Marketing has traditionally been associated with the business world rather than the church. Many people associate marketing with profit-making, which may or may not be the goal of a church preaching the True Gospel. The church, on the other hand, requires a well-defined marketing strategy and plan. Here are some of the most common church marketing blunders to avoid.
Why Is Church Marketing So Important?
Matthew 28:19-20, which commands Christians to preach the gospel to the entire world, is the great commission of preaching the gospel.
“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew 28:19-20
In this spirit, churches should take advantage of all available resources to carry out their mission. A church must promote its brand, inform its members of any developments, changes, and upcoming church events, and at the same time attract new members to the faith, just as businesses must inform their existing and new customers about their products and services.
Marketing allows the church to:
- To raise awareness about God’s kingdom.
- To help people see the value that Jesus brings to their lives.
- To win more souls for the Kingdom of God.
- And to spread the gospel throughout the world
However, in order to accomplish all of this, the church must develop effective marketing strategies, which, unfortunately, many churches fail to do. Fortunately, at Navigate Digital Media, we can assist you in developing an effective church marketing strategy and advising you on how to implement it. We audit your current marketing methods and poke holes in them to identify all marketing mistakes and then improve the strategy.
Here are a few tips from industry leaders on common church marketing mistakes to avoid to help you prepare a good marketing strategy.
Avoid these Church Marketing Mistakes at All Costs
1. Neglecting Passive Traffic
Hundreds, if not thousands, of people drive or walk past your church every day. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get your message across. On your church signage or billboard, promote upcoming church events or different church programs. You’d be surprised how many people you can bring in with the right message.
Remember that for many people driving by, this may be their first impression of your church, and your signage should make a good first impression. People are more likely to visit a church that is well-organized and welcoming.
2. Using Doctored Pictures on Your Website and Social Media
The image you project to the world should accurately reflect your church. People today have a keen sense of recognizing what appears to be real and what does not. Anyone would feel duped if they discovered photos on your church’s website or social media were only meant to attract them.
When people discover they have been deceived, they lose trust and may refuse to attend your church. If, on the other hand, they find that what they saw on your website matches what they find, they will develop trust in you.
3. Not Collecting Guest Emails
Emails are still a great marketing channel, despite the fact that many people consider them an old-generation digital marketing tool. New and existing members require regular updates on the church’s activities, program announcements, newsletters, and sermon series.
What better way to get this information to them than via email, which everyone has?
Receiving a “Thank you for visiting us” email from you would make a visitor feel even more welcome at your church. This makes them feel important, and they will most likely return.
4. Having an outdated website with no relevant content
People all over the world can see your website. Therefore an out-of-date website will send a negative message to your online prospects and is a major marketing blunder you should avoid.
In today’s digital world, your website should be able to:
- Have up-to-date information about your church.
- Be interactive and have a quick loading time.
- Make your website mobile-friendly.
- Have high-quality photos, videos, and sermons.
5. Not Making Use of Facebook Ads
A Facebook page, just like a website, has now become an essential tool in today’s marketing. It is also essential for a church to have one. People can watch your live services or read your posts here. As a result, Facebook Ads are an excellent way to broaden your reach and share with the Facebook audience.
Your message, whether in the form of short videos or infographics, can reach a larger audience than ever before through them.
6. Failure to Plan for When Visitors Arrive
A forward-thinking church should have a hospitality department that welcomes all newcomers. Most visitors’ decisions about whether or not to return to your church are heavily influenced by how they are treated on the first day.
The team in charge of visitors is critical to the growth of the church. As a result, they should be adequately trained and prepared to make your visitors feel welcome and at ease. Have a guest register and even some takeaway gifts for your visitors, for example. Remember to send them that welcome email later.
7. Not Promoting New Sermon Series
Promoting an upcoming sermon builds excitement among your members, and they will make plans to attend that service. It also allows audience members to invite someone else who they believe might benefit from hearing the sermon. Furthermore, announcing a sermon ahead of time is a sign of order and demonstrates the speaker’s preparedness.
8. Ignoring Your SEO
Today, if you want to find or learn about something, you go to the internet and search for the item or product. It’s something that everyone does. Simply having a website isn’t enough for a church. You must ensure that your website appears in the top search results for local keywords that are relevant to you.
As a result, you can’t afford to ignore SEO. Make your website and social media pages local search-friendly. You want to make sure that when someone searches for “churches near me,” your church comes up first.
9. You don’t have any testimonials on your website.
People are more likely to believe what other people have to say about a product or company. This is also true of your church. They won’t know what to think of you if they can’t find testimonials on your website. As a result, whether in the form of short stories, quotes, or videos, include testimonies of transformation on your website. Others will be inspired to come to see for themselves.
10. Having Smartphone Technology but Not Making Use of It
Smartphones are used by the majority of those in the church. This is something you can use to increase member engagement. For example, different WhatsApp groups can be created for different church groups. This can help you tailor your messages to the formats that each group prefers.
Your children, for example, would enjoy religious memes and short animated videos.
11. Your Messages Aren’t Being Targeted
This is one of the most common church marketing mistakes. Effective marketing necessitates sending the right message to the right people at the right time, in the right format, and through the right channels. Whose message is this, and who is sending it? Is it for your congregation’s youth, married couples, or adults? Then determine the most effective method and format for communicating that message.
We Can Help
You’ve come to the right place if you need assistance with your church’s marketing strategies. We have affordable, data-backed strategies and a results-oriented team of professionals at Navigate Digital Media to help you take your church marketing to the next level. To learn more, please contact us today. We’d be delighted to assist you.
