Marketing Like God

I constantly stand by the following statement, “The reason people do not attend church is because they see no benefit in attending.” Look at it this way…Why would you go to a restaurant that had food you didn’t like? Or see a movie you didn’t have any interest in? Outside of your partner, friend, or relative that invited you, you probably wouldn’t care to go. The church is no different. If families cannot see a benefit in attending on Sunday morning, why would they go? Sure there are churches all over the world that have their seats full of people who don’t want to be there, but why would you even want these people to come?

As you know, Easter and Christmas are considered the two most strategic times of year to attract people to your church. Yet, most churches don’t realize that there is one more key time of year for bringing new people into their congregation. When is this special season? It’s Back to School. If you’re not marketing to your community at this time of year, you are missing out on potential guests!

We love to market the church for special holidays, but the “Back to School” season is something special as well. Back to School season offers churches a chance to do something special. It offers churches a chance to reach out in new ways and launch life-applicable sermon series. Back to School is a time when people are “ripe”.  Look at the four reasons below to discover just how important and productive it can be to introduce a Fall marketing campaign to your marketing arsenal.

4 reasons why Fall is such a great time to market your church?

1. People move more in the summer months.

Awareness - With such a large number of people moving in the summer, there will be a number of families who don’t even know your church exists. End of summer is a great opportunity to invite new residents to your church and create awareness!

Socialization – More people move during the summer months than any other time of year. After a move, people are looking for places to shop, eat, go to the doctor, and attend church. New residents have a desire to get to know people in their community. A church can provide a great way to meet new neighbors and assimilate into a new community.

2. People who come to church in the Fall are more likely to “stick”.

Every year pastors are frustrated by the masses of people who show up for Easter and Christmas only to continue their previous habit of non-attendance. People have been conditioned to go to church during these times. During the Back to School season people are prompted to attend church as a lifestyle choice more than as a one-time event. Since the people are not focused on a one-time event they are more likely to return than those who only attend during Christmas or Easter!

3. Fall has become the 2nd New Years.

Summer months are filled with different activities, vacations, and changes in family schedules. Once Fall comes around, people return to a more consistent program. Many people take this time to refocus their lives and oftentimes that includes finding a church home.

4. People often re-evaluate their church commitments.

While you no doubt want to be a church who cultivates new members from the unchurched crowd, there’s an opportunity to attract new visitors. After being out of church all summer, some may have become less interested in their previous church. Some people will be in the market to try-out a new church when the fall season rolls around. Many of these people will be seasoned church-goers who may not have been completely plugged into their previous church and have just decided it’s time for a church change.

Introducing a relevant, timely Fall sermon series to your community and properly marketing it can and should be part of your yearly markeitng budget. If done wisely it may just be the most fruitful season of the year for new growth in your church.

Before you can understand how to attract people to your church, you need to understand the basic psychological factors that people experience before they decide to attend a new church. Here is a recent statement from an unknown internet blogger about church. “It is repetitious, predictable and a meaningless ritual. I would rather sleep in. I work hard all week and I deserve it!”… unknown author.
I am sorry for sounding repetitious here but I will say it again. “The reason people do not attend church is because they see no benefit in attending”.

Look at the top 5 reasons for attending church on a recent pastor’s blog found during an internet search onwhy to attend church.

1. Because it is an act of obedience to God and it honors the Lord’s Day. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Ex. 20:8).
2. Because we need to belong to a community of faith that includes our brothers and sisters in Christ who are trying to live out the gospel just like we are.
3. Because we will benefit from being taught and led in worship by others, rather than always depending on ourselves to read and study the bible.
4. Because we need regular reminders of our standing in Christ, help in acknowledging and confessing our sins, and teaching about God’s truth.
5. Because we need help in praying, tithing and fasting.

Really? That’s the best we can come up as to why people should come to church? They are all sound reasons, and beneficial, but it sounds like something my grandma would say. No offense to the older crowd, but it’s typically the younger generations that churches are targeting. In a day and age when we are competing with: ‘“It is repetitious, predictable and a meaningless ritual. I would rather sleep in. I work hard all week and I deserve it!”… unknown author’, we better come up with better reasons to attend church on Sunday morning!

Look at the basic “buying” principles of people; we can learn to apply them to the church.

What do people buy? – The important thing to remember here is that people do not buy products and services. People buy benefits; they buy what a product will do for them. People don’t buy a book because they like the cover, they buy it for what is inside – for the benefit it will bring them by reading it. It might be for entertainment purposes or it might, in some way, make their lives better for example..

