1. ChurchCopy.ai

If you work in Church Communications ChurchCopy.ai is a game changer. ChurchCopy.ai is simply amazing and helps you create content for all your communications channels. If you work in a church where you don’t have a team doing all the bits of work across different channels this will help you stay on top of your weekly routine and will also free your time up. It will also write in your church’s tone of voice. The cost is so low that it basically a few hours pay for a person with the output of a whole team. You can also store all your visual assets in one place too. You can also save all your photos to use on different projects Simply amazing. Well done Brock, Holly and team!

Having worked in the church communications space for nearly 20 years now we work on a yearly cycle where much of what we create disappears into the collective memory and is never used again. You can store your projects and re-use them for new ones too. Again you save so much time.

It’s free to explore and try out. I highly recommend it.

2. CaptionKit

I serve in a large multi-site church that has people from my different cultural backgrounds. Some who have been in Australia for may years and speak English, but some who are more recent arrived from South East Asia. We’ve been looking for a solution that will help anyone no matter what their language access our church service in their own language – LIVE in the room. CaptionKit is does this and also creates subtitles for those who are hard of hearing. It’s a really simple set up and easy to use. In essence they create real time captions and translations for churches. And you can try it out for free.

3. SermonShots

While it’s not new, SermonShots has been adding new features all the time. It’s a world class product. A new feature I simply adore is the carousel post creator where it will create hook style posts from your sermon video. It just makes content generation so much quicker. We always go through and check it of course, but it really does speed the process up.

SermonShots also has translation and you can now embed the video of your sermon with a summary and make it much more SEO friendly which is very cool.

4. ChurchCanvas.ai

Who’d have thought that you could create a sermon graphic or a social media post just through a prompt? I’m a graphic designer and I wasn’t 100% sure about letting AI create this to be honest. But I’ve seen some of the design output from it and some of it has been amazing. Some of it has been not amazing. But I get this is in early development and will be improving all the time.

What I do like about ChurchCanvas is the innovation that is happening. Although I’m conflicted about the creation of graphics not by a person. Maybe I’m just old. But I do admire the team for having a go.

Final thoughts

AI is the new frontier, and while non of these products are completely perfect they usher in a new era of AI innovation. I know we are only in year one and I’m excited to see the potential of what’s possible as these new products develop and mature.

There will be different ethical considerations as AI grows in it’s influence and impact. I highly recommend your church consider developing your own AI Use policy to guide your staff team.

Your Turn

What are you seeing that is exciting you? Comment below and share it with the community!

Understanding the Change in Instagram’s Visibility

As it stands both Facebook and Instagram have been not really appearing in any great volume in Google’s Search results. Accounts have been shown, but really with no real impact. Google had been protecting it’s turf. YouTube, Search are it’s main income sources so it wasn’t in Google’s best interests to bring in more competition. But that has now changed. I still can’t see why

What Does It Mean for Instagram Posts to be Searchable?

When I say that Instagram posts are now searchable on Google, it means that public content from professional accounts, whether it’s a business or creator account, has the potential to appear in search results. Previously, Google Search primarily indexed Instagram profiles, but now individual Instagram posts, including public photos and videos, can be indexed by Google. This means that when users perform a Google search, relevant Instagram content can now appear in search engine results, leading directly to the Instagram post.

How Instagram Content Will Start Showing Up in Google Search

The way Instagram content will start showing up in Google Search hinges on several factors, primarily the use of relevant keywords in captions and alt text. Optimizing your Instagram post with strong keywords ensures that when someone searches for those terms on Google, your Instagram post has a higher chance of appearing in Google search results. This extends the reach of your Instagram content beyond the platform itself, allowing you to capture a wider audience actively searching for related information. Proper use of hashtags also plays a role in how searchable your posts can become on Google.

The Timeline: Changes Starting July 10

The changes enabling Instagram posts on Google began with a phased rollout, starting July 10. This is when Google started indexing and displaying public photos and videos from Instagram. The initial phase might not have included all content, but as the indexing process progresses, more and more Instagram accounts and posts will begin appearing in Google. This shift presents a significant opportunity for those with a business or creator account to enhance their visibility by ensuring their Instagram content is optimized for search.

The Impact on Instagram SEO

This is going to have a massive impact on how Instagram. While accounts have been visible for some time on Google Search now every post will be discoverable which means usage of the platform will only increase. And who knows? This may even in time include Facebook?

