The Replacement for Google Analytics

Google launched a new analytics product called “Google Analytics 4” that’s separate from the Google Analytics product we all know (and some of us love). It’s eventually going to replace the “UA” version of Google Analytics. [Overview]

Google Analytics 4 (GA4) is going to be a big deal, but you don’t have to make any immediate changes for your church. Think of GA4 as 4K TV. Your current TV still works and so does your current Google Analytics implementation. You don’t have to throw out your TV or your analytics. Even if you have a 4K TV, not all programming is available in 4K resolution just like currently not all analytics tracking is available in GA4 (yet).

Google recommends piloting GA4 in parallel with regular Google Analytics.

Some GA properties already have the quick upgrade option, which looks like this.

If you select that, a new property is created that pulls in your existing settings. Your current setup and data are not impacted. Otherwise, you’ll need to add GA4 manually if your property menu looks like the standard version.

Mojo Rising: If you have the upgrade option then give it a try.

Google Ads warning

Even if you block sites in Google Display where you don’t want your ads to appear, you might still show up in Google Custom Search Engines (CSE). That’s how Breitbart earned money from clicks on Biden campaign ads. The first step is to see if you’ve checked off “Include search partners” when picking a network. Read on for more details so this doesn’t happen to your church.

https://branded.substack.com/p/joe-bidens-campaign-has-been-funding

Paid Zoom events

If you thought Zoom fatigue was costing you, wait until you have to pay an admission fee. Zoom is rolling out an option for paid events, which is good news for musicians and maybe church fundraisers. Some conferences might benefit, too. I attended Mozcon online this year and their paid platform could not handle the bandwidth.

https://www-cnbc-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2020/10/14/zoom-launches-onzoom-paid-live-events.html

Google Quality Rater Guidelines updated

The Google Quality Rater Guidelines is updated with a focus on meeting the needs of searchers. This document is what Google’s human contractors use to spot-check whether the search results are reflecting the quality Google hopes its algorithms achieve. The guide is not the algorithm.

Jennifer Slegg summarized the changes and MJ Cachón created a spreadsheet version.

Lift and Shift is full of it when it comes to content migration

Skip the junk drawer approach when moving your church content to a new platform and follow these four steps instead.

https://www.cmswire.com/customer-experience/why-the-lift-and-shift-approach-to-content-migration-doesnt-work/

The year’s most coveted Halloween decoration 

Whether you saw the 12-foot skeleton on a Kardashian’s Instagram or towering over a sidewalk, the bony behemoths are everywhere. Learn how a Home Depot merchant came up with the humerus idea. Memento mori.

https://slate.com/human-interest/2020/10/12-foot-skeleton-halloween-home-depot-review.html

Share in the celebration and share this list with a matey.

The Rum ‘n’ Catholic Guide to Talk Like a Pirate Day #TLAPD

1. Say an Aarrr Father and Ahoy Mary
2. Say far, far away from Pontius Pirate
3. Lubber neighbors as yerself
4. Ponderrr the lives of Saint Godric of Finchale and St. Olaf, the pirate saints
5. Shout “Bring me the blood of Christ!”
6. Extend an outstretched hook during the Sign of Piece(s) of Eight
7. Dad men’s tales we’ll tell
8. Cry “Ahoy there, me sacred hearties!”
9. Cannon-ize yer enemies.
10. Remember always that ours is an awesome grog.

Leo Durocher said, “Baseball is like church. Many attend, few understand.” But my wife, sister-in-law and I found many more similarities between church and baseball that we’ve noted before. We were welcoming a friend and baseball fan into the Church one Easter through RCIA and came up with this list:

Top 10 Ways Going to Church Imitates Baseball

10. Sometimes you stand and sing, other times you sit.

9. It can go into extra innings.

8. Hard to follow without a program.

7. Organ music.

6. Uncomfortable seats.

5. Sometimes you spend more than you want to.

4. Gotta know how to read the signs.

3. Long line for alcohol.

2. You’re preparing for post-season play.

And the number 1 way going to church imitates baseball…

1. Ultimately, if you screw up, you get sent down.

If you’re making a good Lent, you’ll have a clean slate just like all the Opening Day teams. Enjoy your season and step up to the plate to add to the list with your own similarities.