Modified and applied to the church: People will come to your church for what it will do for them. Make certain that in your marketing efforts you describe, in detail, what the advantages and benefits are from attendance. This is done best by promoting a particular sermon series such as a series focusing on improve marriages, clean-up financial pressures, bridge a gap between parents and children, and many other key areas of life.

Why do people buy? – People buy to fulfill a need! There are 4 basic needs that drive buying decisions:

- Physical Needs (The need to fix a problem in their life.)
- Social Needs (The need to belong to something.)
- Ego Needs (The need to feel important.)
- Spiritual Needs (The need to connect and help others.)

Modified and applied to the church: People will come to your church to fulfill a need. Make certain in your marketing efforts that you describe how your church can fulfill a need in their life. Tell them how to discover their purpose, how to have better relationships, etc. Be aware. Study your community and determine a need and market to the masses to solve it.  Mark 8:1-9 illustrates how Jesus fed the masses with just a few loaves of bread and a couple of fish.  Jesus found a need and filled it. We should, as a church, do the same in our communities.

How do people buy & How to get them to your Church! – Don’t make the assumption that by just sending out a direct mailer, putting up a billboard, placing some door hangers out or listing your ad in the newspaper people will come to your church.

Getting people to come to church is not a guessing game. There is a formula that if followed and implemented correctly will yield a fruitful crop of new visitors ripe for the Holy Spirit to speak into their lives.
There are 4 basic principles in determining how people go about making a decision to come to your church. You should follow them in every marketing endeavor.

1. They Must Have a Need to Come to Your Church.
Develop sermon series that meet needs in people’s lives.

2. They Must Believe That Your Church Will Fulfill Their Need.
Publish your sermon titles outlining action steps that meet that need. You must establish a need in their lives then provide the ultimate answer to that need, Jesus Christ!

3. They Must Decide That Your Church is The Right Church for Them.
List the benefits your church offers them and their families.

4. They Must Decide The Time To Come to Your Church Is Now.
Create urgency with timely sermon series that people won’t want to miss.

Getting people to attend your church is not an enigma. It should not be some far off question in the back of your leadership’s mind or a discussion that takes hours without a definitive answer. Getting people to church is simple human psychology and smart secular companies use it to “sell” their products everyday. The church should be using these same techniques to attract new visitors and grow The Kingdom.

1 Corinthians 9:19-23 - 19 – Though I am free and belong to no one, I have made myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. 20 To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. 21 To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God’s law but am under Christ’s law), so as to win those not having the law. 22 To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some. 23 I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.

The church could take a great lesson from Paul and his techniques for reaching people where they are for the Kingdom.

Last fall Truth Advertising drove over 800 miles to Atlanta, GA for the Annual Catalyst conference. After driving all night, we arrived to set up our booth at the Gwinett Arena which would host over 11,000 Christian leaders. It was great to see several of our clients there at the conference, many of whom we have never had the opportunity to meet face to face.

Leaders from today’s most influential churches shared their wisdom during the general sessions. We had an opportunity to listen in on several speakers as they challenged and equipped these leaders to be a catalyst in today’s generation.

Rick Warren challenged us to focus more on creating culture than trying to change culture. Part of God’s nature is to create and if we are going to be like Him, we should focus on creating.

The church has always had a history of adding value to our world. Most of our hospitals came out of the influence of the church. Many of our early universities were started as a training ground for those in ministry. Science was largely impacted by those who had a Christian world view.

Just as many of our predecessor’s added value to our world with their schools, hospitals and scientific discoveries, we can impact our culture and add value to our communities with the local Church.

Do you want to know how valuable your Church is at the present time?

Take a survey to find out how many members have invited a friend, co-worker or family member to attend on a Sunday morning. If the numbers are low, chances are your members don’t see enough value in your Church.

Another big indicator of the value your Church has on your members and the community as a whole is how lives have been changed. Is your Church changing lives?

4 ways to add more value to your Church?

1) Like Paul, be all things to all people. I’m not speaking about changing your church DNA just to win over a few new members from your community. I am saying become like your community! Let people know that your church is a church where they can belong no matter who they are, what they look like, or what their past may have been. Make people (no matter if they are bikers or bible thumpers) feel that you as a pastor and a church, are just like them.

2) Make your church a desired destination. The more others will want to come to the church, the more we can increase His Kingdom. If I told you that if you came to my church for 3 weeks, I could make your marriage the best it has ever been, your kids would never do drugs and get straight A’s in school, and your sex life would be great-you would probably come visit my church for 3 weeks, wouldn’t you.

People buy products and services for what the product or service can do for them. The Barna Group estimates that up to 65% of the population does not attend church regularly. I am convinced that those numbers would decrease substantially if people saw more value in attending church.

