Did you know that 17% of Best Buy’s walk-in customers visited specifically because they saw their outdoor sign? Imagine how many visitors your church might attract with high-quality church marquee signs!
Having a sturdy, well-designed sign outside your church is an important first step to reaching new visitors. But the best thing about church marquee signs isn’t the sign itself — it’s the messages you can write and promote through those signs.
Lots of local organizations use their outdoor church signs to share uplifting messages, timely information, and even church-related jokes. However, there are some rules you should follow to avoid making your church look bad, or rubbing people the wrong way. Here we’ll look at three rules for crafting messages on signs for churches.
Avoid Insulting or Condescending Language
Some churches take a very gentle approach to helping people transform their lives for the better. Others are much more direct, going so far as to call people out if they’re doing things that seem out of line. To be fair, neither approach is appropriate 100% of the time, as different situations call for different tactics. Of course, the important thing is to share the truth in love.
But when you’re writing messages for your church sign, you should specifically avoid language that seems to call people out or insult them. This isn’t just because it’s impolite: it’s also because the same message won’t be relevant to everyone, however each person who sees it will assume it’s written for them. And even if you feel like your harsh, confronting message truly applies to each and every person in your community, you won’t change any lives by being abrasive. You’ll just give your church a bad reputation.
Use Tasteful Jokes Sparingly
Writing clever jokes on church signs is popular, especially among smaller churches. And while there’s nothing wrong with some lighthearted humor now and then, jokes should be used sparingly, and they should always be tasteful. Whenever you write a message for your sign, ask yourself if it’s on-brand for your church’s primary message and mission. Will publishing this message make your church look better to the community? Or is it more likely to impact your reputation negatively?
Prioritize Uplifting, Encouraging Ideas
We’ve established that harsh, in-your-face accusations aren’t appropriate for church signs. We’ve also pointed out that, while tasteful humor is okay now and then, jokes probably shouldn’t make up the bulk of your messaging. So what sort of messages should you use?
It’s a good idea to contribute to your community by sharing relevant, timely information through your sign. This includes service schedules and updates, but it also means letting people know about upcoming events and reminders that matter to local residents. This could be as simple as reminding people to get their shopping done early before the stores close for Thanksgiving or Christmas, or reminding them to stay safe during the coronavirus pandemic.
But the best kind of messages to use on church marquee signs are ones that uplift and inspire. People are going through a lot this year, and they need to be reminded that both God and God’s people are still there for them. Encouraging messages can be the best promotional strategy of all.
