Content Evangelism: Engaging Your Audience and Improving SEO

Jamie Jean Schneider Domm

Digital Strategist, Social Media + Big Data, North American Division

When it comes to digital evangelism and discipleship, content is made to inform, to educate, and inspire—for the purpose of attracting and nurturing a loyal audience that connects with your ministry’s message. Ultimately, your goal is to support their growth in their spiritual journey.

The currency of content marketing (or in our case, evangelism) is ACT: Authority, Credibility, and Trustworthiness (though we should also add “Empathy” to this list, especially when dealing with spiritual topics and life lessons).

Use multiple forms of content to maximize your organization’s ability to get picked up by Google’s search algorithms, as well as to further engage your audience. Keep in mind that certain forms of content will perform better with some audiences than others. By diversifying your content creation strategy, you optimize your reach and increase your impact across a variety of demographics. 

Here are the four major components that work together in a comprehensive content creation process:

• Strategy – defining your ministry’s purpose, goals, and niche opportunities to target. Effective strategies outline topic coverage and evaluate means of distribution, measurement, and analysis.
• Copy – the words within the content. What messages are being conveyed to your audience? How can the language best reflect the culture of the medium and the target audience so that the desired meaning can be best understood? Remember, good communication is when we speak so that our intended audience can not only hear our message, but understand its intended meaning or purpose
• Imagery – the pictures, videos, icons, and graphics. What’s your visual theme? What emotional response or mood are your trying to evoke? What perception(s) of your brand will your audience develop of your brand based on the images you utilize?
• Medium/Media – The final home(s) for the copy and imagery content. Where will it live? On your website? In an app? On another website? On various social media platforms?
  ​

As you continue through this section, consider how each of the following elements will fit into the above four categories. 

---

Most Popular Types of Online Content

Text
The written word is the foundation of any type of content, and, therefore, this is where we must begin. Ideas are usually written down first—whether in the form of notes, scripts, or outlines—before they’re turned into anything else. Even in visual media like video, written content often accompanies and supports the other content types. When you set your content evangelism goals, you’ll want to prioritize quality writing.

Keep in mind, however, that good writing in an academic sense is not the same as what’s considered good content writing or copywriting. Writing for digital environments is much more straightforward, casual, conversational, and concise.

The most common forms of written content online are:

• Website copy, as in, the text found throughout your organization or ministry website. A thorough outline or bubble diagram is a must for planning out website content. Each page should have a clear purpose made obvious in the headline and introductory sentences. Typically, you’ll start with writing copy for the following standard pages: “Home,” “About,” “Services,” and “Contact Us.” You’ll expand from there, depending on your type of ministry.
  
  The more high-quality content your website has, the more likely it is to show up in search results for topics related to your mission—especially if it has a blog.
  
  
• Blogs, or a consistently-updated collection of topical articles. The word “blog” originally came from the word “weblog,” back when blogs were more like online journals for individuals posting their opinions or recipes, documenting their parenting journey, etc. Now blogs are used both individually and commercially to engage in conversation and as a means to inform (or persuade) readers.
  
  Many blogs have inspired the formation of online communities, especially if they prominently link to their corresponding social media profiles on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, etc. Many commercial websites also leverage blogs to build or grow a community around brand values. If an organization’s blog contains useful or thought-provoking information, and is properly promoted, it can skyrocket in online influence. Often, this also increases audience conversions (taking a desired action). 
  
  
• Landing pages, or a stand-alone page dedicated to one important message, campaign, and/or call-to-action. It’s more than just a page where users happen to “land” after a search. Landing pages are where visitors are directed via a website link, social media post, paid advertising campaign, email button, etc., for the purpose of taking a specific action. A landing page is where a visitor would be directed to learn about a specific campaign, cause, or opportunity, and is designed to encourage them to get involved or sign-up for a special offer. The call-to-action would ask them to enter an email address (or other additional information) in exchange for something like
  
  - a subscription to your newsletter on marriage.
  
