The Cost Of Doing It Yourself
Have you ever tried to do something that you are not really gifted, talented, or trained to do? We all have. We think…I can do it – and save money in the process! Yet, what usually happens is that we get frustrated, irritated, agitated, and in the end, the job takes us five times as long to complete and the end result looks sloppy or unprofessional.
Learning Lessons
I have learned this lesson several times the hard way. Years ago, I tried renovating my basement. I am absolutely not a carpenter. It took me months to complete the job and I swore I would never ever do dry-walling again! I am not trained, I am not talented, and I am really not passionate about being a good carpenter. A few years ago, when my wife and I decided to build a new house…I contracted the entire project out. The job was completed in three months and the craftsmanship and structural integrity are spectacular. Yes, it cost me, but it was absolutely worth every penny.
Lead With Your Strengths
I got thinking about how this applies to the church because Steve Fogg, wrote a post for Ministry Marketing Coach yesterday titled Leading With Your Strengths on this exact topic. You will want to read about his attempt to exterminate possums from his home – he should have called a professional! His points as they relate to the church are compelling and I agree 100% with his perspective – he says:
“Like me, churches need to understand where its strengths lie—what they are good at, and what they aren’t good at. We need to lead with our strengths and get help in the areas of weakness. If that means hiring a graphic designer, a brand strategist, a videographer, a PR specialist, etc., then so be it. If it means that it will cost us money, so be it.”
I encourage you as a church leader to take Steve’s advice. Don’t hurt your church’s brand and your communication effectiveness by doing your church marketing internally if you don’t have professional resources and talent at your disposal. Sub-contract this work out. Have your web site designed by a professional, pay to have your graphic design, marketing, and social media strategy crafted by someone who is trained, talented, experienced, and knows what they are doing.
The Cost of Getting it Wrong
At first, it will appear that your “cost” is a lot more. However, if you factor in the time it takes to do it yourself, the risk of it being incomplete, unfocused, irrelevant, and ineffective, then you are actually saving money in the long run. The damage that poorly done marketing can do far outweighs the cost to get it done strategically and with excellence the first time. For a church, you have the responsibility of communicating the message of Jesus. This is a life changing message and people’s eternity hangs in the balance. Do you really want to risk communicating that message poorly, ineffectively, or getting it wrong – all for the sake of what amounts in the grand scheme of it all…a little bit of money?
Image via Flickr by Jax60
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