How to Optimize Your Instagram Posts for Google Search

To optimize your Instagram posts for Google Search, focus on Instagram SEO techniques, ensuring your Instagram content is easily indexed by Google. Begin by identifying relevant keywords that your target audience is likely to use when performing a Google Search. Incorporate these keywords naturally into your caption and alt text, making your Instagram post more likely to appear in Google Search results. Creating high-quality, engaging public photos and videos will also increase the likelihood of your public content appearing in Google.

The Importance of Captions and Hashtags

Captions and hashtags are crucial for improving the visibility of your Instagram posts. A well-crafted caption not only engages your audience but also provides context that helps search engines understand the content of your Instagram post. Incorporate relevant keywords naturally within your caption to boost your chances of appearing in Google search. Similarly, strategic use of hashtags can significantly increase your Instagram content’s reach. Choose hashtags that are both relevant and popular to maximize the potential of appearing in Google Search results and broaden your audience reach and discoverability.

Strategies to Enhance Visibility of Public Posts

To enhance the visibility of your public posts and increase your chances of appearing in Google Search, several strategies can be employed. First, ensure your Instagram profile is set as a business or creator account to unlock additional features and analytics. Regularly post high-quality, engaging public content that is relevant to your target audience. Use descriptive and keyword-rich captions and alt text to improve Instagram SEO. Encourage engagement through comments and shares, as higher engagement can signal to search engines that your Instagram content is valuable.

Implications for Churches and Non-Profits & Brands

Your content now on Instagram is now equally important in terms of how your church or non-profit gets discovered as your website or YouTube. I suspect that Google will still prioritise YouTube and websites as this is their bread and butter already, but it still opens up a storytelling aspect to how your church or non-profit will get discovered as you will be putting humans on camera!

How This Change Affects Content Creators

This new development, where Instagram posts are now searchable on Google, significantly impacts content creators. With public content from professional accounts like business or creator accounts now indexed by Google, creators have a greater opportunity to increase their visibility. Optimizing their Instagram content with relevant keywords in captions and alt text will be crucial for appearing in Google search, driving more traffic to their Instagram profiles and reels.

Marketing Strategies for Brands in the New Landscape

For brands, the ability for Instagram posts to appear in search results necessitates a shift in marketing strategies. Brands must now focus on Instagram SEO by optimizing their public posts, including public photos and videos, with relevant keywords and hashtags to ensure they are indexed by search engines. Creating engaging Instagram content that aligns with customer searches will improve their chances of appearing in Google search results, leading to increased brand awareness and customer acquisition.

Engagement and Interaction: What to Expect

Expect increased engagement and interaction on Instagram as more Instagram posts start showing up in Google search. Users who discover Instagram content through Google Search are likely to be highly interested in the topic, potentially leading to higher conversion rates. Brands and creators should focus on fostering a community by responding to comments and encouraging shares to maximize the impact of their visibility when appearing in Google search results. Furthermore, the enhanced discoverability offers opportunities to drive traffic and appear in search engine results.

Future of Search Engines and Social Media Integration

Trends in Search Engine Indexing of Social Media Content

The trend of search engine indexing of social media content is only set to increase in the future. As search engines like Google strive to provide users with the most relevant and comprehensive search results, integrating public content from professional accounts from platforms like Instagram becomes essential. This trend started July 10 and signals a move towards a more integrated and holistic approach to search, benefiting both users and content creators alike. This shift emphasizes the importance of Instagram seo.

Potential for Increased Traffic and Audience Growth

The potential for increased traffic and audience growth is significant with Instagram posts on Google. As more Instagram accounts and posts are indexed by Google, businesses and creators can tap into a wider audience actively searching for information related to their content. By optimizing their Instagram content, including reels, with relevant keywords and hashtags, they can significantly increase their visibility and attract new followers, which will help with increasing traffic. This also enhances their chance of appearing in google search.

Comparing Instagram’s Searchability to Other Platforms

While other social media platforms also strive for searchability, Instagram’s integration with Google Search marks a significant step forward. Instagram’s visual focus makes it particularly well-suited for appearing in Google search results, especially for product-related queries. Compared to text-heavy platforms, Instagram’s engaging public photos and videos can capture attention more effectively. The ability to optimize captions and alt text for search engines further enhances Instagram’s edge in driving relevant traffic. To boost your visibility, ensure that your instagram content is tagged with relevant hashtags.

It’s called Magai and I honestly love it. I’m like a kid in a playground with many more toys to experiment with. There are 30 different paid AI apps you can try out all for the same price as one AI app.

