News & Trends

This article originally appeared in AV Magazine on May 6, 2020.

Ian Sharpe, CEO, Promethean

Shifting video trends are influencing the ways in which churches reach and engage with congregants, says Ian Sharpe, CEO of Promethean.

2020. The year of unpredictability. We’ve seen it all, and we’re only four months in.

During the changing and developing times that we live in, connectivity is vital. Since Covid-19 has hit, nearly one third of the world’s population are now in total isolation, making face-to-face contact nearly impossible. But are ‘virtual’ touch points the solution to isolation?

Video streaming and live content is increasing tenfold in terms of daily users, causing innovations and trends to gather pace at an alarming rate. It has also called into question the innovations which we would have previously considered to be a luxury, which are now being classed as essential to keeping the social world turning. The increase in interactions with live content isn’t just affecting one vertical, it is providing beneficial results wherever companies have a product to showcase, or an audience craving information.

One sector that is feeling the benefits of the unprecedented growth in technological advances and enhanced online viewership is faith-based broadcasting. Houses of worship are some of the fastest-growing groups online, with video streaming increasingly being used to reach out to congregations and enhance the way they practice their faith. With video technology constantly evolving, it is vital for churches and temples to understand how to respond to these updates and reach audiences on the devices they are most comfortable using.

Dynamic Video Trends

Shifting video trends are playing a more prominent role in influencing how the church reaches and engages with congregants. Live video church services improve the flexibility and freedom that the congregation has. Where previously large swathes of the global church congregations could not attend a service or during periods of self-isolation, live streaming gives the religious community the choice to be a part of as little or as much of the service as they like, as well as being able to access on-the-go or at home.

Mobile is quickly becoming the channel of choice for many churchgoers, especially millennials. This is particularly true in today’s world where almost everybody has a relationship with some kind of smartphone or a tablet. Combined with an internet connection, the reach for mobile church congregations is massive. The correct use of video streaming will give houses of worship the opportunity to build upon a devoted congregation, making the idea of joining a church service not only easy to access, but also a modern and ‘with-the-times’ event.

Implementing Video Analytics

The implementation of video analytics for houses of worship are effective and can help to drive engagement, but requires the right technology to be in place. Video analytics can provide users with more personalised and accurate data, and with these insights, churches are in a better position to understand the viewing behaviour of their congregation and create deeper and more in depth connections. This will lead to accurate personalised recommendations, including related video content that will resonate with their congregations. The use of video analytics will give a clear insight into what the audience likes to see and hear, and what they don’t. This will give places of worship excellent scope to tailor their services to the needs and desires of their congregation in a way that might not be possible from a face-to-face perspective.

Donating Through Live Streaming

The coronavirus pandemic is putting a huge financial strain on houses of worship, with some cutting staff or closing buildings, as congregants cannot attend services or show their gratitude in person. This is even more prevalent for places of worship that do not stream their services and accept donations electronically, prior to and during the virus shutdown.

Online donations are an incredibly powerful source of funding for houses of worship and can help them navigate these challenging times, to serve their community and gather their much-needed funds. Video streaming is a great way to continue creating the content that congregants love, while letting them show their appreciation and contribute toward the church’s efforts.

During a normal, face-to-face church service, only 10-25 per cent of the congregation will donate money to the church. However, when churches accept donations online, the figures show that roughly a third of the congregation (33 per cent) will contribute. Therefore, it is clear that the greater the levels of engagement levels, the greater the level of donations received will be.

In addition, according to The Data Revolution, a 2017 national survey from GivePlus discovered that 62 per cent of church members would rather give to churches through some digital means. For millennials aged 25–34, that percentage jumped to 75 per cent. Although this was in a survey taken almost three years ago, we can almost certainly predict that the percentage of people wanting to make digital donations has only grown further.

Social Media to Complement Video Streaming

You might be forgiven for thinking that live streaming on social media platforms will give houses of worship unprecedented reach. However, while it is clearly a useful tool for messaging, churches will find themselves coming up against challenges from Facebook’s algorithm. For instance, even if the whole congregation liked the Facebook page, and they’re on Facebook during live streaming, only a fraction of them would see the stream, such is the nature of the platform. A better alternative would be for churches to use social media solely for promotional purposes, and embed a live stream into their own website.

Social media can be used to reach out to both new audiences and the existing congregations, but won’t be held back by social media algorithms. Churches can also seamlessly integrate it into video content to build a community, convey their messages, and engage with their digital audience.

The Future of Faith-based Video

Keeping ahead of the curve of the latest video technology trends is not a prime concern of many houses of worship, especially when faced with the challenges brought by Covid-19. However, the benefits of those willing to persevere are exponential. With access to new tools, technologies developments, and data, houses of worship can continue moving from strength to strength.

Considering mobile optimisation, as well as social media integration and donation opportunities, will also give churches better opportunities to engage with congregations and extend their reach. Digitalisation is especially important during times of crisis, and none so more than during the global lockdown, where online communication is our only real contact with the outside world and loved ones.

Not only will video streaming keep the church moving throughout lockdown and provide solace to their communities at home, it will also help build a strong and devoted digital congregation in the longer term with many church-goers continuing to consume media online.