Consistency is Key (Especially at this Time of Year)

There’s a lot of money being invested in branding by ministries today. While research will reveal who your audience thinks you are, the impact a ministry can have on their brand through consistent, multi-channel communication strategies is often overlooked.

Consistent communication with your existing and potential donors used to be relatively easy, because there were only a few possible channels—direct mail, radio, television, and newsletters. Our world was much simpler to navigate.

Today, everything is much more challenging!

The addition of websites, email, and social media, just to name a few, means our audiences have gotten more sophisticated. They use multiple channels to interact with us, and they discern the variations in our messaging. Confusing or conflicting messaging can leave donors and potential donors wondering what you really do or why you need support.

Frequently, different departments within a ministry control messaging through their specific channel, and a strategic, inter-department message integration is overlooked. One solution is an integrated messaging calendar to ensure every channel not only has a consistent message that reflects the ministry’s overall communication strategy, but also focuses on the timing of those communications, which is even more critical as year-end approaches.

One of the many benefits of consistent messaging is increased income. When donors and potential donors encounter the same reasons for support in each channel they use, you can expect a higher response and more income. Although each channel supports the overall effort, some channels primarily perform a supporting role to reach your audience with the same message again and again.

Consistent messaging across all channels is definitely worth the effort—communicate your brand in a consistent manner and increase response and income in all your ministry efforts.