small space at the back to promote 1 or 2 big upcoming events (ads usually go in our weekly bulletin rather than the newsletter). It was printed in full color on glossy paper and looked really good. We are getting rid of it because it was a lot of time and money to produce something that had a relatively small reach. We are currently brainstorming ways of showing this same info to people not on Facebook – we are thinking perhaps of a big display in our foyer where all these photos can be displayed.” – Narelle Arblaster
“We do a monthly newsletter and here is what it looks like: we duplicate info on all of our channels. People need to see the same info shared in about 5 different ways to finally ‘get it.’ That is a marketing standard. The more ways they see the same info the more likely they are to retain the info. Repetition is key. We have this printed. It is digitally available on the website. It is shared on Facebook. We share a slideshow of key events throughout the campus all week. We have a video announcement for events that impact about 75% of the congregation. Also, the Pastor will share the information verbally on Sunday morning.” – Deborah Dalton
Conclusion
If your church has the resources to create a printed newsletter, it may be a good idea. Having it in print is just another way to disseminate the information. It is wise to share the content across online platforms as well. Take advantage of multiple avenues to get the information out there to those who need it.