They include:

• GPT-4o + GPT-4o Mini
• o1 + o1 Mini
• Gemini (Pro, Flash)
• Claude (Haiku, Sonnet, Opus)
• Meta Llama AI
• Nova (Lite, Micro, Pro)
• Grok
• Saved Prompts
• Dall-E 3
• Flux (Pro + Pro Ultra)
• Stable Diffusion 3.5
• Ideogram 2.0
• Leonardo AI
• Runway ML
• Luma Dream Machine
• Minimax
• Deepseek
• Mistral
• Perplexity Sonar, Sonar Pro & Deep Research
• Veo2

The other cool features is that the team at Magai have actually built a very good UI interface that rocks with some added functionality ontop of the tools.

• Read website or Youtube links: While ChatGPT might be unable to read a website link in real time, Magai does it. Just paste a link in your message and Magai will relay the contents of the URL to ChatGPT. Amazing time saving for me.

• AI Personas (aka GPTs) Choose from pre-made specialized AI personalities or create your own custom ones (like GPTs) that will result in 10x better content. This seriously rocks. I can create my own or use ones others have created. It just takes your content to the next level so much quicker.

How Can They Do This?

I know what you are thinking. How can they do this when it costs so much just to use one app. Truth is, I have no idea. But it’s legal and it works. I’ve seen a few other aggregator apps around but Magai is the best of breed.

There is a mixture of what you get, some are for social media, video, worship, background media. Like most free graphic resources you may need to exchange your email address to download the Easter Graphics, but hey, it’s free.

Church Canvas.ai

Download here

Download here

Church Fuel

Download here You need to sign up (for free) but there have stacks of free stuff.

Life.Church Open

I love how they provide free Easter graphics each year on their Open Network.

Download here Again you need to sign up.

Crossway

My comm’s team have created this graphic for our Easter Sunday Service this year. Feel free to contact me and one of my team will send you the file. We also have a more moody dramatic Good Friday graphic as well.

Why make a shorter sermon video reel?

Apart from what I wrote above about the discovery opportunities, we live in an era where our attention spans are much shorter and actually we would do well to highlight and impactful point the preacher was making to the congregation.

In other words, just get to the point preacher! As my friend Dave Adamson says, we live in a YouTube world where people are used to shorter content. 

Step 1: Choose A Video Clip Editor

There are a few cool browser based video editor ai tools for churches that will help you turn your sermons into shareable videos that will reach more people. They have the capacity to create clips for all the major social media platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok, Youtube Shorts and Facebook Reels. Here are some that I have tested and used to create videos for posting to social media.

Sermon Shots 

Post Sunday 

Pulpit.ai

Church.Tech

Opus Clip

I’m not going to review them in this post. Explore them all and learn the strengths and weaknesses in each product. All these products have other great features as well which I will write about in another post.

Step 2: Create Your BrandKit

Most of the good ai-powered sermon editor tools have brandkits. Once they are set up, you don’t have to think about fonts or colours for your captions and logos each time you create a reel. This saves your valuable digital ministry time. 

Step 3: Upload Your Sermon

What I love about these tools is that when you upload original content from your Sunday service like your sermon they will automatically select what they think are some of the main points and create engaging clips using the AI powered software.  

You can also upload any devotional thoughts that you have shot on video too. Don’t just think about sermons!

Why Use AI-Powered Sermon Clips

Some of you may be put off by the use of AI. But when you are harnessing the power of AI in the right way in your video editing, it will act as an assistant video editor (Not your Video Director) clipping you some of the best bits and save time for you to spend working on other things. I watch all our sermons every week, four times every weekend, so I always know what those points are. And so far, they are always matching what I have written down as what are best the shareable moments we should be posting across social media platforms. 

It’s important to grasp this key difference to use it as an assistant rather than a Director.

How To Make Your Video Clips Go Viral

You can actually help your content go further. For example on YouTube in the studio it will tell you the best times to post when your audience is online. That is a great start as it gives your video clip a good head start and if it resonates with them and they engage with it, then it will travel beyond your audience to more people.

A second factor is to test different types of content. Sermon clips is what I have referenced above. But there is so much more content you can post. For example, I find worship video shorts on YouTube go further than sermon video shorts on YouTube. We’ve had the occasional piece of worship content go well beyond our existing audience.

A third factor can be seasonality. If you post types of content in the right season you can trend jack the season and your content will go much further. For example. We love creating Christmas carols clips in the lead up to Christmas and they always go further than our existing audience. And they do it again the following Christmas as well.

There is no secret formula go making your content go viral, but you can give it a good push!

As you may know if you’ve been reading my blog for some time you will have also read my posts about the ever changing face of digital comms and more specifically, social media.

The same now is happening in the creative communications arena. For Graphic Designers, writers, and in the near future in video. How we create what we create will fundamentally change forever.

Read that again.

How we create what we create will fundamentally change forever.

