CUSTOM SIGNAGE FOR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATIONS

Whether you’re a member of a religious charity, a church, mosque, synagogue or any other religious organization, you all share one common goal — to spread your message of faith. To communicate your message and maximize its outreach, your religious organization should be using custom signage. Custom signage can help your religious organization bring in new members, keep those members and assist in boosting attendance for special events or occasions. Although nearly 40 percent of Americans identify as “very religious,” only about 22 percent of Americans are attending church or synagogue every week. Bring more people to your religious organization each week by taking the first step — incorporating outdoor signage.

HOW TO USE OUTDOOR SIGNAGE TO BENEFIT YOUR RELIGIOUS ORGANIZATION

In a world that’s always on the move, it can be easy to miss what’s right in front of you, especially if there’s no clear sign. By using effective custom outdoor signage outside of your religious organization’s building, you can catch even the busiest person’s attention and, hopefully, grow your congregation. However, it’s not as simple as placing a large sign with your organization’s name on it outside. Outdoor signs have four main goals:

1. Impress people that are walking or driving by your church, synagogue, mosque or other building.
2. Invite those people inside with attention-grabbing, call-to-action-esque language. For example, your organization could put out a sign that says something like, “Come as you are!”
3. Inform people about your religious organization by incorporating your personality and values into your secular messages while providing directions around the building’s exterior.
4. Instill a connection with people and strive to inspire and build relationships with those drawn to your signage.

How can you be sure to create signage that effectively attracts, impresses and distinguishes your religious organization from the others while welcoming those who see it inside to your place of worship? Answering these questions before purchasing custom outdoor signage can help.

1. Will the sign be in a clear, unobstructed spot? People should be able to recognize your sign quickly, so it must be plenty big and placed in a prominent area where lots of people will see it. People aren’t going to look for your sign. You are responsible for grabbing their attention.
2. Will the message be easily communicated? With attention spans only lasting seconds, your religious organization has a minimal amount of time to deliver its message using signage. To make sure this message is understood, keep it simple. The text should be concise and in bold, easy-to-read fonts. Graphics should only be included on the sign if it aligns with and enhances the message, as it could prove to be a distraction in some cases.
3. Will sign colors flow and prevent clashing? Your sign should turn heads with pleasing aesthetics.
4. Will others have a better understanding of your organization through the signage? While the point of your message is to spread your faith, this is also most other religious organization’s goal. You need to incorporate your church’s personality into the signage so people can see what sets you apart from the others.

Let’s say your method worked — you’ve managed to grab people’s attention, and they plan to attend your next service. Now what? Your custom outdoor signs don’t stop there. Outdoor directional signs, a type of wayfinding that guides people to where they need to be quickly and efficiently, are crucial to include. Directional signs outside your building should:

• Guide traffic in and out of your parking lot
• Identify handicapped or other reserved parking spots
• Direct guests to the correct entrance point if there are more than one
• List dates and times of services

By following these steps and considerations when it comes to outdoor signage, your religious organization can start building relationships and increasing participating members. Signage shouldn’t stop there, though. Once inside, guests should also be exposed to indoor signage to make them feel welcomed and ready to worship.

HOW TO INCORPORATE INDOOR SIGNAGE INTO YOUR PLACE OF WORSHIP

Going somewhere new can be intimidating. Quite frankly, it can be straight-up scary. Make your guests feel at ease by putting up indoor signage, such as directional signage, inside your religious facility. Indoor signage can provide guests with pertinent information and enhance your church’s branding. Branding simply refers to all the different factors that go into conveying your religious organization’s atmosphere. This atmosphere is what sets your organization apart from other others and keeps the crowd coming. Overall, indoor signs are all about the guest experience, so keep these four goals, which pertain primarily to directional signage, in mind:

1. Welcome guests by methodically placing directional signs in vital locations for guests to see so they feel taken care of. Unless you’re the one standing at the door, personally greeting every single guest that comes through, it can be challenging to make that point of contact. Although signs certainly don’t replace human interaction, they are beneficial when a large influx of people are coming in and out at once, and you want to make an impression.
2. Answer any questions guests may have — from where to place their coat to where to find the coffee pot.
3. Show guests where they need to go by having signs that help guide them to places like the restroom, the stairs or where the service is held.
4. Set your religious organization apart from the others by including signs that also reinforce your organization’s primary values and beliefs, further solidifying your religious “brand.” You could enhance your atmosphere with signage through window graphics, floor graphics, murals or banners.

Just like outdoor signage, there are essential factors to consider when displaying signage inside your religious establishment. Again, ask yourself the following questions:

1. Will the sign’s visibility be affected by lighting? Think about installing your indoor signage near direct sources of light to make the sign pop. To avoid glare and accomplish uniform illumination, you could install your signs by wall sconces or use picture lights or LED wall lights. You don’t want a guest to have to use their hand as a shield from any annoying light bouncing off indoor signs, so plan accordingly.
2. Can others easily see the sign? Just as placement is critical for outdoor signs to maximize visibility, indoor signs should also be strategically placed. It’s great to have signage that displays crucial information for guests, but it makes no difference if guests can’t see them.
3. Does the sign clash with the backdrop behind it? To go along with placement, think about the type of signage you’re using and how the backdrop can either complement your sign or create clashing contrast. Backdrops shouldn’t distract guests and take away from the message on your sign, so you must consider this to maximize the effectiveness of your sign.
4. Is design eye-catching yet simple? Although indoor signs might use some extra words and smaller fonts, they must still maintain good readability and share your message efficiently. Inside, you may also use more images or icons for your religion, but it’s still essential they align with the sign’s message.

Now that you know how to make the most of both indoor and outdoor signage for your religious organization, you’re ready to prepare for things like major holidays and events, where you might need some extra special signage.

BOOST ATTENDANCE FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS WITH EVENT SIGNAGE

When holidays like Christmas and Easter and other special events or occasions come around, more people tend to attend some kind of worship service. Regardless of your creed, you can capitalize on crowds during holidays and other special occasions by incorporating event signage into your religious organization. Whether you want to tell others about a music group performing during service, a live nativity for Christmas or a festive Rosh Hashanah meal, event signage can help you get the word out and enhance your event. For your next religious event, consider these different forms of event signage:

• Indoor and outdoor hanging banners
• Tabletop displays
• Printed wall or stage backdrops
• Indoor and outdoor flags
• Folding display panels
• Retractable banner stands