From Endless Options to Focused Approaches
After living several years in another country, I came home to visit my family. We planned to meet in New York City, and I arrived earlier than the others. After setting my luggage down in the hotel, I decided to go to a grocery store to pick up some food. First on my list was juice. I went to the juice aisle and found myself paralyzed by the wall of options. Orange, grape, apple, cranberry-apple, multi-fruit... Then, there were five brands for each option and four sizes for each. After standing there for ten minutes, I left the store with my hands and stomach empty.
I sometimes think about that day when I think about our options for using digital strategies to advance the Great Commission. Which missional gap audience should we prioritize? What approach should we take with them? Is it best to start a podcast, build a social media campaign, use videos or articles, or try something altogether different? What is the right call to action for them? We don’t want to ask too much and scare them away. We also don’t want to bore them so that they see us as irrelevant and uninteresting. Are you overwhelmed yet? Can you relate?
There is good news. We have principles and approaches that can help narrow your options and increase your fruitfulness as you engage with audiences God has called you to reach.
1. Start with your goals.
What has God called you to do? It may be reaching your neighbors, the people in your office, or your family. Staying focused on what is yours to do can help you narrow your options and find points of collaboration that can make the most of your resources.
2. Identify your Audience.
If you have been through The Basics of our Digital Academy, you know the importance of identifying your audience. Identify where they are on the Audience Map. Use the research, insights, and guiding steps in the Audience Map to pray for them and learn how to engage them. If you are focusing on a group, then build off of this knowledge by creating your persona. This process will narrow the focus of your digital strategies approach. Your persona will tell you what channels you should use — whether it is a podcast, WhatsApp, Instagram, or something else.
3. Choose a call to action.
The call to action you choose for your audience will come from your research with the Audience Map and your persona. After doing this work, you should have a pretty good idea of what you can offer them based on our organization’s purpose and your ministry’s capacity. Don’t invite them to do something that you can’t deliver. It can be very tempting to invite them to something big and impressive. If you can’t execute that plan, you will lose the trust of your audience. With every engagement you have, you want to communicate the love of Jesus that you have for them and show yourself to be a trustworthy guide in their spiritual journeys.
Take a deep breath. Don’t panic. God is with you, and the Holy Spirit will guide you as you take these steps of faith. After you do all of these things, evaluate. What did you learn about your audiences? Your approach? Your call to action? Your national ministry? Take these learnings, improve your plans and try again. I am praying that the Lord will use you and your digital strategy efforts to see more and more lives changed by the good news of the gospel and the abundant life found in joining in his Great Commission!
Together with you,
Cheryl
