December 19, 2008

Advice From Sages

You know those people who, when they speak, you listen? For us, two of those are Kem Meyer and Seth Godin. And recently, they each hit the sweet spot on marketing tips that can be applied to churches.

Seth Godin wants copywriting to stop sucking. He breaks down some bad copywriting, explains why it's bad and gives suggestions for a different road to travel. Many, many churches don't know what in the world copywriting is or how to do it, so this is a must-read.

Kem Meyer suggests that random acts of corporate kindness are a great way to market your church. What that boils down to are taking the things you know and providing them to people, for free. This could end in exponential growth for you and your church.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:19 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 21, 2008

Church Marketing Around the Web

Here are some of the stories from the past week that have caught our eye but not quite made it all the way to becoming posts, just in case you need a way to sharpen your skills and pass the time.

• Church is sorry. One church is making no secret of their shame with a campaign to say they're sorry for how they are perceived by many in their community. (Ed. note: That billboard is a broken window.)
• Real church marketing means life change. We're completely on board here. Cody Thomas shares (via convenient bullet points) his belief that the best form of marketing is changing lives and turning those folks on the loose in your community.
• What do you call your church gathering? Is it an experience? A celebration? A rally? A service? An experience? Kent Shaffer digs into this a bit and what it says, and he even endorses the proliferation of Sunday school! You don't hear that too much these days.
• Nike and the swoosh. The church and the cross. This might not be a practical day-to-day manifesto, but it's got great insights into the power of marketing on the brain and the use of symbols.
• On signage. From the folks who asked you, What if the church marketed like Starbucks?, we have a great little exposition on the power of signage. A quick read that could make you think twice when you walk past your own signs.
• When churches close their doors. This big local church closed their doors for a weekend of service. Perhaps not having services for a better purpose will end up growing your church more than having services will.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:14 PM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 24, 2008

This Week in Church Marketing

A few stories have run across the figurative desks here at Church Marketing Sucks over the week, and you've probably caught them at other places on the ol' Internet. But just in case you made it through the first part of the week without catching these, we have them for you.

New atheist marketing campaign on UK buses.
The British Humanist Association is going to start running ads on the sides of buses reading, "There's probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life." I've never personally understood evangelical atheism, but here's a bit of the response so far: AdFreak says, "Probably? Way to hedge your bets there." And the Methodist church has thanked them, saying it "will be a good thing if it gets people to engage with the deepest questions of life."

Church mystery worshipper for hire.
There's a former Oklahoma pastor who is offering himself as a new form of church consultant. Essentially, he'll come and act like a visitor at your church, letting you see what a visitor would see in their first visit to your church. Maybe you don't hire this guy, but some sort of idea like this sounds like a great step for your church.

The Apple brand and religion.
These folks are saying that they have proved via neuroscience that Apple is a religion. The movie looks at the tie between commercial branding and religious branding--specifically at Apple's brand and how it impacts "followers." The trailer certainly looks interesting, and maybe it can explain the strong overlap between church leaders and Apple products. Just maybe.

Update: It looks like atheist marketing is catching on in the US as well. Check out the latest campaign from Washington, DC.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:39 AM
| Comments (6) | TrackBack

October 14, 2008

Ethnography and Marketing Myths

A couple stories that all of you church marketers should be sure to enjoy:

• Kem Meyer discusses ethnographers--what they do and why it matters. She describes ethnographers like this: "They're investing their life and resources to learn what it is people want and think they need. They're working hard to figure out how they can answer the questions the people are asking. They're finding the space in which people rally, and they're going there." What is your church doing to connect with the needs of the people around you?
• And still on the note of community outreach, Outreach magazine looks at four myths about reaching the unchurched and what we should do about them. Just to get your fire burning, myth number 3 is everyone needs small groups. Disagree? Just want some more information? Head over and spend a few minutes reading the article. It will challenge your thinking.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:29 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

May 12, 2008

Fun With Links

Amidst end-of-the-semester craziness, a wealth of links have come my way. And now, they're coming your way. So if you want to delay the start of your Monday, check out these links.

• Is marketing evil? Paul Steinbrueck takes a look at this question.
• Four myths about reaching the unchurched. Outreach magazine looks at how to bust these myths and reach the unreached.
• Bright green marketing practices. Worldchanging discusses creating a positive world for consumers to enjoy the products we market.
• When guerilla marketing goes bad. WebUrbanist looks at five times guerrilla marketing tactics have gone terribly wrong.
• Things they tell church planters that are wrong. A reflection considering God and (some) marketing regarding church plants.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:15 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 16, 2008

Best Internet Marketing Blog Posts of 2007

We can't all be super techies. Not everyone has an intimate understanding of every new technology trend or can keep pace with all the Twittering, Digging or StumbleUponing.