3) Let everyone who attends your church know how valuable they are to you. It is impossible to minister effectively to people if you do not value them. Many times we feel that people who are single, poor, or of a different color, age, or gender than us cannot be valuable. Often times we shut out those that look or think differently than we do. The next time someone shares or does something that you believe is unimportant, ask yourself if you truly value that person and the contribution that God would have them make.

4) Make yourself more valuable to more people. Be a lifelong learner. Continue to work on your areas that God has gifted in you so that you can reach your full potential. If you are going to effectively speak and minister to people’s needs you need to get in their world, see what they see, and find out what they value.

Why did we drive 800 miles and spend a few thousand dollars to attend the Catalyst Conference in Atlanta? Because we saw the value in it, value to ourselves as individuals and value to our company as a whole.

Do you want to see real growth in your church? Begin to cultivate an environment of growth in your congregation. Begin to show people that you are like them, experiencing the same problems and difficulties they experience. Try offering life changing sermon series that are aimed at the same problems your members and visitors face on a daily basis, such as:

-          Improving marriages

-          Creating stronger families

-          Developing stronger character in children and young adults

-          Overcoming past hurts

-          Overcoming addictions

-          Answering life’s tough questions

Truth Advertising can help you. We have a large line of sermon series that cover these issues that we have already run for other churches, with huge success. Browse our website @ www.truthadvertising.org and get some ideas of how you can use these kinds of sermon series to begin to add more value to your church and your community this year.

Word-of-Mouth (WOM) Advertising - Definition: An unpaid form of promotion in which satisfied customers tell other people how much they like a business, product, or service.

The last thing you would expect is for a direct mail advertising company to be talking about “word-of-mouth (WOM)” advertising, right? After all, it is an “unpaid” form of promotion. The truth is, we want your church to grow and advance the Kingdom and we want to help you access every possible tool at your disposal. What church wouldn’t want to leverage some of their own resources to get free marketing?

The reason WOM advertising is so powerful is that, in most instances, the person talking about you and recommending your church, has nothing to gain in the transaction. This is unlike other forms of media, where the referring source has been compensated in some manner.
In a Neilson survey people were asked the question “Who do you trust?” the number one answer was “recommendations from consumers”.

So, if we are in agreement that WOM is the most powerful and effective form of advertising in the industry, how do you as a church go about getting the most out of it?

Below are the top 8 ways to get the most out of your WOM:

1. Give people something positive to say: This may sound simple, but it is so true. WOM advertising works both ways, positive and negative. People will talk about you: you as a pastor, your preaching, your members, your church building, etc. Make sure they have something good to say about you.

2. Be the church “that…”: Separate yourself from other churches in the community by being special in some way. Find that one thing that makes you different, in a good way, and use it to promote yourself. You don’t want to just be the church over at Teal and Main Street in Frisco, Texas. You want to be the church in Frisco “that” has 10 people greet you when you come in the doors! Focus on the life-giving ways you are unique.  Become known for the ways you best represent God.

For example, your church may be known for supplying backpacks of school supplies to low-income families in your school district or for standing on the streets passing out water on 105 degree days.  Maybe your church takes a gift or sends a personalized note to church visitors.  Be known for something that not only stands out, but also represents and reflects our Heavenly Father and… gets people talking!

3. Make it easy for your members to invite others: You need to equip your members to invite others. Give them resources and tools that make it easy for them.

Print invitation cards and ask them to keep one in their purse or wallet to hand out to the waiter or waitress next time they go out to eat. Create an e-vite program from your website through which members can just click a button and email someone an electronic invitation from your church. Take the over-print postcards from your next direct mail program, place a first-class stamp on them, and give two of them to each member. Ask them to address and mail the cards to two of their friends or family. When you give your members pre-stamped postcards, they will think twice about throwing them in the trash.

4. Throw a party: Each year schedule some form of community outreach event such as a Fall Festival or “Spring Thing”, etc. Go all out! Have bounce houses for the kids, get the local grocery stores to donate food, or have a chili cook-off. This gets people in your area talking and it also provides a non-threatening forum through which people may come out and learn more about your church.

5. Steer clear of “ho-hum” marketing: The objective is to get people talking right? Very few people talk about the short listings in the Sunday paper. People talk about that cleverly designed, eye-popping direct mail card they got in the mail last week or the cool billboard out on the local highway.
If you’re going to advertise in the local newspaper or magazine, see if they will also do an article on something special your church is doing, like how your members help out at the local homeless shelter, etc.

