As we approach Holy Week and Easter, I will be sharing one idea each week for church communications.
This week’s idea: Create and update your church’s Google Business Profile.
When someone Googles your church, it will look a bit like this:
When I Googled “Kanata United Church,” I got the results in the screenshot above. On the left is the Kanata United Church website. On the right is the Google Business Profile summary.
Did you know that your church can create and maintain a Google profile? It is a pretty simple process to get started.
Why might my church want a Google Business Profile?
“By creating and updating your Google Business Profile you will create a “digital doormat” for your community of faith’s online presence.” – Growth Animator Rev. Tori Mullin
Let’s say that someone has moved to your community and is looking for a new church. What will that person do? Probably Google! If someone is attending a funeral at your church and needs directions, they may well use Google Maps.
Many churches in EOORC are very small, small or medium-sized. Even our largest churches are not mega-churches. You may not have the time, expertise or money for fancy communications, but you still want to have clear information available when people use their phones or computers to search your church. Google profiles are simple and easy to update. They allow you to share clear and up-to-date information, as well as to share a warm welcome to your community of faith.
How can I learn more? How can I create a Google business profile for my community of faith?
You can learn more at this United Church resource. It is an introduction to Google Business Profiles for United Church communities of faith. It includes best practices, ideas for getting started, and even whom to contact if you need a hand.
If your church already has a Google Business Profile, please forward this blog post to the person who updates it. (This might be an office administrator, minister, communications team, or someone else.)
If you do not have a Google Business Profile, a great place to start would be checking in with your church council/session/governing body to tell them why you think a Google Business profile would be helpful.
Thanks for reading!
Next week: Google Reviews.