But never fear, 250+ links about Internet marketing can bring you up to speed.

So cuddle up with your computer, a cup of coffee and a blanket on a cold January day and check out the best Internet marketing blog posts of 2007.

(link via Seth Godin)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:18 AM
| Comments (6) | TrackBack

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
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

October 31, 2007

Marketing: What They Said

A couple good lists have been floating around, and we thought we'd point you in their direction.

First, Monday Morning Insight references a Willow magazine list of 15 innovations the church should embrace now. It kind of sounds like what happens when you roll up Lifechurch.tv, Mark Batterson and us.

Also, Church Relevance links and explains three church marketing essentials a la Rick Warren. We can always use reminders like these to keep our heads on straight.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:10 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 19, 2007

Link Love From The Week

So I've been accumulating some links over the week, and I thought I would go ahead and give you the gift of sharing them. If you're looking to use up some free time, this should help you out.

The Business of Church
Looking at the church as a multinational corporation, evaluating its success and deciding where to go from here. It smacks of controversy.

Polka Mass
Wow. I have to go here; has anyone ever been involved in this before? Please tell us more.

Churches Use Halo To Spread Word, Raise Eyebrows
Look for our post about the community's reaction to their future "Kill your friends for Christ" mailers.

Those three articles ought to keep you engaged, at least for a little while. Enjoy!

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:22 AM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

May 29, 2007

Communications Linkfest

We just wanted to share a few links with you of communications stories cropping up the last few weeks. So get you mouse ready, and read what our friends have to say.

• Tony Morgan of NewSpring Church reveals communications lessons learned from Perry Noble.
• Todd Rhoades of Monday Morning Insight gives their seven worst communication habits for church staff.
• Perry Noble reveals his seven reminders for effective communication--part one and part two.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:01 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 5, 2007

Visitors, Beer and Sex--Oh My!

Yet again the links have piled up around me faster than I can blog them, so it's time to blow the dam and just let you have them. Here we go...

• The Visitor's Card - The most potentially interesting of the new Outreach Magazine blogs, it's written by a non-Christian describing her experiences visiting church (via Dan Ohlerking)
• Beer and the Bible - Interesting news article about a church outreach that unfortunately draws too much attention to the alcohol. The pastor of the church in question offers some explanation in a comment on this blog post (via Brenton Balvin).
• Does Size Matter? - Swerve, the new blog from lifechurch.tv, has an interesting series on church size.
• My Dad Went to Church. Yay! - A video of a son taking his dad to church for the first time in 20 years--this is what it's all about. It's also so raw and quirky that it almost seems made up, but that's just the Internet hoaxist in me. (via Tony Morgan)

Don't worry, there's much, much more after the jump ...

Continue reading "Visitors, Beer and Sex--Oh My!"

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 4:29 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 10, 2007

Post-Holiday Linkfest

My post-holiday recovery never quite happened, thanks to the fact that my family is trying to sell our house. So I've got a pile of links I haven't had time to blog about. But lucky for you I'll take the lazy route and throw 'em all up here in one big list. Enjoy:

• Congregations Go High-Tech to Deliver Message - From PowerPoint and basic web sites (ooh, shiny!) to podcasting and blogs.
• Location Doesn't Matter for Most - Storefront churches are working despite locations: "I quickly discovered that the absence of typical church decorations doesn't matter a bit. What makes a church 'church' is what goes on inside the heart and soul of the pastor and the congregation."
• How Toyota Would Run a Church - Church Relevance speculates about how Toyota might run a church.
• The 25 Most Innovative Churches in America - Outreach put out the list with help from Tony Morgan, but we'll link to Church Relevance since they have the list in non-PDF format and show what other lists those churches have landed on.
• What Makes a Church Grow? - Growing churches are often multiracial, have more men than women, make an effort not to be reverent and use drums in worship (gasp!).
• New England Churches Shy From 'Baptist' Name - Even NPR is getting in on the church name change game. Dawn Nicole Baldwin is even planning a series on church name changes.
• God Bless the Bulletin - Wow, some newspapers still run bulletin bloopers?

