The problem with digital ideas is most of them are short sighted or created in a vacuum.
Think of it this way…. imagine coaching a 1st grade football team. Some would suggest to throw in a few trick plays, or mix in a Hail Mary or even kick a 40 yard field goal. But, those would be the wrong plays for the current skillset.
Those players need to learn to tackle correctly, block, run right, run left.
Many churches and non-profits get tempted to do that same… run the wrong plays, at the wrong time, with the wrong skillsets.
I have been called into assist organizations whose leaders are tired of pouring resources into “ideas.” I have seen Social Media strategies put in place with no real plan of what to do with the “fans” and “likes.” Email collections on websites with no plans for a welcome flow and conversions. Giving Day aks with no plans of how to execute.
This is when Executive Directors and Executive Pastors call me in ask ask for help.
The conversation is normally the same. it goes one of two ways.
- Help, we know we need the right systems and strategies in place. We just can’t get there without help.
- I’m always being told our team needs this software or the website needs tweaked or we should “x,y, or z.” I see all kind of numbers and reports but i just don’t know if we are spending our efforts wisely. can you look under the hood and give us your feedback?
The employees, friends of the ministry, vendors, board members, elders are have good intensions but… Have you heard these things before?
- We need more likes on Facebook – But how does this help our ministry? Did this create new names? Did we increase donations?
- We need a new digital logo and a website facelift? – Maybe, but to what end? So it looks better? So we can “fix” the feedback we got over the last 2 years, since our last revamp?
- We need to create more compelling videos? – So that we can look as hip as the other church? So we can spend $5k for 250 views on YouTube
- We should send more emails? We should send less emails? – What are our conversion rates? Are we mixing ministry with our call to actions?
I constantly take organizations back to square ONE. What is our organization’s Mission. Are we doing that well (online)? Are we also showing it well online so donors want to be a part of the solution? Is EVERYTHING we do involved in ministry and collecting new names and raising generosity to support the organization? Are we putting effort into the things that work and less effort into the things that are guesses?
I help organizations identify their digital lighthouse and help them stay on task to row towards it.
It is a lot easier to have a Digital Guide come in and audit campaigns, websites, social media plans, ideas, and strategies than it is doing self analysis.
Organizations typically hire me for a Digital Audit were I bring executive level feedback of next step recommendations for organizations to row to the same place for the same purposes.
Schedule a Digital Audit with Todd Turner, Creative Digital Guide Today.
