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December 28, 2007

Foursquare NextGen Summit

I'm here in Anaheim, Calif. through January 1 for the Foursquare NextGen Summit. It's an event with 3,500 students centered around three causes: poverty, orphans and human trafficking. My role at Foursquare made way for me to be a part of the core planning team over the past 18 months. What a ride it has been! I am also doing a workshop titled "Church Marketing Goodness." It will be a different audience than I am used to--students and youth leaders--so I am looking forward to seeing how people respond. I am going to use some stuff that I first tried out at the MinistryCOM conference this past September, but tweak it to be more personal than professional. The foundation will be Matthew 5 and Matthew 10.

If you live in the SoCal area, the evenings are free so please drop in and check it out!

Posted by Brad Abare at 5:13 PM
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December 27, 2007

Woohoo! Christmas! Poll Results

Last week, as we got ready for Christmas, we asked you what you wanted from CMS for Christmas. Here's what you had to say.

37% of you think money will be just fine. Unfortunately, we're a nonprofit organization, heavy on the nonprofit and light on the organization. If you want our money, you'll probably have to rob us, and you'll probably spend more on the gas to get here than you'll get from the heist.

15% of you have too much free time and want more reading material. We'll do our best to keep sending things your way via entries. Slightly less, 14%, enjoy the series that we do. We're planning on keeping those coming, so don't despair.

Another 12% of you are service junkies. You love the Job Lab, the Freelance Lab and the Church Marketing Lab. What other services could you imagine seeing? Tied with services are the 12% of you guys who are looking for more interviews. Let us know who you would like to see in the hot seat, and we'll see what we can do.

6% of you (Thanks!) are just concerned with what you can do for CMS. The answer of course is on our support page. Rounding out the list are the 3% of you who want less everything and the 3% who want to fire the intern for the sake of better polls. Sheesh, Merry Christmas to you, too.

This week, we want to know, what are your marketing goals to better your church in 2008, in two words or less? (Choose all that apply.)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:15 AM
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December 26, 2007

Christmas Rap

Just before the Christmas break, Robin Stansbury from the Hartford Courant called me about a story she was doing on Rev. Bill Keane of First Baptist Church, Branford, Conn. Keane wrote a quirky little rap song about the Christmas story. A former radio guy, Keane recorded it himself and then purchased air time on popular Hartford-area radio stations.

Robin called asking if we had any comments on the approach and the spot itself. You can read her full story on the Courant site.

The gist of my comments can be summed up when I said, "Keane ain't no P. Diddy, but this rhapsody will certainly stand out amidst the clamor and clanging of all the other holiday sounds this year. The message is simple and the messenger is authentic."

Posted by Brad Abare at 3:17 PM
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December 21, 2007

Church Marketing Lab: A Very Merry Edition

I've been restraining myself for quite some time now trying not to get all Christmasy with the Church Marketing Lab updates. But four days before Santa, here it is. This is some of the red and green goodness that's been going on in the CML:

Here's an 8.5" x 11" poster for "I'll Be Home for Christmas."

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: A Very Merry Edition"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:31 PM
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December 20, 2007

When Churches Get It Right

by Margaret Pittman, Guest Blogger

Occasionally churches get it right--they do something so significant that it makes you stand back in awe and amazement. And as a critic of the way most churches operate--as self-serving institutions, the event that occurred at my church did just that.

"Give Back Sunday" could have been a cheesy superficial marketing tool--allowing the congregation to take a little money out of the offering plate instead of giving money to the church. Whoopee. I get to take a buck and buy someone a cup of coffee--but oh wait, I can't even do that with a dollar. I can get someone a stick of gum ... maybe. What can I get someone for a dollar?

Anyway, everyone was invited to participate in taking an unmarked envelope out of the offering plate. There was a sense of palpable skepticism, as well as anticipation, in the congregation before we opened the envelopes. When we finally peeked inside, a stunned silence filled the pews. Wow. $20, $50 and $100 bills were in the envelopes--a total of over $13,500, with the instruction that we could not spend it on ourselves. We were told to bless someone this week because you have been richly blessed.

Continue reading "When Churches Get It Right"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:07 AM
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December 19, 2007

Marketing Gift Poll Results

In the spirit of Christmas, we asked you what church marketing gift you most wanted to give your church leaders this year. Here's what you said:

There was a tie at the top. 34% of you wanted to give them a shiny, new marketing perspective. They just don't get this whole marketing thing, and you hope Santa Claus can convince them otherwise. Another 34% of you want a new web site. If you're web site is all off-kilter, then you probably need to give them a new marketing perspective as well. That one is kind of a two-for-one deal.

9% of you want to give a rockin' awesome old-school CMS tee. Write your Congressman and rally the troops. If we see enough support, maybe that's something that could happen in the future.