6. Put your pastor’s picture in your direct mail cards: I can’t tell you how many times we have convinced a church to do this and they have told us how much of a success it has been. Pastors have been approached in grocery stores and at Blockbusters and have been recognized as the pastor of the local church. What a great opportunity for a personal invite to attend this coming Sunday!

7. Be relevant: People love to talk about what interests them. Be all things to all people (1 Corinthians 9:19-23). Speak on Sunday about things that your congregation cares about and that are of interest to them. How often do you hear “water cooler” talk about what happened on a particular TV show the night before? Wouldn’t it be great to have people gather on Monday morning and talk about the sermon you preached on Sunday instead?

8. Be the church that changes lives: This is it, the coup de gras if you will of “word of mouth” advertising. When you become the church “that” changes peoples lives for the better, saves marriages, and/or restores people to their position of authority, people will talk. Be the beacon of hope for the lost and hurting in your community and your WOM advertising will spread like wildfire!

8 Steps to Ensure Success on Easter Sunday and Beyond

Easter is the most significant day in the life of the church and more people will walk through the doors of your church on Easter Sunday than on any other day of the year. The church failing to market Easter would be like Doritos not marketing for Super Bowl Sunday. It would be absurd, more people are watching on that day than any other. Likewise, more people will come to your church on Easter Sunday than any other day of the year. According to Jim Davidson, a Purdue professor of philosophy and religion, overall church attendance increases approximately 25% on Easter!

Unfortunately, Easter is forgettable. The media doesn’t hype Easter like it does Christmas and it doesn’t have a countdown. To make it worse, Easter falls on a different Sunday every year. Despite its significance to the church, it’s frequently overlooked  by both our communities and in our outreach planning. Often we fail to plan and we miss out on a unique opportunity to impact our communities. Easter is your Super Bowl. We believe that if you plan accordingly it will be your most significant outreach event of the year.

1st – get people through the door to hear the message of Christ.
2nd – make them feel so welcome, loved, and appreciated that they have no choice but to come back for more.

Step #1: Know your Guests.
Begin praying about your sermon now. I plead with you to ask the Lord what He wants to say to the unchurched in your community this Easter.

Many of you have different doctrines, varying teaching-styles and diverse congregations. Remember that on April 24th many people in your church will be first-time guests and some are even first-time church-goers. They will not be familiar with church culture so now is the time to reach out and make a difference for the Kingdom. Your congregation will come back next week, but you only have a small window to reach these newcomers.

Step #2: Be Creative.
Super Bowl Sunday is famous for having the most creative commercials on prime-time television. More people are watching that day than any other. And, more guests will be watching on Easter than any other day so… Do something they will remember!

Examples of creativity:
Have a sunrise service.
Have a massive Easter egg hunt and give away great prizes.
Put on a special play or production.
Give everyone lilies as gifts.

BE REALISTIC. You don’t have to entertain, rather, find ways to creatively love the people that walk through your door. Get your communities talking about church again.

Step #3: Advertise your Event
My kids are still talking about the Doritos commercial from the Super Bowl. In thirty seconds their minds were branded with a company name and product. That company was in the right place at the right time. Easter is your time. Seize the opportunity to bring people in, hear the Truth and be transformed. Invite your community to your Easter service.

Step #4: Welcome your Guests.
From the parking lot to the front doors, to their seats and your sermon; cater to each person as a personal guest of Jesus Christ. Meet with your staff and servant leaders ahead of time to prepare them for Easter. Vision-cast your plans for Easter Sunday, and be absolutely certain that new guests feel welcome.

Now is also the time to get your ministries up-to-date. Many of your Easter guests are coming to God’s house for the very first time. Prepare your congregation to welcome newcomers.

If you do not have a parking ministry and greeter team, form one. According to research, people establish a first impression in approximately 7-10 seconds, long before they hear the pastor or the music!

You have an obligation to welcome guests into God’s house with the love and warmth that He has shown you. This may seem elementary, but I cannot tell you how many unchurched people have said to me, “We have visited so many churches in the area, and yours is the only church that made me feel welcome.” Parking, greeting and usher teams are paramount. They set the stage for everything else.

Step #5: Follow up with Guests.
Your follow up shows the guest that you truly care about what they are going through and any needs they may have. Love them by showing them you remember their presence in your church and you desire their return.

To do this you need to capture pertinent information about each first time guest and perform some form of follow up. An easy way to do this is with your “First Time Guest Card”. This is a small card that each guest receives when they enter your church. It includes a place for them to record their personal information, prayer requests and how they heard of the church. Ask your guests to fill it out and have your ushers collect it.

