Get noticed: 6 tips for naming your church Christmas event

The proper naming of your church Christmas event can determine its success. People attend Christmas events for many reasons (secular and spiritual), and the name will be the first thing to get their attention. A strong name hopefully will compel community members to come. At the least, a catchy name will allow your event to stand out from other seasonal events.

Christmas is one of the times that non-churchgoers will consider attending a church. So, let’s give them an event that’s high quality, family-friendly and gospel-focused.

Here are six tips for naming your church Christmas event so more people will notice and attend:

1. Decide who you want to attend. Is it mainly for your members, people from other churches or community members who have never considered church? These questions are broad, but naming your church Christmas event will attract a particular audience. If you make it sound overly religious, then you may limit the range of attendees. Christmas is celebrated by many in your community but few see it as the religious celebration it is. Allow your event to introduce the real reason for the season.
2. Use words they’ll search for. If it’s mainly for your church members, your event will easily attract that audience. If you want to bring in people who have never been to your church (or any church), choose a name for your Christmas event they might discover inadvertently online. Imagine words they’ll be searching for, and use those words in your name. For example, “Christmas for the Family” or “Christmas Family Fun” or “Christmas Music for the Season.” When someone’s searching for something on Google or social media, they’ll find your church event.
3. Add an event descriptor. Use a clear, short subtitle to describe what kind of Christmas event it is. Use words your community would search for, like “Musical Evening” or “Light Show” or “Choir Cantata.” This should answer the first question they have upon discovering your event title. In the description, tell them if it’s free or a ticketed event.
4. Include your community name. Use your city or region in your title. By using your location as part of the full event title and repeating it on your website and social media, potential visitors will discover the local event in their searches. A location helps people understand who is invited and where the event will take place — questions they are likely to have as they decide whether or not to attend.
5. Be honest in the description. Naming your church Christmas event well will get people’s attention, help Google take notice of your webpage and encourage people to stop scrolling on social media. A good description will keep their attention, but be honest, specific and open about what they’ll experience if they attend.

Once you’ve named your event and promoted it online, prepare for visitors on-site and online. October is a great time to walk your campus, look over your website and review your social media strategy to make sure all are guest friendly.

Create a more welcoming space by adding signage that helps visitors navigate around your church. Consider adding an online service to your social media page or downloadable audio of a service to your website. An online service is a stepping stone to getting community members to attend in person.

EDITOR’S NOTE — Mark MacDonald is a communication pastor, speaker, consultant, bestselling author, church branding strategist for BeKnownforSomething.com and executive director of Center for Church Communication, empowering 10,000+ churches to become known for something relevant (a communication thread) throughout their ministries, websites, & social media. His book, Be Known for Something, is available at BeKnownBook.com.

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