Customized Marketing Strategy
This is the ninth and last article in a series about church consulting that we are presenting on our Church Encourager platform. In this article we are talking about the importance of a Church Marketing Strategy.
Talking about “marketing” and the “church” in the same sentence makes some people uncomfortable. Perhaps they feel like they are “selling” Christianity, but church marketing is really about letting people in your community know that you exist and giving them a peek behind the scenes as to what you do.
Think of church marketing as a tool to help people who are in need of what your church offers to be able to connect with you. We are not trying to sell something people don’t need. We are trying to connect them with the One who changes everything.
Church marketing done well can help you get your message out in a clear and concise way to the people who need to hear it. It is my experience that most churches are really not very well known in their community. Our church is in a small town of about 4,000 people. We have been there 40 years. About 25 years ago I started deliberately asking local people if they had heard about or knew where our church was. I was shocked by the number of people who had no idea. We set out on a journey to change that and by and large we have made a dent in people knowing about us.
Even before Covid happened more than eighty percent of churches were either in decline or had plateaued. The Church exists not only to nurture the faithful but also to be a light into the world. How do the unchurched find you if they don’t know where you are?
In today’s culture we need to take advantage of ways to reach out to people where they are. And almost everyone is spending some time on Social Media. Our church has had great success using Facebook ads. They are inexpensive and for the most part cost effective.
While every church would obviously need different marketing strategies here are a couple of quick ideas to get the ball rolling.
Sit down with a calendar and plan out some type of event that you can promote either monthly or bi-monthly. You are probably already doing something for Easter and Mother’s Day. That’s two right off the bat. Then maybe a summer Vacation Bible School? A fall festival in October? Christmas Eve candlelight services? What other events could you plan for the year? Also think about what you might need in the way of a budget for your events.
You also need to make sure you are prepared for new visitors. New visitors should be greeted warmly as they enter your facility. If they have children you need to let them know where the children’s church is and how to drop their kids off and pick them up. It is also a good idea to have a little gift package for first time visitors.
A church marketing strategy can go a long way in helping you reach out and minister to your community. Your church has a desire to reach people, and there are people in your community who need to be reached. Church marketing can help make that connection happen.
Steve Lawes is a Certified Church Consultant and a Church Encourager.