Step #6: Give a Gift.
Don’t ask your first time guests for anything. Let them know their presence is their gift to you. A practical way to do this is to give them a welcome gift. Have your ushers collect the “First Time Guests Cards” and give the gift. This not only provides you with an accurate count of how many guests you have each Sunday but shows your guests that you care about welcoming them. When we come to Christ He doesn’t ask for anything more than our hearts. Make sure your guests know that you’re after them because you love them, not for what you can get out of them. It’s human nature to reciprocate when given a gift. A new guest’s return may be what they choose to give back to you.

Step #7: Leave them Crying out for More.
If you told every guest you would give them $100 to return the week after Easter your chances of their return are high. Returning is an issue of value in the minds of your guests. Is what you have worth the investment of their time? If I said, “Come to my church and I can make your marriage the best it has ever been, your kids will never do drugs, and your sex life will improve,” you would come to my church. We know that your church cannot give out hundred dollar bills or solve all of your guests’ marriage problems in one sermon series. However, in Christ you have the answers to life’s deepest questions.  It’s your job to entice them with glimpses of biblical wisdom and truth that address their needs and encourage them to return for more.

Step #8: Offer them a Message of Value.
Offer people something they know they need to hear. By beginning a new sermon series the week after Easter, or even on Easter Sunday, you create anticipation in your visitors that there is something valuable for them if they return.  In a 2007 Gallup Panel survey, researchers asked 562 adults about their usual church-attending behavior and followed up with an open-ended question asking them to explain their attendance in their own words. The majority responded, “For growth and guidance.” They believe that the church has something valuable to offer. On the flip-side when 439 adults were asked the reason for their lack of attendance the majority answered, “Lack of belief in religion and lack of time.”

The first group is seeking the answers to their deepest needs, they are seeking value. Your church can be a place that leads people to satisfaction in the areas of life they value most. The second group doesn’t recognize church or religion as offering them anything of worth. They don’t invest their time in it because they don’t see its value. Your job is to show them that what you offer is more than just a social gathering or a religion; it’s truth, answers, relationship and so much more!

You offer a relationship with Christ, the one thing that can give them the true desires of their hearts and satisfy them to their core. When people catch a glimpse of Christ they can’t help but come looking for more. Show them Christ. Show them the one thing that will satisfy the very depths of their beings and always cause them to cry out for more. Make your Easter message, and those following, valuable in the eyes of your guests.

Easter is your Super Bowl…Treat it as such! Plan accordingly and execute it with excellence. Practical ways to do this are by knowing your guests, getting creative and advertising your event. Through even the simplest actions like greeting your guests and giving gifts, ensure they understand that you are inviting them in to give them what they are searching for. You have a captive audience. Seize the opportunity to do something great in the life of your community.

If you choose to advertise your Easter service it should be done with excellence. Don’t trust your advertising for this special day to just anyone. Call one of our church consultants today. We will build a postcard mailing program for you that is as unique as your church. You will have the opportunity to work with an experienced church marketing consultant every step of the way.  We will design a custom program especially for your church. Every detail will be addressed to ensure the maximum effectiveness for your Easter outreach marketing efforts.

Ever wonder why you get the same circulars and see the same ads in the newspaper every Sunday morning? Do you know why Insurance Companies, Real Estate Agents, and other businesses send you calendars for your refrigerator year after year?

They understand what is referred to in the marketing world as the “Buyer’s Box”
principle. This principle simply states that at any given time in a large group of people, a certain number of those people will be ready to make a buying decision for whatever product it is you wish to sell.

For instance, if I’m selling mattresses, I can count on the fact that at any given time there is a group of people out there who are looking to purchase a mattress and will respond to the next ad I send them. They may have seen my ad many times before, but because they were not interested in buying a mattress at that time, they took little notice. However, now that their back is sore and their wife is complaining of lost sleep they are ready to get with the program and any mattress ad they see will catch their attention.

In the Church context, God and The Holy Spirit are continually at work softening
people up and making them receptive to His calling oftentimes, by painful experience. Mark 3:1-6 speaks of a man who entered the synagogue on the Sabbath  day with a withered hand looking for and receiving healing from Jesus.

In your community on any given week there is someone who needs your church this coming Sunday.

That is why smart churches continually promote various “felt needs” message series with great success. They know there are always going to be a certain number of people in a “spiritual buyers box” looking for help with their marriage, their kids, or their careers. These churches realize that this group is continually changing so they can go back to those successful boxes, season after season.

Here is what you can do to get started:
1. Identify the type of people in your area.

2. Develop a sermon series that addresses their concerns, and issues they face on a daily basis.

3. Capture those lost souls for Christ by speaking directly to them and their needs.