8% of you want to pass on all of Brad's nine must-read books. Apparently your church leaders need the gift of a way to fill time, since they have enough to read nine books. Tied up with them are the 8% of you who just want to find a way to make them shut up about church marketing. After all, going overboard with church marketing talk can really put a damper on holiday spirits.

Finally, 5% of you want a link to the Job Lab. Your wish is our command. Copy and paste this: http://jobs.cfcclabs.org into your e-mail client, type in an e-mail address and hit send. Wow, Christmas will come early for some church leaders!

This week, we ask the question, what do you want CMS to give you for Christmas?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:36 AM
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December 18, 2007

Year-End Zeitgeist

Zeitgeist (n.) - A German term meaning "spirit of the time." It refers to the moral and intellectual trends of a given era.

Unless you're a fan of the Smashing Pumpkins, the term isn't exactly in most of our vernaculars, so I thought we would get the definition in there. In the midst of taking over the world, recently Google released its annual year-end Zeitgeist. It's essentially a function for taking the pulse of trends via what folks Googled.

For example, in 2007 we saw the rise of "iphone," "facebook" and "second life." We saw the fall of "world cup," "kazaa" and "shakira."

Continue reading "Year-End Zeitgeist"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:55 AM
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December 17, 2007

Good URLs, View-Masters and John Coltrane

Three stories have been on the radar of late. It's about time you get a chance to check them out.

First, Seth Godin links to the Good URL, Bad URL blog. Why does that matter to you? Because your church's web site is rapidly replacing your church's vestibule. You wouldn't have an ugly vestibule or a confusing foyer or doors that were difficult to open, so why on earth should you have a bad URL? Check out the blog, and think about the way you present your own URL.

Continue reading "Good URLs, View-Masters and John Coltrane"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:57 AM
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December 14, 2007

Marketing Via Christmas Carolers

I love Christmas carols. Every year it seems like the words become more and more meaningful to me. It's amazing how much the gospel is sung in these songs!

So why have we stopped caroling in our neighborhoods? What other time of the year is it considered culturally OK to go to people's doors, stand outside and sing the gospel to them?

I'm all for singing carols inside the church walls but let's also remember to take advantage of opportunities we have to take the church to people. I can't think of a better idea this time of the year!

This photo is from Desert Carolers in Redlands, Calif. I have no idea who they are (thanks Google Image search) but maybe they could help you out.

Posted by Brad Abare at 9:04 AM
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Chocolate Rain and Church Marketing

by Paul Kuzma, Guest Blogger

Who is Tay Zonday and why should you care? I’m glad you asked, because he is one of the latest examples of viral video gone wild in the new advertising stream of Web 2.0. Its impact may not be seen or heard in your sanctuary, but you better believe it is already being seen, heard and experienced in the lives of those who both do and do not attend our churches!

In April of 2006, Tay placed a homemade music video about nothing called "Chocolate Rain" on YouTube. The video is homemade in its feel and quality and is almost five minutes long. It shows nothing more than him singing the song in front of a professional microphone, which causes him to “move away from the mic to breathe in” (watch the video and see what I mean), along with periodic views of his hands playing the keyboard.

Continue reading "Chocolate Rain and Church Marketing"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 8:40 AM
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December 11, 2007

Church Marketing Mistakes Poll Results

We all make mistakes. Well, some more than others. And usually it's other people making them rather than ourselves. But still, there are mistakes. Especially in church marketing. Here's what you said when we asked what mistake you've seen your church make most frequently.

At the top, 29% of your churches don't think about marketing, even though marketing exists. Spread the word to other folks in your church!

Second on the list at 23% is "promoting your church rather than generating a response." You're so busy promoting yourselves that you don't do anything that makes people talk about you. Viral marketing trumps self-marketing. Grasp this and maybe one day your church can turn itself into a verb, like Google.

Another 18% of you try to be all things to all people. You have seven services--postmodern, liturgical, contemporary, classical, early, Internet and Second Life. It hasn't taken off yet, but you're trusting it will. Someday.

8% of you are victim of typos. Ahhhh! Just run it by someone else, twice. Tied at 7% we have churches who make promises they can't keep (big trust-breaker) and publicizing competing programs. Folks have to choose discipleship or fellowship, and it leaves them a little overwhelmed.

6% of you think other churches are your competition, and 2% of you don't make mistakes. If that latter group could get in touch with us about some guest blogger pieces, that would be good.

This week, we'll be pretending. If you could give your church leaders a marketing-related gift for Christmas, what would it be?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:15 PM
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December 10, 2007

Marketing Waste: When To Stop

by Tim Wall, Guest Blogger

This is part 4 of a 4 part series on using your marketing budget effectively. You can read the original post to get a better understanding of Tim’s money-saving advice.

We’ve begun to looking at ways to stop wasting money on marketing. Step one taught us to "Establish a measurable indicator for every marketing effort." Step two taught us to “Run a small marketing effort to determine your cost per conversion.”

