The Church Planter’s Top Two Marketing Tools
A church “plant” is Christianese for a start-up church. A church starting from scratch either independently, supported by a partnering or “mother” church, or one that is “planted” or launched by a denomination.
Every year hundreds of new churches are planted across North America. Regardless of the size of the launch team, most church plants these days begin by including in their start-up costs a budget line for marketing. Most of these churches realize that getting “the word out” in their community – that they are new in town – is critical to their success.
I am a marketer. I have a degree in marketing and 19 years of corporate sales and marketing experience. I also was part of a church planting team in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia that launched LifeBridge Community Church on Easter Sunday 2005. We had a budget for marketing and we have “experimented” with a number of different marketing techniques and tools.
The Secret
So, given my experience, you would assume that I know what I am doing. But I don’t. Yes, I know the right marketing techniques but I cannot give you the magical marketing solution or plan. Why? Because there isn’t a perfect plan. But, I can share with you which two marketing tools yielded the greatest impact for our church plant…
- A Professional Web Site – by far and away one of our most important marketing tools. I always ask new people how they came to discover LifeBridge and probably 50% of new visitors say they searched online, found our site easily, and were compelled enough to come check us out. A great web site is a critical component of effective church plant marketing.
- Invitation Cards – equip your members with a small business-card sized invitation. A simple card with your church branding and logo on the front (as seen above) and the location, map, directions, service times, contact information, and the web site address on the back (as seen below). This is how you resource your church for representation! People can carry business card invitations with them everywhere they go. In wallets, purses, backpacks, cars – wherever. Let your people share their enthusiasm as they mix in their networks and give them this simple, cost-effective tool to help them invite people to their church. These invitation cards have been our best marketing tool.
You did notice that I listed the web site first but said the invitation cards were our most effective tool. The cards were the most effective invitation tool but their effectiveness is diminished without the great web site. When people invite their friends, the trust-factor of that invitation and recommendation is very high but 90% of the time people who receive these cards will do their own personal investigation of the church via the web before they will act on the invitation.
You must have a professionally designed new-visitor focused web site. Make sure it represents your minsitry with excellence, is easy for the invitee to get a real sense of what to expect, and help them discover what you are all about. Be transparent and genuine – and give them all the information they will need to confidently act on the invitation of their friends.
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http://www.raisetheeup.com MichaelHolmes
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