In this year’s Mass Madness brackets for Catholics, who do you have going to the Faithful Four? (Click to enlarge)

[You might like: How Going to Mass Imitates Baseball]

Remind your parishioners in a subtle-but-cute way to abstain by using this little emoticon:
<‘))))><

No fancy keyboard or graphics needed, just the shift key.

You might post this on social media or your church website, along with:

<‘ ))))><   No meat today, but you can have your alms-giving well done and make your Scripture reading not a rare event! 

Want more emoji and emoticon help for Lent?

Add this to your display name on Twitter and Instagram:

 : -)

(this formatting makes a good comment, too)

[Website tips for Lent]

Ash Wednesday Ideas for Clever Tweets and Formatting

Classic celebrating stick figure for sticking to your Lenten promises:

`  +
(•_•)
<) )/ GOT
/ \
`   +
\(•_•)
( (> MY
/ \
`  +
(•_•)
<) )> ASHES
/ \

A Cross built out of special characters, for the special character you will develop inside yourself this Lent:

┈┈▉┈┈

▉▉▉▉▉

┈┈▉┈┈

┈┈▉┈┈

Victory Bird:

‪    +‬
‪٩(^ᴗ^)۶‬

‪Happy Hands Guy:

.         +‬
‪ლ(╹◡╹ლ)‬

Dancing Guy:

‘      +
└(•‿•)┐

Emoji Mr. Potato Head:

when I get my #ashtag on

‘ +
(•_•)

+
( •_•)>⌐■-■

+
(⌐■_■)

Try a Twitter poll related to Lent:

How are you using emoticons and emoji this Lent? Give it a try and let us know what it looks like here or tag @markalves or @churchmojo.

I was itching to share these ideas with a blogger who sent out a pitch on Help A Reporter Out asking for ways to increase church attendance. So many ideas came to mind that I recited them into my phone and hoped for the best with Siri’s voice recognition and the Notes app. The reporter wanted only a maximum of two per submission and I had already come up with fourteen off the top of my head.

After picking two interesting ones, I emailed them to the writer with an offer to provide more.

Later that day came the HARO rejection message. The author wasn’t interested, but thanks for playing.

I was briefly crestfallen, but then decided to turn this list into a blog post. Let me know what you think.

How to Increase Church Membership Ideas

1. By far the best way to get more people to attend church is to get existing churchgoers to invite friends and neighbors.
You can support this by producing a little card or magnet with your church time etc. and address on it, and to give instructions and guidance to equip your members on how to invite new members.

2. Offer an additional, more convenient time.
My former parish added a Sunday evening service with the intention of freeing up parking spaces during Sunday mornings. What happened instead was that the Sunday evening time slot attracted a new group of attendees, especially young adults, who weren’t previously attending that church. When trying to increase your church attendance, sometimes more is more.

3. Sponsor cultural events such as movies, discussions, dances and concerts.
Attract the neighborhood to participate in non-threatening, fun events at your church, such as the Arlington Forum sponsored by St. Charles Catholic Church in Arlington, Va. Your neighbors will come for the entertainment and some will come back on Sundays.

4. Offer a music-free option Mass or service to attract a different crowd that might be interested in a more contemplative atmosphere.

5. Advertise on Facebook, particularly events related to the holidays such as Advent, Christmas and Easter. Also consider Ash Wednesday, which is usually the busiest day traffic-wise for church websites. (And a personal favorite of mine)

6. Create a what-to-expect video so newcomers know what they’re getting into.
This might include a few shots of the inside of the church, how the entrance procession works, how the service looks, and how newcomers are treated (are they singled out and made to stand at the end?) so people know what to expect. You don’t want the fear of the unknown to keep them from coming.

7. Be visible in the neighborhood.
This could be an outdoor Marian procession in May or sponsoring a booth at the neighborhood fair. Get noticed and then get attention.

8. Offer babysitting or childcare.
My first two boys are 18 months apart so when they were babies, sometimes Sundays meant my wife and I played divide and conquer. We’d go to Mass in solo shifts while the other watched the kids at home and then we’d swap. That’s not a great long-term solution and it doesn’t work for single parents. Offer a hand and let those young parents know they are welcome.

