Marketing Filters
But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect. – 1 Peter 3:15 (NIV)
- Target – Consider the target audience.
- Goals & Purpose – Identify marketing goals and purpose.
- Measures & Success – Clarify the win and define success.
- Follow-Up – Design a follow-up connection point.
Marketing Strategy Examples
III. SEASONAL MARKETING
Promote key seasonal ministries and events as important connection and entry points for prospects, first-time guests and inactive church members. Ensure that community needs are emphasized in all external marketing and promotion.
- EQUIPPING U – Focus on community needs and context with an oversize quad-fold brochure mailer listing Wednesday Equipping U discipleship groups, topical studies, affinity-based groups and HeartLife support groups.
- Brochure Content & Focus – Design the communication piece to illustrate the full range of Wednesday night and weekday group offerings. Include leader photos and group descriptions in the mailer to make community connections (August and January).
- Distribution – Mail to every household in the community and distribute in Sunday worship folders.
- Newspaper Ads – Schedule newspaper ads in The Collierville Herald and The Collierville Appeal.”
- Social Media – Prepare both unpaid posts and paid ads for church social networking accounts. Promote and boost posts for Equipping U classes, HeartLife support groups and age division ministries. Upload HeartLife testimony videos to Vimeo and include links in social media posts.
- Goal – Set a Spring 2014 goal of 5% growth over Fall 2013 Equipping U average attendance.
- Budget – The budget for each community marketing emphasis is $7,500.00, for a total annual budget of $15,000.00.
- CONNECTION EVENTS – Promote relationship-building as a first step in sharing Christ with quarterly connection and fellowship events. Advertise these key events as a welcoming place to invite friends and families.
- Family Movie Night – Promote a Family Movie Night featuring the Disney-Pixar film “Wall-E” and advertise the evening as an opportunity to build relationships with community families. Offer free popcorn and drinks and present the movie with a high-quality 3-screen HD projector setup in the church’s Fellowship Hall on the last Friday night in January. Print invite tickets and distribute event flyers to young families with preschoolers and children.
- Spring Cookout – Offer a Spring Cookout on the third Wednesday night in May. Provide free hamburgers and hot dogs, bounce houses and outdoor games for the church and community. Distribute invite tickets to members and encourage them to invite friends and neighbors to the connection event.
- Picnic in the Park – Build on August attendance momentum with a Picnic in the Park event on the last Sunday afternoon and evening in August. Distribute invite tickets with event highlights: free hamburgers and hot dogs, organized sports, water inflatables, bounce houses and young child-friendly games. Create a first-rate experience in a neutral location (city park) where guests, members and prospects can make connections with each other.
- Fall Family Festival – Provide a Fall Family Festival as a Halloween alternative on October 31st. Distribute invite tickets throughout the community to highlight secure candy gathering, puppet shows, carnival games, prizes, inflatable slides, bounce houses and free hot dogs. If weather poses a potential problem, move the event indoors and promote this heavily.
- EASTER – Promote Easter services with a community bulk mail piece, newspaper ads and radio spots.
- Community Mailer – Promote the two Easter Morning Worship Services at 9:15 and 10:45 a.m. with a community mailer. Publicize a brunch in the Fellowship Hall between services and staff the room with greeters, staff and volunteer leaders. Ask leaders to wear nametags and make connections with people they don’t know (April).
- Connection Points – Set up special information booths for Bible Fellowships and HeartLife Community Soul Care, as well as booths for the church’s preschool, children’s and student ministries.
- Member Nametags – Provide nametags for every church member on Easter Sunday. Create nametag stations at all major entrances and have nametag teams roaming the Grand Foyer to catch people missed at the doors. During the welcome time during the service, ask attenders to use first names as they greet each other.
- Newspaper Ads – Run newspaper ads for Easter services in both community newspapers.
- Radio Spots – Schedule radio spots on 640 AM promoting Easter services.
- CHRISTMAS
- Promotion – Promote the two “One December Evening” presentations by CFBC’s Worship Choir & Orchestra with invite tickets, internal promotion, social media ads and newspaper ads (December).
- Television Broadcasts – Schedule holiday television broadcasts for “One December Evening” on TV 23 (Cable/Satellite Channel 14) on Tuesday, December 24th & Wednesday, December 25th at 2:00 p.m. each day.
- MESSAGE SERIES
- “Parenthood” Series – Promote the Spring “Parenthood” message series with a community bulk mail piece, a “Skirt” magazine ad, a “Parent” magazine ad and radio spots (April-May).
- “Family Values” Series – Promote the Summer “Family Values” message series on the ten commandments with dual newspaper inserts in The Collierville Herald and The Collierville Appeal, newspaper ads and radio spots (June-July).
- “Will of God” Series – Promote the Fall “Will of God” message series with a community bulk mail piece and newspaper ads (September-October).
- PROPHECY CONFERENCE
- Promotion – Advertise “The Truth about the Future” Prophecy Conference with a bulk mail piece, invite tickets, internal promotion and social media ads (January).
- Social Media – Post YouTube videos of Dr. Jimmy DeYoung prophecy interviews in the two weeks leading up to the conference. Highlight Dr. DeYoung’s experience and biography with interesting trivia posts on various social networking sites.