Churches don’t need marketing? – OR DO THEY? 5 things that churches can do to attract more people and build their congregations


I spoke to someone recently, explaining that I was helping a church with their marketing, and he replied “Oh, so do churches have websites then?“.

So, this got me thinking … I guess most people’s perception of a church is that old building with a pointy roof, where people go on a Sunday – plus maybe for christenings, weddings, funerals etc.

I have to say, as a practising Christian, that’s not how I see it. In fact, “THE CHURCH” is not the building at all, it is in fact “THE PEOPLE” – so straight away, you can see that churches have something of a perception problem.

OK, so getting back to my original question – do churches need marketing? – well yes, of course they do! ANY organisation that wants to change the public’s perception, tell people about their mission, publicise events, support people in need, etc - needs to communicate with people …

And that is where Marketing comes in – contemporary, Digital, 21st century marketing.

So, what can a church do to improve their Marketing? – here are my 5 top tips: -  

Get a strong logo and brand – you’ll need this to go on your website, posters, media channels, etc, so get a good logo designed by a professional.

Register a domain and get a website – and don’t forget that this needs to look good and be attractive to the sort of people you want to join your church – make sure it looks great on smart phones as well!

Invest in well-designed visual display materials – remember when someone walks into your church, their first impression is the one that will last – so make sure that your visual communication messages speak to the people you want to engage with.

Use social media – This is one of the most common ways that people discover more about organisations they are interested in – don’t ignore this important marketing channel.

Understand your audience – Be clear about who you are targeting – gain a good understanding of the people you want to attract, where they live, their interests, and what will make them want to visit.

Churches and other faith organisations have a big part to play in today’s society, but they also need to be relevant and communicate in a way that is modern, contemporary and distinctive.

Happy to chat or help …. Roger

#charity #church #faith 

Comments

  1. Trevor Neill28 August 2017 at 02:19

    Thanks Roger, I found this really helpful. There were a couple of points which stood out for me...

    I was struck by your comment on the use of social media. In recent years, our church has spent a lot of money on postcards and leaflets used as invitations for various events. It's proved to be a very significant expense, but has probably attracted no more than a handful of people. Given how much 'junk mail' I receive myself and immediately put in the recycling, I wonder if this traditional method of publicity has had its day. Sharing a well-produced image with people we already know on Facebook seems like the way forward.

    The other word which stood out for me was 'invest.' It seems like a lot of churches still opt for the cheap option a lot of the time, whether it's building a website or ordering promotional material. Often we only need to spend just a little more to get something much more attractive, which communicates excellence and that sense that we've cared enough about what we do to do it really well. Skimping and saving may be one of the things that causes people to think of churches as 'old buildings,' given the tiredness of a lot of fixtures and fittings.

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    Replies
    1. Unknown30 August 2017 at 08:26

      As far as marketing is concerned, the whole "interruption marketing" process has now been superseded by "content marketing" i.e it's no longer a case of "stop what you are doing and listen to my message" - you just have to be delivering good content where people are - on the internet, which is why media channels like twitter, Facebook etc are the way to go now. The only way churches are going to increase their engagement and spread their message is by putting marketing on the agenda at the top level, its not something that can be ignored in this digital age - .....

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