What if I told you that I could tell you whether an organization was healthy or not simply by looking at their website. Would you believe me? Take a look at this chart:

This pyramid ain't in Egypt ... No!

Do you know what this is? It’s the Organizational Communications Pyramid, a graphic I’ve put together to illustrate the flow of strategy and communications in an organization.

The basic premise of this chart boils down to one principle: An organization’s website reveals the integrity of the internal communications strategy.

Obviously, each level builds off the previous one. We’re going somewhere, here. Here’s what you’re looking at:

1. Organizational Big Idea. When you distill it down, this is what your organization is all about. You have to figure this out before you go anywhere else.
2. Communications Strategy (Print & Digital). This is how you get the word out about your organization, both internally and externally; digital and print. If you don’t know what your big idea is, communicating it is kind of tough! What’s your strategy?
3. Website Strategy. This is one component of your communications strategy, which is why it rests where it does. If you don’t nail down your communications strategy, your website will fail. Every time. If you don’t know how to communicate, your website will be your gimpy leg.
4. Social Media Strategy. Social media are your outposts. The website has been, and always will be, homebase. For your social media strategy to be sound, you have to have a solid homebase to send people to. All the tweets in the world won’t create a good website.

I’ll be explaining this chart in-depth at Speak: The Church Online next week in the Twin Cities. I’d love it if you’d consider joining us. This is one slide in a deck of dozens, ya heard?

Translation: There’s a lot more where this came from!

What does your website say about you? Your organization? Your church? Let us know in the comments below!