For many of us with a creative background we will be opposed to the introduction of generative AI. I get that argument. There is some beautiful in the way we express ourselves in creating what we create. However I’ve heard that argument since I started in the creative arts industry. When I started out as a graphic designer we set type in ‘Hot Metal’ (If you don’t know what that is, look at the photo at the top) Then computers came in and we could set type on a screen. Then Mac’s arrived and we could design whole pages. Then colour screens arrived. Then the internet arrived and it all changed again.

Editor’s note: I’ve found this cool app that will let you play with nearly all Generative AI app’s for the price of one. Read more here.

Change is a natural part of the creative process. How we create will always shift. The techniques we use change with the technology presented to us. At the heart of it all still was our talent and gifting. No matter how new the software was, the scarcity of our own talent was the deciding factor on the end product.

Now that’s changed for ever.

There is no longer scarcity of knowledge in creating. AI has flipped that idea on it’s head. Creativity is now open source and what has been limited to very few creatives is now infinite knowledge accessible to the many.

There are some examples out there, but one example I want highlight, because its the first I’ve seen of its kind is Church Canvas. Church Canvas is an AI Design Tool with a user-friendly platform designed specifically for churches to create professional-looking graphics, event banners, sermon slides, and other design materials quickly and easily in seconds by simply describing what you want designed.

While it’s only just launched I believe this product is a canary in the mine for all creative services. What was scarce, it now available to all. It’s not based on my talent. But on what knowledge the AI is fed. It’s not perfect as all new innovations aren’t. But I’d encourage you to give it a go and see for yourself. Yes there are products like Canva that have text to image prompts already, but there is nothing specific until now in the church niche.

On the overwhelmingly positive side of things, for all my creative friends, there will always be a place for artists and creatives. Just how we use the tools to create will be different.

In case you are wondering why I haven’t written about it, I’ve been learning myself and wanted to give you an educated introduction rather than just repeating what online echo chambers talk about. I’ll be including it much more in the future.

Understanding the AI Landscape

Web evolution: To look forward we first have to look back. The internet has evolved from read-only Web 1.0 brochure style website to interactive social media and e-commerce (Web 2.0) to an immersive, interactive experience. We are now in Web 3.0 and that includes AI.

Different types of AI

Generative AI The AI you’ve likely encountered is generative AI, which creates content like images, video, music, and text.

Agentic AI AI that can perform tasks for you, such as booking flights and do other repetitive tasks. We are in the first few months of this.

Theory of Mind AI: An advanced form of AI that’s still under development, aiming to understand human emotions, beliefs, and social behaviors. This AI could eventually recognize and respond to human feelings and intentions in sophisticated ways.

Self Aware AI A theoretical and futuristic form of AI that possesses self-awareness, consciousness, and an understanding of its existence. Currently, it exists only in science fiction and philosophical discussions, not in practice.

Different Levels of AI

Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) Current AI is limited to specific tasks. This is currently what we are seeing right now.

Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) The next step is AI that exceeds human intelligence across a range of tasks but is not yet conscious.

Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI) AI with consciousness and independent thought.

We are currently in between the ANI and AGI stages of AI development. AI was at the level of a PhD student last November, but now it has already mastered specialities. The advancements are happening faster than anyone predicted.

Practical AI Applications for Churches

AI isn’t just a ‘do it for you’ tool, it’s a ‘do it with you’ tool.

Sermon Preparation Instead of asking AI to write a sermon, use it to refine your content or adjust the length of your message.

Content Repurposing AI can repurpose sermon content into devotionals or reading plans, saving time and increasing efficiency.

AI Bible Tools Tools like Bible AI can provide devotionals or theological insights from the perspective of theologians like C.S. Lewis

Website Chatbots AI chatbots on church websites can answer theological questions, drawing from your sermons and beliefs.

Several products are available to help ministries with sermon preparation and content repurposing. These tools can extract key points, create quotable quotes, and generate discussion guides and devotionals.

Examples:

Read my post about Sermon Shots, Pulpit.AI, Church.tech, and Pastors.AI

Logos: it has an AI built in. I like their ethical approach on how they have integrated it, rather than replacing you, it assists you in your sermon preparation.

Magai: A great tool It gives access to all the AI tools to test and try out. All for one very price that you would usually pay for one AI tool.

The Future is Here – Why It Matters

AI is already integrated into many tools you use daily. The capabilities of AI are expanding rapidly. For example, text-to-video technology can create 4K videos from a prompt. It is predicted this technology will replace cinema as we know it.

In the same way the internet changed many aspects of ministry, AI will have a much more deeper and wider impact, for better and worse than we think.

