Comments on: Our Marketing Budget is $0

By: Ad Majorem

Ad Majorem — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:17:19 +0000

Good, practical advice about marketing on a zero or near-zero budget. (Must admit I was a little startled by the title of your blog.)

Here’s a perspective from inside a large ad agency:

http://admajoremblog.blogspot.com/2010/07/how-to-know-which-half-of-my.html

AMDG

By: GM

GM — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 12:29:12 +0000

A few people were concerned that we did not have a special Easter newspaper ad this year. We’re Christian–If we didn’t have Easter services, now that would be news! (Christmas is different, since it isn’t necessarily on Sunday and churches have different type services.)

By: Derek Iannelli-Smith

Derek Iannelli-Smith — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 02:58:51 +0000

personal invitation always makes disciples versus catering to the consumer mentality.

By: Danielle Hartland

Danielle Hartland — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:26:47 +0000

ha @DM – actually, it’s part of the “Elder” budget, if you want to get specific. ;-)
I know what you’re trying to say…what I’m trying to say is that we moved all of our “traditional marketing dollars” to other uses for this ministry season.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 13:05:41 +0000

We actually did something very similar in the last few years. We re-did our website and have changed the way we advertise both internally and externally. Just trying to be intentional with the dollars we’ve been given and meet our people where they are has been huge to us.
Thanks for the article. It made me feel like I’m doing something right!

By: DM

DM — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:33:06 +0000

Not trying to be nitpicky, but I would assume your salary, as Director of Communications, would be a part of your advertising budget.

By: Joshua Skogerboe

Joshua Skogerboe — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 09:57:32 +0000

This is an interesting post, for several reasons. I think it is relevant both in regards to church methodology AND our current economic reality, with giving and budgets down for MANY churches in America.
One question about this that I’d love to see discussed after you hve a few years to look back on it: Is it sustainable over the long haul? I ask because I am on staff at a smallish church in the NW metro area of the Twin Cities (Living Hope in St. Michael, MN), and we have put most of our eggs in the “invest and invite” basket for our marketing strategy. We want to continue to create a culture of inviters. BUT… we have found that for our core members, most of us have somewhat “tapped out” our warm martket. We live by the same neighbors, work with the same people, rub shoulders at local businesses and play ball with the same guys we have for the last 4-5 years. Once we’ve invited these people to join us a few times, there’s a limit to how far nad fast you can spread the word about your church in this way. So we do sort of “both and” with our marketing. I’d love to hear how this goes for you over time.
Thanks for the great post!

By: Danielle Hartland

Danielle Hartland — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 08:47:43 +0000

@Greg: all of our website costs are under a communications budget, as are the bulletins/graphics, because they are considered to be in-house communication tools. Our website is, definitely, used by people who don’t attend our church, but it’s not considered “traditional marketing.”
I agree with you that it isn’t for everyone, just my perspective and what’s working for us. I wasn’t exaggerating our 50% statistic of people being invited – it’s a reality for us.
@Sarah you make a good point, but because we had no data telling us that people are responding to the ads, we pulled them. If it was effective, we’d do it for sure. On a side note, I think the newspapers (in my area at least) need to take a hard look at how they handle print vs. online advertising. I’d be much more willing to run an ad that would make it online, but they are two different revenue streams for the paper…and two different departments.

By: Greg

Greg — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 06:06:44 +0000

Is your budget really $0? How do you pay for your website? I’m reminded, unless you are using strictly volunteers to run your website using all free tools, there is a cost. Even if someone on your staff is using free tools to manage your site, there is a marketing cost.
What about the time to create sermon graphics? Do you do any internal communication like bulletins? There’s a cost there too.
Even the time a volunteer would use has a “cost” associated as they are working on these pieces rather than being plugged into other ministries.
I don’t think any church has a marketing cost of zero. You may have removed your ads from the newspaper and yellow pages, but I would challenge you to think of what the actual cost of all the marketing you do is. This post is pretty misleading. Churches, especially smaller ones, need to invest time or money into some form of marketing as the reality is people will not be invited. The church at large is no longer mobilize in the US to invite their friends. Knowing statistically, 7/10 people have NEVER been invited to a church speaks volumes to this point.
That said, I think every church should evaluate the cost/effectiveness of all the marketing they do, but you can’t axe every form of marketing. Otherwise, you’d have no church sign, no sermon graphics, no bulletins, no invitation cards, blank white envelopes, no staff shirts, no website, no anything.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Mon, 15 Feb 2010 18:32:03 +0000

I must admit, comments like this make me sad. You see, I work in the newspaper industry, and see how little churches advertise… and how much other places (such a strip clubs, etc) do. I’m NOT suggesting you run large ads, or even need a huge budget… but I know a lot of people are spiritually seeking, and I think pulling away from marketing avenues (such as print) isn’t wise. Sure, pull back if need be. But be aware of a void that can be left… which is apparent when I open up a paper and see NOT ONE church represented.