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The #1 Mistake Churches Make In Their Marketing & How To Correct It Quickly

The #1 Mistake Churches Make in Their Marketing � And How to Correct It Quickly
By Steve Kroening

Have you ever driven by a church and seen a huge banner on the lawn or on the building? The banner usually is a huge advertisement for an upcoming event at the church. These banners can be very effective for bringing people into the church for the event. However, they also could reveal a huge flaw in that churches marketing strategy.

How could a banner that brings people into the church possibly reveal a flaw in their overall marketing strategy?

First of all, let's be clear. The flaw is not necessarily in the banner itself. The message, the tone, the wording on the banner could all be perfect. And yet, this absolutely perfect banner could be a signal that the church's market strategy is flawed. How?

The flaw comes in the church's understanding of what marketing is. Most churches have a marketing strategy that is "event" driven. In other words, the only time they communicate with the public is when the church has an "event." It could be a picnic, a concert, a revival, or holiday celebration. As soon as a church has an event on the calendar, the banner goes up.

So what's wrong with "event" marketing? Again, the flaw isn't in the event or in the banner. The church could run all of its events with precision. No, the flaw is in the strategy.

For marketing to be truly effective, you can't see it as an "event." You have to see it as a "process."

In fact, marketing is much like the Christian life. Eugene Peterson wrote a book several years ago called "A Long Obedience in the Same Direction." It's a book about real discipleship and living the Christian life. Just as Christianity isn't a one-time event, but a "long obedience in the same direction," effective marketing is a process that takes place every day, over a long period of time, with a desired goal in mind.

Unfortunately, too many churches market only when they have a big event. Their marketing is entirely event driven. And, as a result, their impact on the community occurs only when they have an event.

But most pastors I know want their church to have a daily impact on the community. And they want every part of their church to have that impact. Well, what if your marketing could have that type of impact? What if your marketing strategy was able to reach people every day? What if your church could touch a large percentage of the population surrounding your church every day?

It is possible. In fact, your church can have this type of impact for a lot lower cost than you might think.

Obviously, having this type of impact with banners is just about impossible. Having a different banner every day would be expensive and it would be a logistical nightmare.

Of course, you could use the TV or radio. Many large churches use this marketing strategy very effectively. Bryant Wright, pastor of Johnson Ferry Baptist in Atlanta, has a daily one-minute radio spot on the local stations. Every day, people in the local listening area hear his Right From the Heart messages, giving him a huge impact on his community.

But these radio spots don't come cheap. For most churches, the price is just too high. The same could be said for TV spots.

What about ads in the newspaper? There are a few problems with newspapers. Usually the only daily papers are the large city papers, which may not hit your target audience. The smaller local papers are typically sent out weekly. If you're fortunate enough to live in a smaller city with a daily, then you could have a daily impact with articles and ads in the paper. However, these can be a lot of work - especially if you're writing articles. And the cost for advertising in the newspaper every day can be high.

One of the least expensive ways to reach out every day is to simply have people go door to door. Some churches use this strategy very effectively. Most of the time, we think about the Mormons and Jehovah's Witness. But other individual churches have found success sending people out every day.

The impact on the community over time can be sizable. Unfortunately, you can see only a few homes each day. It's tough to organize and find volunteers, as it's distasteful for most. And many communities prohibit door-to-door solicitations.

So what's the answer? How can you reach your community every day and have an ongoing impact? How can you reach out to a community without spending a small fortune? And how can you deliver a clear message to thousands of people every day?

The answer comes from the culture we live in today. We live in a high-tech society. Families surf the Internet daily and they email each other to stay in communication. They text each other second-by-second. And they spend a lot of time in their cars. They're driving to and from work. They're driving to school and school events. And they're driving to all the sporting and other extra-curricular events. So your church needs ways to market within these cultural realities. Here are a few suggestions:

(1) Make sure you have a website that has all of your churches regular happenings listed. If someone wants to know about your church, the web is one of the first places they'll turn today. But you need to go beyond the website. You need to offer a daily e-newsletter and a way to sign up for it on your website. This e-newsletter can have a thought for the day, a brief snippet from that week's sermon, a quote from great preachers. You have to make it easy, or you won't get it out every day. This e-newsletter is a fantastic marketing tool that costs almost nothing to produce and send out. And it becomes a great marketing tool for the events your church puts on.

(2) Develop a way for people in the community to text your church prayer requests. The church that really impacts a community always starts with prayer. And having a prayer text line allows people to connect with your church in a somewhat non-threatening way. With this text line, you find out the needs of your community. And you'll find that the prayer line will expand into further methods of serve.

(3) The greatest problem any church or business has is getting the word out about their website, their e-newsletter, or their prayer text line. Driving traffic to your website is crucial for its success as a daily marketing tool. By far, the best way to get the word out is with a moving message sign. In fact, an LED moving message sign is perhaps the greatest marketing tool a church can have.

With a moving message sign, you can advertise those big events. You can drive traffic to your website. You can encourage people to sign up for your e-newsletter. You can ask for prayer requests via text. And you can reach people when they are most attentive - when they're driving their car. What's more, you can send out a daily message that impacts your community. You can supercharge your marketing by turning it from an event into a process. And you can do it for a lot less than other advertising mediums.

If your church doesn't have an LED moving message sign, now may be the time to put one up. Signs Plus Signs now has some incredible deals on leasing and purchasing their signs. And chances are they have one that will fit your church's budget. To find out more, simply visit their website or give them a call at 800-848-4262.

 

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Steve Kroening is a marketing copywriter, advertorial writer, and advertising consultant.