Ethical Considerations

AI presents an ethical challenge. Some countries may prioritize advancement without ethical considerations. Bias is inherent in AI. AI’s biases need to be recognized.

Societal Impact and Pastoral Implications

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates AI will affect almost 40% of jobs worldwide. It will directly impact 60% of jobs in the first world. This could lead to job displacement and the need for pastoral care for those affected. There are concerns that AI could replace human connection and community, leading to loneliness and isolation.

Navigating the AI Revolution

1. Acknowledge the reality: AI is here and will continue to evolve.
2. Address one small problem: Identify a specific problem in your ministry and explore how AI can help.
3. Master a tool: Rather than getting overwhelmed by the multitude of AI tools, focus on mastering one that meets your needs.
4. Stay informed: Keep abreast of the latest developments in AI and their potential impact on ministry and society.
5. Consider ethical implications: Evaluate the ethical considerations of using AI in your ministry.
6. Remember the human element: AI should augment, not replace, human interaction and the work of the Holy Spirit.
7. Prepare for societal changes: Consider the pastoral implications of job displacement and other societal changes brought about by AI.

AI offers incredible potential for ministry, but it also presents challenges. By understanding AI and its implications, churches can harness its power for good while remaining grounded in faith and values.

Christmas is coming! And for most churches it is one of the few times when most people in the community are actually searching for a church near them. I know that stings a bit, but it’s true.

Christmas is a season where you want your church to be packed to the rafters, standing room only. Full of guests and first time visitors.

The problem is that most church’s website are invisible on Google Search Engine. Most of the year, if your church isn’t in the top three search results, which take 90% of search traffic, then you are basically invisible anyway. But at Christmas this is doubly true because most churches don’t put any seasonal content on their website.

You see your community isn’t just searching for a ‘church near me’ or ‘christian church’ at Christmas they are searching for something more specific like ‘Christmas Church services’ or ‘Christmas Carols’

Or they are searching for a broader topical search around the meaning of Christmas.

Again, is your church at the top of Google’s search rankings for this type of search?

Would you like your church to be No. 1 in Google’s search results and get more visitors?

I can help your church reach the dizzy heights of the top of Google’s search results this Christmas. Be first. Be seen by everyone who wants to visit a church. Which will mean, more visitors. I can help your church. Email me now. steve@stevefogg.com

YouTube is the social media channel right now. It has grown by 22% over the last two years. For three out of four age ranges it is the number one or two most popular social media channel. Oh and if that wasn’t enough, it is the world’s second largest search engine.

If you want to reach more people, your ministry needs to be on this channel. I’ve created a short video to help your channel get more views for free.

By simply using these tips I’ve grown my church’s YouTube subscribers to the channel by 35%. It also had over 200,000 views in the last year alone.

Tip #1: Schedule For The Best Time to Post

You can see inside Youtube Studio when the best time is to post. It will show you under the audience tab every hour and day

Tip #2: Title Descriptions Are Important

YouTube is the world’s second biggest search engine and your videos will be seen by more people depending on what titles you use and what descriptions and hashtags you use.

Tip #3: Thumbnail Stops The Scroll

We live in a visual world and the graphics in your thumbnail will help more potential viewers pick your video over another channel’s video.

Tip #4: Research Your Topic First

Okay so I probably got this the wrong way around in the process, but do research on the video topic before you choose a title and thumbnail. It really helps see what potentially is working and what isn’t working in the topic you are recording video in.

Bonus Tip #5 Use Your Email List

Every church, charity or business has an email list. Invite your audience to watch your content by emailing them a link to the video on your channel.

Want To Get More Views On Your Own YouTube Channel?

Growing your YouTube channel and getting more viewscan be a daunting proposition. I can help you get more views on your channel. Send me an email now at steve@stevefogg.com

Every Easter I love looking around the world at the creativity of churches on their websites. 2024 is no exception. There is some great graphic design and web development work being done. I think everyone who serves in a Communications role should be looking at what people are doing. It’s a great way to not only see the breath of creativity, but it can also spark our own imagine for the future. If I’ve missed your church let me know in the comments below.

When looking around I’m looking at some specific areas:

• Graphic Design
• Communications – who’s it for and what is on the page
• UI/UX what the website does as you scroll and look around the page.
• What ‘next step’ can a visitor take?

Easter At Saddleback Church

Easter At Transformation Church

Easter At Mariners Church

Easter At NewSpring Church

Easter at Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB)

Easter At Life.Church

Easter At Elevation Church

Easter At Crossway Church

Easter At 12Stone Church

Fellowship Church

You Turn

Is there an Easter church website that you like? Drop a link and why you like it in the comments.