  - registration for a webinar or upcoming event on healthy eating
  
  - the opportunity to sign up to meet with a local Bible worker or pastor
  
  - a “lead magnet,” such as a free e-book (or physical book) on a topic of interest, such as “What happens when we die?
  
  The primary purpose of landing pages should be to gather email addresses and other contact information for your marketing list, as well as analytic data on how many people are interested in what you’re offering. With the right promotional strategy, landing pages are valuable tools for growing your digital influence.
  
  Landing pages can also help your organization increase registrations, sign-ups, downloads, purchases, etc. When applicable, build in “buzz” words that create a sense of urgency or exclusivity that urge visitors to take action or that make them feel special. 
  
  
• Email content. Email marketing is still a key player when it comes to optimizing your digital influence. While this content is not indexed by search engines, it serves a vital function in nurturing the relationship your ministry builds with its audience. It helps to grow an actively engaged digital following across multiple mediums and platforms, which does boost your SEO.
  
  However, for your message to have an impact, your audience must first open your email. Strategically written subject lines are meant to convince the reader to open your email. And once they do, the email content should be written as concisely and in as straightforward a manner as possible, as you only have a matter of seconds to engage the reader and pique their interest.
  
  Most email marketing content is in the form of e-newsletters that keep your community informed on news, events, resources, new content, etc. Emails may be notifications of new blog posts, or sometimes email campaigns can be an educational series in and of themselves.
  
  Think about what you get in your inbox. Maybe you’re on an email list that sends you a daily devotional. Whatever type of email you receive, understand that careful thought (hopefully) went into how that content was presented. Email content is intentionally designed to keep readers engaged and feeling special so they don’t wander down to the footer to click “unsubscribe.”
  
  
• Testimonials. This content features member/participant stories and testimonies that promote your mission, message, event, or cause. Storytelling remains central to evangelism because we’re drawn to the narrative of someone “just like us” experiencing a problem, seeking the right solution, trying this and trying that, and finally discovering how to overcome the problem.
  
  Testimonials allow your ministry to be the “great discovery,” demonstrating that it can help people succeed and find a happy ending to their story. Around the testimonial, you can highlight your mission, what your ministry provides that others don’t, and give people a glimpse of what their lives would be like if they embraced your ideas or joined your faith community.
  
  
• E-books. E-books educate readers (provide value) about a topic of interest. For an audience that might be looking for more depth, an e-book is a good option for going deeper than a blog or social media post allows. E-books can be terrific lead magnets as well. You can use landing pages to encourage people to sign up to receive e-books as well as physical books.
  
  
• Social media posts. Many organizations assign their best writers to engage with their followers on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and various niche-specific platforms. Social media writing requires short, punchy messaging that encourages discussion, inspires shares, or includes an enticing call-to-action that directs to a landing page, blog, registration page, full video, etc. We’ll discuss more about how to write effectively for social media and online audiences in the next section.
  
  Social media is today’s “word of mouth.” It’s the central hub of online conversations, and, if they want their posts read, liked, and shared, social media writers need to write in the word-of-mouth style, catering to the audience’s interests, frustrations, and convictions, and using strong, specific calls-to-action.
  
  Social media “buzz” can dramatically increase your ministry’s web presence and impact. Not only is it a good source of active backlinks that can drive traffic to your website, your social media profiles can appear as additional search results as well—further elevating your findability online.
  
  
• SEO titles and tags, such as page titles, headlines (or H1s), meta descriptions (the intro blurb that appears underneath the page title and link in search results), and ALT tags. All of these are priorities for SEO copywriters, as the content found in these areas can make a big difference in which webpages get clicked on and ranked in search results. 
  
  
• Microcontent, or “scannable web copy,” which refers to headlines, subtitles, subheaders, lists, pull quotes, sidebars, meta descriptions, calls-to-action, etc. These are very important, and it’s actually an area that demands the most creativity from the writer. Its purpose is to make content more scannable, overcoming the “wall of text” issue that deters so many potential readers. More often than not, the microcontent is what convinces a reader to start reading and to keep reading.
  