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:16 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 15, 2006

Rappin' Pastors, Renamin' Churches, Sharin' Graphics

• Rapping Pastors - When we did our Christmas marketing poll we forgot all about full-on rap videos. I bet that would have beaten out extra services. Who wants extra church when you can have rapping pastors? The creative promotion has landed the church in the newspaper, TV and Hannity & Colmes. Pastor Gary Lamb also offers some encouragement to his church in the face of some criticism. That's right--forget the haters and shake it, Santa!
• Shared Worship Background Graphics - Inspired by the Church Marketing Lab, this group is all about, well, sharing worship background graphics. Rather than critique, this is about sharing and using.
• Hog Church No More - Hog Mountain Baptist Church is voting to change its name (they're dropping the hog, not the Baptist), mainly because much of the area has dropped the name, but also because "in the Bible, hogs are associated with sin." Huh? In other church name change news (somebody should start a blog dedicated to church name changes), History Church in Reston, Va. is considering a name change. Pastor Ben Arment is blogging about the process, and keeping us updated. So far he's learned that people want "Reston" in the name, as well as words like "hope" and "new". I think it's settled then--Reston New Hope Not-a-Baptist Church. Or maybe they could take Brad's much-maligned recent post in an ugly new direction and sell off naming rights: Crest White Strips Church of Reston has a nice ring to it, just like your smile when you use Crest White Strips™.
• Lighted Cross Sparks Controversy - "It's right smack dab in the middle of my view. It looks like a beer sign." Wow, apparently the Jesus in a pint and King of Jews/King of Beers ads are working.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 11:11 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

December 8, 2006

Manliness, Names & Parody

• Manliness is Next to Godliness - "It's the wuss-ification of America that's getting us!"
• Churches Drop 'Baptist' Tag - "People tend to think of Baptists as very narrow-minded, sometimes mean-spirited and self-righteous. That's not who we are at all."
• Congregations Know More Than Their Pastors - On average, churchgoers feel 8% more informed than their pastors on cultural issues.
• Christian vs. Christ-Follower - A parody of the PC vs. Mac commercials.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:54 AM
| Comments (6) | TrackBack

December 1, 2006

Church Restaurant, Multi-Site, Entertainment

• Church: Restaurant or Cooking Show? - Someone who hasn't been to church in months went and then compared it to a cooking show where you don't get to participate or eat the food. (link via Jonathan Blundell)
• Multi-Site Mispercpetions - Shawn from Seacoast responds to people who don't like or don't get the idea of multi-site church. Be sure to check out part 2. And for more on multi-site churches, check out our review of The Multi-Site Church Revolution.
• Creating an Experience - Perry Noble talks about the importance of creating an experience in church and defends the notion of church being entertaining.
• Reaching Students Through College Newspapers - Church Relevance pitches the idea of advertising in college newspapers as a viable way to reach students.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 7:55 AM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

November 22, 2006

Purpose Driven, Branding, Telegrams and Rejected Ads

• ABC dumps Assemblies of God ad - It's a rehashing of the rejected UCC commercials, but getting much less coverage.
• Churches using online promotion - "We're talking about the evolution of communication. Can you imagine if I insisted on sending telegrams?"
• U2charist - You'll have to forgive my U2-fandom, but I just love the stories of U2 and church coming together. Of course in this case it's more than just singing U2 songs in church--it's also backing the UN's Millenium Development Goals.
• Burned by Branding - A rant comparing multi-site churches to Starbucks that are out of touch with locals, which misses one of the key features of going multi-site--a local connection.
• Purpose Driven is No More - The organization Purpose Driven is being shut down. Maybe now people can cut back a little on the anti-Purpose Driven rants.
• Oaktreeidea - Connecting Christians outside the walls of church to accomplish great things.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:07 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 10, 2006

YouTube, Multi-Site and Pews

• Building Rockin' Church Web Sites - Church Communications Pro Cory Miller just keeps the series coming.
• Projection Blues - Jim Walton at Church Tech Matters shares some simple tips for improving your projected worship lyrics.
• The Oddness of Pews - Dan Kimball from Vintage Faith Church explores the oddity of church pews.
• Getting Good Press - It's an older piece from CT (who still uses a fax?), but it still has some good advice.
• 5 Truths About Multi-Site Churches - Nicely re-packaged by Church Relevance. For more on Multi-Site, check out our review of The Multi-Site Church Revolution.
• Promoting Churches on YouTube - Jonathan Blundell wonders what would happen if church members made videos to promote their churches.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 10:44 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

October 26, 2006

9 Lists for Web Designers

Some of these lists and resources are older, but they age like fine wine and can still offer some help and hope to church web designers.

• 8 Web Design Cliches of 2006 - Odd names and misplaced dots and gradients, excessive use thereof are my favorites.

• 9 Ways to Misunderstand Web Standards - This one's pretty techie in nature, but if you're a designer you've got to understand (and not misunderstand) your web standards.

• 5 Techniques for Picking a Domain Name - Some great ideas and tips for how to pick that pesky but all important url.

• The Worst Web Design Techniques Featured on Web Pages That Suck in 2005 - Don't do what they do.

• 5 Steps to Building Better Web Sites - A few basic ideas for starting a site right.

• 75 Helpful Web Design Resources - More resources than you can handle.