9. Better homilies and sermons.
You might think worshiping the Creator of the Universe is enough of a draw, but a personalized message explaining how the Gospel applies to our lives today will get people to return.

10. Better music.
Singing is praying twice. Good music is welcoming thrice.

11. Train your ushers to offer an appropriate welcome.
For more guidance, see Don’t Act Like a New York Waiter and 21 Other Things Church Ushers Should Never Do.

12. A small-group program to gently welcome back fallen-away churchgoers, such as Landings.
Give those who have had a poor experience in the past opportunity to be heard and to have sympathetic companions on the journey back home.

13. Newcomer dinners.
These monthly or so gatherings are an opportunity for guests to meet other established parishioners and fellow newcomers in a relaxed setting. Building this fellowship makes it easier for newcomers to return next Sunday knowing they’ll see some familiar faces.

14. Establish affinity groups such as for young adults, new moms, or even different sports.
Give people a way to feel like they can connect with a particular group and they will come back.

15. Transform your ministries fair into a community expo for volunteers.

Many churches sponsor a ministries fair, which is an open house for their current members to learn about volunteer opportunities at the church. (Ministry fair booth ideas) That’s great if you want your current attendees to participate more, but what if you want to increase church attendance? You need to introduce more people to your church. Transforming your ministries fair into a community volunteer fair for the whole neighborhood can attract newcomers who might be turned off by the term ministry, but are interested in getting involved locally. In addition to sponsoring booths for volunteer opportunities directly relate to your church, also include information about volunteer opportunities in the community, such as homeless shelters, food assistance centers and tutoring. Invite outside groups that are looking for volunteers to participate. You’ll attract a larger pool of volunteers and some of those committed visitors will turn into regular attendees. (See also The Ministry Fair Alternative)

Looking back, many of these suggestions involve attracting newcomers. It turns out increasing attendance is often a function of attracting new comers. And many of these ideas will help you increase community in a way that attracts newcomers and inspires your current membership.

Have you tried any of these techniques at your church? Share what you might think could work or drop in a new suggestion below.

If you’re working hard on your church’s digital presence, but no one knows about it, is it really happening?

That’s why it’s time to start sharing your church’s digital dashboard so your community can learn how you’re reaching out online.

I talk about the importance of dashboard visibility 6 Small Tweaks That Will Improve Your Dashboards on mrc’s Cup of Joe Blog. The examples I share there are business focused so they include break rooms and a monitor by the cashier. But the principle of dashboard visibility applies to churches, too.

Here are some great visible places to share your church dashboard metrics:

1. The narthex or a high traffic area such as where you serve coffee and doughnuts
2. The bulletin
3. Pastoral Council, Parish Council and other ministry reports
4. Parish email newsletter
5. A brief note to your pastor suggesting a connection to an upcoming Gospel
6. Church’s social media
7. Flyer (or is it flier?)
8. Video walk through
9. Slideshare
10. Brochure recapping the year on digital and social media for your church

Which of these would work at your church? Share how you are sharing your church dashboard.

And it wasn’t one of those easy readings.

My reflection begins with If this Gospel about unexpected visits and severe beatings doesn’t grab your attention, I don’t know what will.

They gave me a little more room on their site than I have with my daily reflections on Twitter that I share on @todaysreadings. Thankfully, given it was a challenging reading. Read the rest of my guest post reflection over at CatholicMom.com.

The reflection is based on the readings for the Memorial of Saints John de Brébeuf and Isaac Jogues, Priests, and Companions, Martyrs (Lectionary: 475, Cycle II, Year C Luke 12, 39-48 via USCCB).

If you’re looking for resources related to the Sunday Gospel, check CatholicMom’s Sunday Gospel Section.

Google Mobile Tester: Does your site pass Mobilegeddon:
https://www.google.com/webmasters/tools/mobile-friendly/

Claim your organization on Google Plus: https://support.google.com/business/answer/2911778?hl=en&rd=1

Me: @markalves on Twitter

Daily readings: @todaysreadings