  
• Transcripts for videos or podcasts. Some sites post them verbatim, while others optimize them for readability and add microcontent. This can make the transcript just as popular as the recording, especially for those (about 16% of web users) that prefer to read content. It is also highly valuable for making the content of the recording indexable for search engines. It is also a good way to promote accessibility for users that use screen-readers. Accessible content is valued by search engines.
  ​
• Checklists, as they can stand alone as their own type of post. They can appeal to hurried readers who love scannability, and to thorough readers who like the idea of a concrete list they can check off as they apply each step. Detailed checklists can also be effective lead magnets to the right audience, especially if your content teaches a complex process or provides ways to improve an existing skill or behavior.
  

---

Video

One-third of all online activity is spent watching video. This isn’t surprising. People, as visual creatures, have been naturally drawn to online video and made it one of the most popular ways to consume content for all ages! The increase in mobile device usage has made video more popular as well. With a smaller screen, it’s easier and faster to watch videos than to read text.

Video is a great enhancer. Have you noticed that when you click on a news story, the page often has both the written article and the video from the newscast? Not only does it offer two different options for content consumption, it adds a perception of depth and authority to the story.

Video content is particularly useful for educational topics, especially “how-to” tutorials and telling stories. Demonstrations, interviews, personal testimonies, time-lapses...some things are just better presented via video.

When it comes to YouTube, this platform has created its own niche of search engine optimization. YouTube’s search algorithms rely heavily on keywords, titles, tags, thumbnail images, and microcontent such as video descriptions and channel descriptions.
​
YouTube also measures “watch time,” or how long a viewer watches before clicking away or going back to search results. The more of a video that gets watched, the better that video must be, so YouTube ranks it higher in its search results. Longer videos, especially if frequently watched until the end, get even more of a boost (on other social media platforms, however, it is still generally recommended to keep videos short, around three to five minutes or less). 

---

Livestreams

With livestreaming, longer videos are always acceptable, regardless of platform. Livestreaming your events, whether on Facebook Live, YouTube, or your website, can widen your audience, further engage your existing audience, and provide an archivable piece of evergreen content that can be repurposed later. This is great for church services, special performances, programs at a school or university, conference sessions, and more.

When it comes to SEO, livestreams can have a sizeable effect. Facebook announced that its ranking algorithm favors live videos in its searches. YouTube promotes YouTube Live videos. And even if your organization’s livestreams are hosted off-site, it’s another link to your content that could show up in search results—especially if you’re live often!

---

Webinars (Online training or Bible studies)

Taking video up another notch, webinars are exclusive, live, educational presentations. Like its name suggests, it’s a seminar broadcast over the web using tools such as GoToMeeting, Zoom, or Lifesize. Participants are typically invited to webinars and provided with a private link.

While the webinar itself would not be indexed by search engines, its power to engage audiences boosts SEO through lead generation and by increasing engagement, trust, and loyalty to your ministry. Webinars can provide a valuable service to your constituents when used to teach useful information (such as tips to improve your marriage), provide background on a popular issue, or facilitate live online discussions. They can also be an effective and convenient way to host digital Bible studies for small groups, allowing face-to-face interaction and relationship building regardless of location. 

---

Images

While the right pictures can elicit emotion, the right designs can inspire action and highlight strategic details. Careful planning is necessary to make sure the images you’ve chosen indeed emphasize the intended emotion. It must be clear what the picture is portraying, and it should look genuine, as opposed to a cliché corporate stock photo.

Used sparingly, stock photography can be a great resource to enhance your ministry’s brand online, and it’s easy to find free stock images at pixabay, pexels, unsplash, and free-images.com. Click here for more free or low-cost stock photography and design resources.

For websites, hero images (the large, single images that dominate the top area of a website) continue to be trending. These pictures must be high enough resolution to avoid appearing pixelated (approx. 1600 pixels wide), but low enough resolution to avoid slowing down the site’s load time.

For other images that appear on your website, stick to file sizes under 250 kilobytes if possible. Learn more about image best practices for church websites.

For each image on your website, blog, or Instagram profile, make sure to apply ALT text, which is indexed by search engines to determine what the picture is about. It also acts as text that can be read by screen readers to tell visually-impaired internet users what pictures are on a page.

