Launch Conference, Part 7C: Planning My First Service From Scratch

Ok, time to get back to my purpose-driven, seeker-sensitive Launch Conference notes! Heh heh... Sorry, couldn't help it!

As it turns out this section is gonna be in four parts, not three. So here goes...

5. Promote Each Service with Greater Intensity

The Four D's of Promotion:

1. Design

• Get professional help (Note: Match the design to your area and who you are trying to reach!)

Design Lessons Learned the Hard Way:

1. Make the promotion match your city (Use skylines, meadows, beach scenes--whatever characterizes your city best. Every city has a story; try to match that story to your design/logo).
2. Choose images that are attractive to your target (In general, target your marketing to men, using colors and images that attract men. Men are harder to get to church, but if you can get the man, you can usually get the whole family.)
3. Be sure that text makes up less than 50% of your layout--period.
4. Be clear that you are a church.
5. State exactly what you want people to do (e.g., "Join us on [date]").
6. Put your name, website, meeting times and location in a prominent place.
7. Use full color. It's only a bit more expensive and worth it!

2. Direct Mail

• Find one of the largest printers/mail houses in your area and ask them for advice.
• Is there another church doing direct mail? Be careful that your church doesn't get confused with that church.
• Read The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.

3. Display Advertising and Media

Examples:

• Press releases
• Event-oriented newspapers (Creative Loafing, What's Happening, and so on)
• The top radio morning shows (according to your target group)
• Sports radio or the sports section of the newspaper
• Local trade journals read by your target
• Cable advertising on ESPN, CNN, FNC, and others

4. Direct Delivery

Direct delivery is the highest-risk, highest-return option in advertising. Direct delivery includes everything from personal invites to servant evangelism, or any other type of face-to-face church promotion. It's high risk in that it requires person-to-person contact. If you are trying to make thousands of direct contacts, it will require the involvement of a lot people. However, it's high return in that a personal invitation, delivered by a live person, is the most effectve way of encouraging someone to attend your church.

• Nothing beats direct delivers, but it's slow.
• It's important to complement direct delivery with direct mail and display advertising/media.

How to Maximize Direct Delivery:

• Invite everyone you meet!
• Ask everyone you know--especially your launch team--to promote your church.
• Join with mission teams or other outside people to help get the word out.

Which One is right for Me?

• Direct Mail: low risk, low return
• Display advertising/media: medium risk, medium return
• Direct delivery: high risk, high return