04/10/2024
Planning your church's Advent and Christmas events and services is an exciting time, but it can also feel overwhelming. That’s why we’ve created a free Digital Promo Planner to help you navigate the digital world and ensure your Christmas events are promoted in a way that reflects the warmth and hope of this year's theme, Calm and Bright.
What’s Inside?
Our planner (download links below) is designed to help you make the most of digital platforms to spread the message of Christmas with ease and creativity. Here’s what you can expect:
Templates and tools to create social media posts, website banners, and more
Guidance on how to schedule and plan content to promote your Advent and Christmas services in the lead-up to the season
Tips on how to re-share content from our national campaign, Follow the Star: Calm and Bright, and add a local touch to engage your community
How to Use the Digital Promo Planner
1. Set Your Goals
Before diving into the planner, take a moment to define what success looks like for your church this Advent and Christmas. Whether it's more people attending services or increased online engagement, having a clear goal will help focus your digital efforts.
2. Know Your Audience
Who are you trying to reach? Families with young children, students, or perhaps local retirees? Tailor your messages to what resonates most with them. Our planner helps you identify and engage your key audience online.
3. Choose the Right Platforms
Not every social media platform is right for every church, so consider where your audience spends their time. Facebook and Instagram may be a great place to start, but TikTok and YouTube could also help you reach a wider, more diverse group. Here's a blog on alternative social platforms to consider.
4. Get Visual with Canva
If you’re looking to add some sparkle to your posts, why not use our Canva templates? They’re easy to customise and will help you maintain a consistent visual theme that ties into Calm and Bright. You can get our Canva Christmas card template here, and here's a blog about the benefits of image and video sharing online.
5. Plan in Advance
One of the keys to success is planning ahead. Our planner includes a weekly content schedule template to help you map out your posts in advance, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute. Plus, we’ve added top tips for ensuring you stay on track, like setting aside 30 minutes each week to review and adjust your content plan.
6. Encourage Engagement
Christmas is all about community, and social media is a great way to encourage engagement. Whether it’s through a poll about your carol service or asking your congregation to share their favourite Christmas memories, the more people interact with your posts, the more visible your events will become. Read about what churches shared online last year here.
7. Track Your Progress
It’s not just about posting content – it’s also about seeing what works. Keep an eye on your engagement levels, and don’t be afraid to adjust your strategy based on what’s performing best. Here's a recent blog about learning from Facebook Insights.
Key Dates to Keep in Mind
With Calm and Bright as the theme, your promotional content can evoke a sense of peace and warmth, inviting people into a reflective and joyous Advent and Christmas. Here are some suggested activities to get you started:
8 Weeks Before Christmas: Add your events to your church's website and platforms like AChurchNearYou.com.
6 Weeks Before: Share previous event photos to remind your community of the joy of coming together for Christmas.
4 Weeks Before: Post a behind-the-scenes video showing how your church is preparing for the season.
2 Weeks Before: Retweet or reshare content from the Church of England’s Calm and Bright campaign, adding your own local context.
1 Hour Before Your Event: Post a live video reminding everyone there’s still time to join in!
With the right preparation and tools, your church can create a welcoming digital presence that spreads the message of Calm and Bright to all.
Download the Digital Promo Planner Today
Ready to get started? Download your Calm and Bright Digital Promo Planner and start planning your Christmas events today. Let’s make this Advent and Christmas season a time of peace, joy, and community – both online and offline.
We'd love to hear your thoughts on the planner – how you found it useful, any suggestions for next year's version, and whether you think it could be helpful at other times throughout the year. Feel free to reach out to us via with your feedback the [email protected] email using the subject line Digital Labs feedback.
