Introduction to news items

A news item is a broadcast or published report of news about a particular topic. A blog is similar, but has a much more personal feel, almost like an online journal that's frequently updated and is there for the general public. Whether you add news or write a blog, writing updates on your site that can be easily shared and commented on is an ideal way to connect with your local community.

Keeping your church updated with events and important information

As a member of your church, you probably understand the importance of keeping everyone updated with all the new information and events that are going on. Using news items on your website can help you to spread the message faster for your church members. Traditionally having the information posted and announced at Church was how most people found out about what was going on. Now, posting it on your Church's Website can help to let everyone know what's going on so that they don't miss out and can get involved.

Using news or a blog to engage with your local community

Having new news items, or a blog on your website not only provides the perfect opportunity to let your community know what's happening at your church, but is well-placed for evangelism. By keeping a blog or news area within your church website you have the perfect platform to engage with non-church members who may well be searching for answers and friendships.

Recent research has reported that over 9million people in the UK (almost one fifth of the population) are always or often lonely. This is a shocking statistic, and yet reflects the rise in the breakdown of families, and the use of social media, that has been shown to exacerbate loneliness rather than reduce it. Knowing that you are loved and accepted by Jesus Christ fills that inner ache of loneliness, but sadly this generation seems unaware of this truth. This is where the church website comes into its own as you can use the blog or news section to reach out to those who feel isolated, unheard, or unloved.

Importance of content in SEO

Keeping your website updated with new content is great for optimising your search engine rankings. Search engines like Google use highly advanced algorithms to determine what will be the most relevant result for a search. Content has always been the number one factor. The content should be unique and relevant and copying content from another website is frowned upon by search engines and they will show the original content above yours. Search engines also look for keywords in your content so including words and phrases that people will search from would be a good idea for when you write your news.

Top tips for writing news items

1.). Planning

Before writing any news, it may be a good idea to plan it out first. Sometimes, it can be helpful to write a first, second and third draft before publishing the article. After writing each draft, read through your content to make sure that your spelling and grammar is correct and that it flows well. This will make the task of writing the final draft easier and the published news article will be higher quality. You should also plan to include keywords and phrases so that you can add them to your content a way that sounds natural. 

2.) Layout

The layout of your news is important because an article that is well structured is easier to read and helps you to get your message across to the readers. You should include headings, meaningful sub-headings, lists (bulleted or numbered) and highlighted keywords and keep to one idea per paragraph to layout your content in a scannable format. Research on how people read the web from Nielsen Norman Group shows that 79% of their test users scanned the information on a page where only 16% read word by word.

3.) Use correct copy

Using correct copy may seem obvious but there have been many cases of news articles published with incorrect grammar and spelling mistakes that make the article seem unprofessional. Readers will take your news less seriously and they would be more likely to click off without reading the whole thing. You could have someone read through your article before you post it so that they can find the mistakes for you. Another way to check your copy is by downloading a browser extension like Grammarly that reads through your copy for you and points out errors how to fix them.

4.) Stay on Subject 

When writing a news article for your Church Pages website, it is important to keep to the subject. This helps to keep the keywords consistent and makes it easier for you to write your article, keeping your points clear. It also removes information that isn't relevant, keeping your readers engaged in the content that you've posted.

How can we help?

Here at Church Pages, we are passionate about helping churches to get their voices out there, especially through high-quality websites. If you need help writing a news item or are interested in reaching a larger audience with a mobile friendly website, Please feel free to contact us.