Hello, Everyone:

I attended a communications conference recently and one of the things I learned is that only 30% of an organization’s communications are read by its target audience. The low amount surprised me. I thought about First Unitarian and the myriad ways in which we communicate: newsletter, email, Facebook, church website, etc. If the statistic is accurate, only a small portion of the congregation is reading the materials that are generated and communicated. It means that only 30% of the congregation will read this newsletter, even fewer will read it cover to cover.

So, what should we do to increase readership?

This is not a new problem. Low readership of the newsletter, the Resource Book, the church website, emails, and the Meeting House Times has and continues to be a challenge and a source of some frustration. Much effort goes into producing interesting, timely, and relevant content and distributing it across a variety of media. Better tools help us to assess readership, adjust content, or determine which communication medium is effective. But in spite of everything we’ve tried, readership remains lower than expected.

So, what should we do to increase readership?

Solving that question is more important now than ever. We are growing and the profile of our congregation is changing. The ways we communicate with you are also changing. Our Communications Team hosted a Communications Summit in January and they plan to leverage many of the ideas generated as part of their comprehensive communications strategy. Some of those ideas may be implemented before the church year ends.

Effectively communicating what we are doing, how we are doing, and our needs helps, we hope, to engage you – whether to attend events, provide feedback, share your experiences, or volunteer – to stay informed and connected. This is important for inspiring and supporting each other as we live out our faith, mission, and vision.

So – what should we do to increase readership?

I would love to hear some of your ideas. How do your get your information about the church? How would you like to get it? You can reach me at the address below.

John Simmonds

President, Prudential Committee
pres@firstunitarianprov.org