• 8 Web Design Warm Fuzzy Feelings - You didn't think techies were warm and fuzzy, but this is what makes them smile.

• 50 Redesigns from Scratch - Soon to be a series of 50--you guessed it--redesigns. So far it's only two, but the new designs and detailed explanations are insightful.

• The Next 35 Sexiest Designed Web Sites You've Forgotten - Ignore the tongue-tripping copywriting (and what was that about gradients?), and check out some web design that doesn't make your eyes bleed. You can also check out the first 35.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:19 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 30, 2006

Back to Church, $60 Design & Back Doors

• Back to Church Sunday - A campaign to welcome people back to church.
• Faith Visuals - Another media download site for churches, this time brought to you by Christianity Today.
• Automatic Tithing Machine - ATMs in church for automatic giving: cool application of technology or sign of impending armageddon?
• Should We Fret the Back Door? - Even Jesus had people walk out on him.
• Churches are Like Record Stores - Both face extinction. "The lesson here is to adapt or die."
• Church Door Hangers - Designed in 3 days for $60 thanks to Elance.com.
• Bad Press - Mark Batterson and the National Community Church deal with some negative press.
• Come As You Are - Crazy church marketing ideas. And while we're plugging Batterson again, he's got some book coming out.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 12:22 PM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 22, 2006

Sheep, More Mars Hill, Buildings & More

• All We Like Sheep - "This god of consumerism shows no resemblance to the Consuming Fire described in Scripture. People may say they believe in Jesus, but the archaic Lord, who calls forth sacrifice, promises suffering in this life, and demands obedience for his glory, the one Barth described as 'wholly other' is not what they have in mind. They're thinking of the Jesus that adorns t-shirts and SUV tailgates."
• It's Always Something at Mars Hill Church - Mark Driscoll talks about negative media attention Mars Hill has recently received.
• The Science Behind Your Church's Facility - Flooring, lighting, decorations and signage should have intentionality backed by what works.
• Church Math - Are church attendance figures inflated?
• Willow Creek Drops Young Adult Service - Moves away from the niche offering: "Young people are actually yearning for a holistic community, he said, 'rather than something that looks like a club.'"
• Tony Morgan on ICC - The Innovative Church Conference is happening today and Tony Morgan, among others, is offering some live blog action. And you've got to love Mark Batterson's list of Perry-isms. Funny stuff.

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 8:56 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

September 14, 2006

Church Plants, 88% Drop Out Rate & (gasp) Sex

• How the Internet is Changing Denominations - Minimal design, but some interesting thoughts about technology changing the church. (link via Drew Goodmanson)
• Come As You Are - "To say that Mars Hill is just a church is to say that Woodstock was just a concert." (registraton or watching an ad required)
• How to Market a New Church Campus - How Fellowship Church marketed their new Miami campus.
• 88% of Teens Leave Church After High School - The stat keeps coming up--when are churches going to do something about it?
• Another Church Talks About ... It - You know, it. As in the birds and the bees? (link via Scott @ Igniter Media)
• BrandSpankingNewChurch.com - Gotta love the site for this new church plant. (link via Mark Batterson)

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 9:45 PM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

August 28, 2006

Whoring Pastors, Church Name Changes & More

• This Guys is Angry at Pastors - Eugene Peterson says pastors have "gone whoring after other gods." It's the epitome of church marketing that sucks: "The marketing strategies of the fast-food franchise occupy the waking minds of these entrepreneurs; while asleep they dream of the kind of success that will get the attention of journalists." Ouch. (It comes from the introduction to Working the Angles--published in 1987)
• Church 2.0: Does the Congregation Know More Than the Pastor? - How churches are using web 2.0, and more importantly, shifting to a web 2.0, power to the people mindset. Sounds a lot like a little something from Tim Bednar. And reminds me of a little series someone did. (link via Jonathan Blundell)
• The Selling of Evangelical Christianity - Yet another feature on A. Larry Ross, Christian wunder pr man. Though the funny part is his involvement with the Left Behind video game: "I would assume, if there is violence, it's the cosmic struggle of good versus evil, not gratuitous violence." Yet an analyst describes the violence, "I will say some of the dialogue is pretty lame -- people saying, 'Praise the Lord' after they blow away the bad guys."
• Is Religion Making Us Fat? - "A gathering congregation has to gather around something, and it's often around food," Daniel Sack says.
• Church Drops the Name Church from their Title - "Church implies a single group of people," Senior Pastor Ted Roberts. "And that [multiple services/locations] is the future of East Hill--to go beyond these walls eventually and not be limited geographically. We will become a family."

Posted by Kevin D. Hendricks at 6:37 PM
| Comments (9) | TrackBack