Nobody wants to compare a church to a business — a church is a place where people come to worship and share fellowship with other believers. But with that being said, these activities can’t happen unless people are aware of the church’s existence in the first place. It’s also important that churches get the word out about events — whether those events are simply meant to be fun, or whether they’re meant to raise important funds that will keep the church going. Churches are unique in that often, they have members of the congregation who, for whatever reason, might not check their email regularly enough to get news about upcoming events online. For that matter, churches have the specific goal of attracting as many new congregants as possible. In this respect, a church needs to advertise itself much as a business would. For these reasons among others, church marquee signs are hardly going out of style anytime soon. For years, scrolling marquee signs and even more traditional signs for churches have been great ways for houses of worship to get the news out about upcoming events to regular congregants — while at the same time attracting new ones. Below, we’ll look at some of the advantages of investing in church marquee signs.
1. They Can Be “Traditional” Or Digital
The church marquee signs that some might remember from their childhood are likely different from the newer versions of marquee signs. But nonetheless, both forms are still used very effectively. More traditional church marquee signs are the typical lettered signs. Their messages need to be changed by hand, and the process is usually as simple as changing a few letters here and there. Newer versions are electronic, and involve scrolling messages that are sometimes changed remotely. There are pros and cons to each type of sign. Of course, electronic signs are likely more expensive — so it depends on what is in a church’s budget. But there is certainly a payoff to LED signs. By 2019, it’s expected that LEDs are going to make up about 53% of the global lighting market — and with good reason. They’re flashy, and can be seen during the day or at night. Scrolling signs are also more likely to catch a person’s eye, as they’re changing messages. Ultimately, the great thing about signage is that churches have a lot of different options to choose from, which makes it easier for them to tailor them to their specific needs.
2. Signs Can Be Seen From Cars
It can be difficult for churches to advertise themselves to outsiders. Even if people are looking for new churches, often a single church can be swallowed up on the web. Therefore, it’s often more effective for churches to advertise themselves in more traditional ways. If a person is driving around town and sees a church within driving distance of their home, they might be interested in attending that church — and they’ll be even more interested if the message on a church’s sign appeals to them. It’s estimated that 68% of people make shopping decisions while in their cars; and those shopping decisions can include “shopping” for a church. Indeed, 58% of respondents to a poll indicated that they found out about an event they were interested in attending from a billboard they saw while in their cars. Being visually accessible to drivers is important for churches — and having an eye-catching sign can set a church apart from the competition, as it were.
3. Signs Advertise Events
Perhaps the most important thing for churches to advertise is upcoming events — and sometimes, even parishioners can forget about events if they don’t check their email regularly. Therefore, having a sign advertising an Easter egg hunt or a special service is crucial to ensuring the best possible attendance for such events. There’s a sense of community that comes from events like these, and the more people that know, the better.
