3 Ways Churches Are Turning “Likes” Into Sunday Visitors

Learn how churches are getting visitors on Sunday by turning one-to-many social engagements into 1:1 conversation.

One of the great challenges the church faces today is continuing to develop 1:1 (one-to-one) interaction in a world that leads with a one-to-many conversation method. The church website is one-to-many, social media is one-to-many, google ads are one-to-many, YouTube is one-to-many, etc. The method of communicating one-to-many may increase the reach, but it lacks the impact of gaining visitors on Sunday.

This one-to-many method that culture has accelerated in the last decade creates a major heart disconnect for people who want to connect personally with a church. Equally, it has dramatically limited a pastor’s ability to connect personally with real people about their church. Barna tells us “younger generations especially are re-engaging in church”, but they are looking for a personal connection. Our one-to-many culture creates a disconnect for people outside the church by insinuating that there are no means to get 1:1 connection in the church.  

PROBLEM: Church growth does not come from one-to-many culture

Stop and think about what a potential church visitor experiences. They visit a one-to-many church website or social media page, search your church on a one-to-many maps app, then by nature, show up late to church. They go into a worship service that is one-to-many, then they listen to a sermon that is one-to-many, and then, 9 times out of 10 they leave church 2 minutes early frustrated about the one-to-many experiences. All of this validates the mantra in their mind that the church is only one-to-many, lacking an individual approach. 

Of course, this distant experience is never the church’s desire. Most churches have a good greeting team, do their best to be personable in their services, and have something after the service to help connect. The problem is that it doesn't work in most cases for the visitor. All your hard work is ineffective if the visitor does what we just described. So how do we effectively change this reality?

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Fuel church growth by turning one-to-many social engagements into a 1:1 conversation.

We all know culture today does not connect in a lasting way from a one-to-many engagement alone. Statistics now show us that people have changed post-pandemic; the average person needs 12 to 15 NurturePointsTM to get them to act on one-to-many brand messaging. Someone liking a post, watching a video clip, or glancing at a website rarely leads to action. This is where introducing 1:1 SMS conversation can take a one-to-many experience and change it into a journey leading to your church’s front door.

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SOLUTION: 3 ways to create 1:1 engagement with your church.

First, churches must embrace the value of the one-to-many as an opportunity to create a 1:1 culture. This requires intentionality on your one-to-many efforts. Don’t simply post pictures of crowds and big areas, rather show 1:1 people interactions in your posts. Don’t make the sermon your only video post, rather have the pastor or leaders do reels talking 1:1 with people. Make sure most of your messaging has a 1:1 feel to it. You must demonstrate visually and verbally that you value one-to-one interactions.

Second, start using intelligent technology to create 1:1 conversation through your website, socials, Google, maps apps, voice apps (Siri, Alexa, etc.), and harness the potential to increase visitors on a Sunday. This is where VisitorReach is helping churches like yours to fuel church growth by turning one-to-many engagements into 1:1 text message conversation. Powered by aiChurchTech, the VisitorReach platform and service empowers churches to talk directly 1:1 with people that are seeking more info about churches in their area. This technology changes the conversation.

Third, use 1:1 engagement to create a “hey, how are you” conversation, not a “hey, come and see'' marketing pitch. The VisitorReach mobile app 1:1 SMS conversation allows seekers the opportunity to connect with a real person before they visit. It gives people the opportunity to overcome misperceptions about your church (or churches in general), share your vision, values and passions, and ultimately create a desire in them to see what God is doing within your church! By developing an ongoing conversation that exceeds 12-15 NurturePointsTM, churches are finding it easy to get someone to be willing to visit their church. 

Think about this, “95% of text messages are read and responded to within 3 minutes of being received”. Texting is the most engaging way to interact with potential visitors! When you change a “like” into a 1:1 conversation, you create the opportunity to change the perception of your church, compared to the masses communicating only one-to-many. You immediately tell people they matter to you; they are more than a like, and your church truly desires to know them personally. Helping you create 1:1 SMS church engagement with people outside the church is what VisitorReach technology specializes in.

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Bring more visitors to your in-person services!

One thing should be clear, your church needs to be in multiple one-to-many spaces because this is where culture lives. Your website, social media, map apps, YouTube, and local directories value one-to-many and are great tools for introducing your name. However, you can be significantly more effective in attracting visitors by using VisitorReach to nurture meaningful relationships first. We help create these 1:1 engagements with people seeking to visit a church and empower your church growth opportunity.

VisitorReachTM is a revolutionary service, platform, and mobile app designed specifically to help churches foster meaningful conversations with hundreds of individuals who are seeking to connect with your church, all with ease and efficiency. Through this aiChurchTech platform, we streamline the way you nurture and connect with your local community, allowing you to engage seamlessly with numerous people who are spiritually curious.

God has given your team a mission and mandate to reach the lost and make disciples, and we can propel this to a new level. Take time to learn how VisitorReach can partner with you to increase your Sunday in-person visitor count and help you assimilate them into your church for long term growth. 

Click “Learn More” to talk with the VisitorReach team.