Step 3: Know when to stop.

One common way churches waste money on marketing is by believing that a successful marketing effort will continue to be successful forever. Knowing and continually tracking your cost per conversion (see step two) will help you avoid this costly mistake.

Continue reading "Marketing Waste: When To Stop"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 6:27 AM
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December 7, 2007

Marketing Waste: Cost per Conversion

by Tim Wall, Guest Blogger

This is part 3 of a 4 part series on using your marketing budget effectively. You can read the original post to get a better understanding of Tim’s money-saving advice.

We’ve begun to looking at ways to stop wasting money on marketing. Step one taught us to "Establish a measurable indicator for every marketing effort."

Step 2: Run a small marketing effort to determine your cost per conversion.

Before you launch into a full-blown campaign, test run your effort to see if it is effective. With your indicator, or goal, clearly established and your tracking measures in place (see step one), you can now determine your cost per conversion.

A conversion, in the marketing sense, is not someone coming to faith in Christ. Rather, it is simply one completion of your goal (remember step one when I told you this wouldn't seem very spiritual?). Your cost per conversion is the amount of money you spend divided by the number of conversions you achieve.

Continue reading "Marketing Waste: Cost per Conversion"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 7:51 AM
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Church Marketing Lab: African Shirts, Absolute Truth and More

In the Church Marketing Lab we saw another week chock full of Christmas designs and all-around design goodness. Here's just a little of what we saw. Make sure to head over, and comment on these and more ...

This is a postcard for an "absolute truth" series.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: African Shirts, Absolute Truth and More"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:05 AM
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December 5, 2007

Marketing Waste: Measuring Success

by Tim Wall, Guest Blogger

This is part 2 of a 4 part series on using your marketing budget effectively. You can read the original post to get a better understanding of Tim’s money-saving advice.

We established last time that avoiding wasted money in marketing hinges on measuring results. So, how do we do that in a church? Well, I've put together a simple, three step process to help you.

Step 1: Establish a measurable indicator for every marketing effort.

What will you watch to see if your marketing effort is successful? If you can't answer that question, stop right now before it's too late!

Measurable indicators, or goals, should be specific so that you can tell if you really meet them. For example, you might send out a direct mail piece to your community and then watch your worship attendance the next Sunday to see if it goes up. Well, that's an indicator, but it's not terribly specific. A lot of things might influence your worship attendance, so how do you really know if your marketing helped?

Continue reading "Marketing Waste: Measuring Success"

Posted by Guest Blogger at 8:19 AM
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December 4, 2007

Replacing Christmas Poll Results

Last week we rekindled the age-old debate of keeping the "Christ" in "Christmas." I also collected data for my forthcoming book, "How To Write Awful Polls." Here's what you had to say:

82% of you are willing to put up your fists and fight for the word "Christmas." If a design idea came up that couldn't fit the whole word, "Christmas," then you would scrap it. No "Xmas" or "Holidays" for you.

9% of you would drop the "Christ" in favor of an "X." After all, it is a sideways cross, right?

A final 9% of you would go with the word "Holidays." You can kill two birds, Christmas and New Years, with one stone, and it's non-offensive. Plus it works better with your design.

This week, we want to know which church marketing mistake have you seen your church make most often?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:24 PM
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December 3, 2007

Stop Wasting Money On Marketing

by Tim Wall, Guest Blogger

This is part 1 of a 4 part series on using your marketing budget effectively.

Whoa, hey now! I thought this blog was all about marketing. What's with the title?

Notice I didn't say, "Stop spending money on marketing." I said, "Stop wasting money."

Here's the deal. It's really, really easy for churches to waste money. In fact, I think it's much easier for churches than for comparably-sized businesses. That's because businesses have a bottom line--making money. It's easy to tell if you're making money, and it's easy to tell if the money you spend is helping or hurting. But churches don't really have a bottom line that can be easily measured, and measuring is the key to not wasting money.

So, if you're not measuring the results of your marketing efforts, then you are wasting money; but you can change. In my eight years of full-time church communications work and my current work marketing our company's content management system, Light, I've wasted a lot of money on marketing. And I’ve learned from my mistakes. So, based on my experience, I've put together a simple, three-step process to help you. We’ll continue with three more posts describing this process. Stay tuned.

Posted by Guest Blogger at 11:33 AM
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Church Marketing Lab: Videos and Billboards, But No Christmas

If you head over to the Church Marketing Lab, you'll notice things are getting a lot more red and green. But I still resisted the urge to do a Christmas-y roundup. But beware, at any time, a Christmas mood could hit CMS, and we could have 200 Christmas Church Marketing Lab designs taking up our front page. But for now, here's what we've seen this week:

Imago Dei is working on a new logo.

Continue reading "Church Marketing Lab: Videos and Billboards, But No Christmas"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:34 AM
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