Effective marketing is one of the trickier tasks for churches.
While challenging, it is still possible to promote your church while maintaining the authenticity of your message.
If you want to grow your congregation, read on for 5 tips for improving your church marketing plan.
Discover Yourself
Before you can promote your church to potential new members, you need to understand yourself.
Every organization has a certain identity and personality, from non-profits to large corporations. Churches are no different.
What type of church are you?
How do you worship? Are you influenced by any cultures based on your history? Do you emphasize certain types of community work?
Every church has a unique personality. Once you evaluate yourself and find ways to characterize your church, your church marketing plan will be much more focused.
Do Research
- Edwards Deming is attributed with a quote relevant to marketers and church-goers alike: “In God we trust; all others bring data.”
Research should be the foundation upon which all marketing activities are based. Data shows you the actual sources of problems.
Take the time to do some primary research about your church. Create a survey for your congregation. Ask them how they found the church, why they come every Sunday, and what they want to see.
More importantly, gather information from people not going to church. If a family decides to leave, ask them politely to answer some questions. You could also host focus groups for community members, regardless of their affiliation.
Research takes effort, but it will save you time and money with a more effective, data-driven marketing plan.
Target Your Message
All churches want to uphold Christ’s directive and reach everyone. But while you can sow the seeds, some just won’t take root.
Focus on the seeds that you can nurture.
Of these, individual seeds may have different needs. Some need more water. Others need richer soil or more sun.
Your research should give you the insight to develop audience segments. Like the seeds, different segments have different needs and desires.
Crafting targeted messages for each segment will make those messages more effective. The seeds have a better chance to grow and flourish.
Prioritize Your Website
Too many church websites look straight out of the early 2000s.
A website is the first face that many people see of your church. Make a good first impression.
Websites are an essential part of a church marketing plan. They host contact information, photos, and ways to sign up for newsletters and other marketing automation programs. A well-maintained site is also needed to appear in search results.
If your web presence needs some love, rebuilding your site is a good investment.
Set Objectives
Churches typically have the goal of growing and expanding, but their endgame is rarely more specific than that.
Objectives should be specific and use baseline numbers gathered in your research. List who you’re targeting, what you want to accomplish, the amplitude of the change, and a deadline. The specificity will allow you to evaluate your progress.
“Increase attendance by the 18-23 age bracket by 15% by December 31st, 2018” is better than “bring in more young people.”
Specific objectives will help focus your work and show you how effective your work is.
Improve Your Church Marketing Plan
As churches adapt to the online age, it helps to have digital tools built with the faith in mind.
Christian Web Host offers web hosting and other packages for churches and Christian organizations. Take the first steps to updating your church marketing today.