---

Infographics

When explaining a process in text, an accompanying visual is a must.

If, when talking about your topic, you find yourself saying, “Here, let me show you…” or, “Why don’t I just draw this out,” an infographic would probably come in handy.

Infographics illustrate each step or point of a process and include short and straightforward text to accompany the imagery—making complicated information easier to understand.

Designers and writers must work closely to create an infographic with a clear direction so the eye knows what to read first and where to go next.

If you’re short a graphic designer, some free tools like Canva can help you create simple infographics, which add a splash of color to your page, post, or feed while informing and engaging your audience in a creative way.

As the below infographic explains, infographics don’t just make your page more pleasant to look at—people actually search for infographics on certain topics. They’re also shared frequently on social media. Think of creative ways to use infographics for ministry, such as mapping out “How to Study the Bible for Beginners.”

---

---

Podcasts

Audio content can include interviews, sermons, vocal essays, monologues, presentations, seminars, and more. Podcasts created from this audio content should be distributed as widely as possible, including on your website, iTunes, and other hosting platforms so users can subscribe. Even if you’re already hosting through a provider such as SoundCloud, Blubrry, Google Drive, or archive.org, it’s worth uploading to other hosting platforms in addition. These simple audio files are a highly shareable piece of content people can listen to while driving, walking, exercising, or cleaning their garage.

Having podcasts with your ministry’s name in the title, or hosted by a prominent personality associated with your ministry, can do wonders for brand awareness, which ultimately benefits overall SEO.  

---

Interactive content (quizzes, polls, calculators, etc.)

This type of content requires audience participation, making their interaction with your ministry far more memorable.

You’ve probably seen various character quizzes on Facebook or Twitter. They are highly shareable because, to the audience, it feels like they’re sharing information about themselves, not about the organization that designed the quiz.

Interactive content that strives to be helpful or practical might include assessment-type quizzes, calculators, interactive graphs or charts, or polls and surveys. They can also help you with demographic info-gathering for your ministry’s strategic planning. Remember, anything that deepens engagement also boosts SEO! It’s always beneficial to keep people on your website longer.

There are many tools that can help you create interactive content, including qzzr, SurveyMonkey, Doodle, Vizia, and more. 

---

Courses

This type of content can be important for building what Google refers to as an organization’s E-A-T (Expertise, Authority, Trustworthiness). At the same time, courses provide yet another way for your audience to consume your content. If your organization is qualified to teach even a simple skill that has value in your audience’s life (healthy cooking or practical discipleship tips), creating courses can bolster your content marketing and SEO, and become a relevant resource for your site visitors. Not only can this type of content boost your credibility, it can empower your audience for positive change.

---

Beginning Content Strategy Worksheet

Filling out this structural worksheet can guide your brainstorming process and help you solidify your content strategy.

1. Which topics do you wish to cover in-depth for your content evangelism?
   
   
   
2. What goals and objectives do you have for your content evangelism?
   
   
   
3. What keywords relate to your topic? Brainstorm below.
   
   
   
4. Run your topic and keyword ideas through a keyword research tool. What kinds of results do you find?
   
   
   
5. Are the terms you thought would be popular showing high search volume?
   
   
   
6. Which keywords show the most favorable ratio of search volume to competition?
   
   
   
7. Using what you’ve determined from your keyword research, what is the main topic that will guide your content development?
   
   
   
8. List a few substantial subtopics that can branch out from your main topic.
   
   
   
9. Create a “topic tree” or bubble diagram to outline your content’s topical progression.
   
   
   
10.  What possible content titles come to mind? Brainstorm below.
    
    
    
11.  For which of these subtopics would it be most useful to invest in a visual element, such as a video, infographic, or image?
    
    
    
12.  Which platforms best suit these topics and/or content types? Which platforms would best reach your target audience?
    
    
    
13.  Start drafting content assignments and/or a publishing schedule, include guidelines for visual content, and describe the places and forms it will be published in. ​

Click here for more on Digital Evangelism and Discipleship