Four Things Every New Communications Minister Should Know

I think it’s pretty overwhelming to a join church staff.

There’s new staff to meet, a new culture to navigate, and political landmines to avoid. However, there’s no official “here’s what to do in your first 90 days” handbook. Instead, you’re usually left up to your own leadership instincts to establish yourself.

However, there are some things you should understand (especially if you’re new to the church communications world). Here’s a quick list of four things you should know.

1. Content is NOT king. Despite what you’ve been told content is not king. At some point that phrase was true. However, given the large amount of content that’s created on a daily basis, content no longer has the value that it used to. So whatever perceived value you think your content has, understand that it’s a drop in the bucket of what’s being created at this very moment.
2. Content in the context of relationships is king. This what every successful content creator understands. You can create the best content in the world, but if there’s not a relationship to the audience, then the content will fall flat. It’s how Chance the Rapper and Casey Neistat still thrive even though they give away their content. They put a premium on their relationships and not their content.
3. Your church’s content must be a part of people’s daily digital habits. Everyone has a daily digital habit. Whether it’s checking Facebook or Instagram when they wake up or reading their email before they go to sleep, most of us have a daily digital habit. Your job is to figure out how to get your content on those platforms so that people consume it on a daily basis.
4. You have to align your audience and your channels. One of the mistakes that most new communications staff make is that they assume that their audience uses the same social platforms as they do. When you first join a church staff, take the time to figure out what platforms your congregation uses and make that your primary emphasis. Don’t assume they’re just like you when it comes to how they use social media.

Also, remember that you’re not alone. There’s a group of 13k church communication leaders just like you who are willing to help you navigate this new world. Click here to join.