LFP - Large-Format-Printing

Summer Signage Tips for Places of Worship

Friday 31. May 2013 - Summer is an especially busy time for faith-based communities as church camps, picnics in the park and annual fundraisers kick into full swing. The flurry of activity brings several unique opportunities for churches to grow their congregation simply by adopting a few basic signage and communication strategies. Read on to discover helpful tips on how to get more people through your front doors and into the pews this summer.

Brand Building
Developing a brand is extremely important for every type of business and faith-based organizations are certainly no exception. But, keeping pace with today’s more elevated advertising means your design efforts and messaging have to be top-notch. Think about how you want people to perceive your church. What’s your main mission? How can you express that mission in a few easily digestible words or phrases that people will understand right away?
NYU researchers found that we make eleven major decisions about someone we meet in the first seven seconds. That’s long before a choir belts out the opening hymn. A great way to ensure a good first impression is with a welcome banner, outdoor sign or building wrap. Seek out a good graphic designer to help you create one if you don’t have the internal resources to do it yourself. It’s best to avoid overly clever language and the obvious pun, and always double (actually, triple) check your spelling and grammar.
Wayfinding
It can be intimidating for first-time visitors who attend your church if they have trouble finding their way around. Especially if your church sits on a large campus or you’re a startup in temporary digs until you find a permanent address. Wayfinding signs help orient visitors and new members by directing them to necessary areas like the children’s Sunday school, main sanctuary and secondary places of worship. Wayfinding signs are also helpful when you’re holding a special event at the church.
Digital Signage
The interactive capabilities of digital signage are just one reason why they are a tremendous addition to your overall signage strategy. Digital signs are not only one of the most dynamic ways to get your message across they can also be highly cost-effective over the long run. Say you have a last-minute schedule change to this Sunday’s service. With a digital sign you can make fast, easy updates without any extra printing costs.
You can also use digital signs as people exit your sanctuary to highlight upcoming events, deliver important announcements or talk about the following week’s sermon. Want to re-state five great reasons why people should join your church? Digital signs are also an excellent place to do that.
Think about how one or all of these strategies might work in your place of worship and get ready to greet new faces all summer long!