The church branding essential for communication can be summed up in this fun phrase: matchy matchy.
In fact, there are four areas that must match. And by doing the hard work of making these areas similar (i.e. matchy matchy), you’ll create an environment of trust, reliability and loyalty for your congregation and community. Traits that every church needs.
Here are the four areas that must matchy matchy:
1. Design match. Your church has a design flair (whether controlled or not). From interior design, to exterior surfaces, your church also should control your logo, social media designs, website interfaces, email layouts and signatures, and promotional designs in banners, bulletins and flyers.
There should be more similarity and disparity. Ultimately, don’t redesign things randomly when you can make your designs match.
Rule of thumb: your design match should easily communicate your church brand even without a logo on it. Be known for matching designs.
2. Color match. The church branding essential for wholistic visual connectivity is a color palette. For decades, interior design has used a 60/30/10 palette. And church branding wisdom says to use something similar.
A palette consisting of a primary color that’s used 60% of the time throughout all design materials. A secondary color that’s used 30%, and a tertiary “pop” color that’s used sparingly for 10% of the palette.
This suit of colors creates an overall outfit that you’re identified by. The colors should match each other, and all designs should match one another.
Rule of thumb: Like a pastor’s suit, the primary color is the suit, the secondary is the shirt, and the tie is added for interest. Be known for matching your color palette.
3. Font match. When content is spelled out in your church communication, you’ll rely heavily on a font palette. Since there are thousands of fonts to choose from, it’s wise, as part of your church branding essential to limit them. And like colors, they must coordinate.
From lyrics on the screen to the church bulletin, to signage, stationery, social media posts, emails and your website, the overall look of your design will rely on how well your font match.
Rule of thumb: an effective church brand will regularly use less than 3 fonts that match throughout communication materials. Usually you’ll need a headline font, a paragraph font, and optionally, a display font (like a script). An exception: choose a google font that’s similar to your controlled brand font for online matching. Be known for matching your font palette.
4. Message match. This is the most difficult item to match across your church communication. This requires a lot of skill and control from your pastors, designers, ministry assistants and communicators.
It mandates that you know your branding thread (the benefit you’re known for) and its associated keywords and key phrases. As a pastor or church communicator, if you’re doing message matching correctly, you’ll get tired of saying things that match. But the outcome will be heard as your congregation uses the same beneficial message in their speech.
Rule of thumb: use reliable research to determine your thread. And reliable keyword research to identify what’s being searched for (e.g. Google) by similar people to your audience in your area. Matching those words and concepts regularly throughout your church communication completes the matchy matchy church branding essential components. Be known for message matching.
EDITOR’S NOTE — Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author and church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com, empowering thousands of pastors and churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, on their church websites and social media. His church branding book, “Be Known for Something,” is available at BeKnownBook.com.
