May 7, 2008

Quiz Time Poll Results

The most recent Barna poll asked about church technology usage, comparing the results across the years 2000, 2005 and 2007. We decided to quiz you and see how well you would be in tune with what other churches are doing. We asked you what percent of churches you thought currently have a web site.

44% of you guessed guessed that 0-50% of churches have a web site. Maybe that number is so high because 0-50 is the biggest range. Or maybe you just don't think many churches have sites.

The numbers go down from there. 21% of you thought that half to 65% of churches have sites. Another 21% of you thought 66%-80% have sites. That's the group I was in, as an optimist.

The really optimistic bunch of you thought either 81%-100% of churches have web sites. That'd be pretty sweet, but unfortunately, only in DreamLand.

Well, if you didn't cheat, the results are in...

62% of churches have a web site. That's up from 57% in 2005 and 34% in 2000. Check out Kent Shaffer's wrap-up for more complete results, including stats regarding e-mail blasts, social networking, projectors and more.

This week, we want to know, did your church do anything to celebrate Earth Day, either corporately or around the office?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:27 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

April 29, 2008

Local Labs Poll Results

Local Labs have really been taking off. They've been organic and exponential so far, so we wanted to see how an average reader would feel about a Local Lab in their own city.

It looks like the majority of you are adventurous souls. You would love to check out a Local Lab and see what it's all about if there was one in your city. Well 23 cities nationwide (and one in Canada!) have Local Labs so far, so you might be in luck. That goes for the 36% of you who would go if it were convenient. It very well might be close to you.

That's 86% of people who would go if the conditions were right. Wow!

Another 11% of you don't really need Local Labs. Is that because you aren't a designer or church marketer? Or are you just that good? And a final 3% of you like to keep your friends on the Internet. Maybe that means we need a Second Life Local Lab on our very own Church Marketing Sucks Island?

And if you want a Local Lab, but there's not one in your area, just head over to the Church Marketing Lab, start a discussion thread titled "Local Lab [your city]" to hook up with some people in your area!

This week, it's a quiz time. The results of this quiz are out there on the Internet, so answer before you find them! And we'll post the study next week. So click through from your RSS reader and check our right sidebar to answer, what percent of churches would you guess have a web site?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:29 AM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

April 23, 2008

Socially Just Poll Results

As we launched our new Social Justice category, we wanted to know whether your church puts a priority on social justice. Here's the breakdown of what you had to say:

31% of your churches are hit or miss. Some things you emphasize and others you don't. Maybe you drink fair trade coffee but all drive Hummers. There are just some issues that don't resonate with your church.

And slightly less of you, 30%, say your church only has a few issues it emphasizes. Of those of you, what issues seem to be favorites for churches?

17% of your churches are all about the gospel justice, not the social justice. Hey, people need both, so keep bringing that gospel message.

16% of you hit social justice issues most of the time, but not quite always. Are there certain issues you stay away from, or you just can't quite get to all of them?

The final group is the 7% of you who are social justice junkies. If someone shows up in a Hummer without information about the child they sponsor, it's straight to the altar for some laying-on of hands. This is the small, but (probably) vocal minority.

This week, we're looking to find out would you attend a Local Lab meet-up in your area?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:54 PM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

April 15, 2008

Survey Says Poll Results

We were wondering this week if your church has ever done a church-wide survey. Tons of churches do them and swear by them, other folks think they're a gigantic waste of paper. Our Church Marketing Sucks readers--an avant-garde bunch, if I do say so--had this to say:

53% of you have done it at least once, but you don't go on a regular basis. Did you have a good experience, or not so much? My church is in the middle of our yearly survey effort, and it's pivotal for us. 12% of you are in the same boat, repeating your survey again and again.

23% of you have it on the drawing board, but you haven't actually done it yet. There's something keeping you from taking the leap into surveying. And a final 13% of you are the anti-survey crowd who don't see the need for it yet.

Thinking of going for it, but not sure how to write it, what to say, or where to go? Sounds like a project for our Freelance Lab if you ask me.

This week, we're looking to find out, does your church put a priority on social justice?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:31 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 8, 2008

Heathen Marketing Poll Results

A few of you were very excited to see the poll results this week, and that's exactly what Tuesdays are about--hanging out at your computer, constantly refreshing Church Marketing Sucks for poll results. Well, we've talked about this before, and we even asked the same question two years ago, but have times changed?

Well, 56% of you are game for any good marketing, regardless of who's doing it. I still assume you'd be a bit discerning and not pay up to some marketer on the run from the law, leading a strange cult or leading a group of terrorists. But all in all, you wouldn't deny a marketer based on faith.

Another 22% of you would have to judge the marketer to make an assessment. If it was a good enough guy or girl that seemed to have values in line with your church and would reflect positively on you, then you'd give it a go. And the final 22% of you think that only a person of faith can market the faith.

How do those numbers stack up with two years ago? Well, then we saw a split of 56%, 18% and 21% (with an extra 5% comedy answer thrown in); so, that's pretty remarkably similar. This one might be stacking up as a timeless debate for churches as they look to hire people to help with their marketing.

This week, let us know, has your church ever done a church-wide survey?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:06 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

April 2, 2008

Church Greeting Poll Results

Some people hate to love them; other people love to hate them; still others could care less. Church greeters.

Honestly, to me, it seems like a pretty tough gig. You have to stand out there at the mercy of whatever weather blows in the door, be happy to see each and every person and deal with awkward "I forgot your name" and "Have we ever met?" moments. But apparently some people aren't scared of any of that stuff. At the very least, if you love greeting, you have some job security.

27% of you absolutely love church greeters. Maybe you admire them, are grateful for them or love being one yourself. Either way, it's a Sunday highlight for you to be door-greeted by a smiling face.

48% of you aren't totally sold on greeters, and you judge on a greeter-by-greeter basis. Hilarious greeting experience in the comments would be greatly appreciated!

A final 25% of you don't really get greeting. You think it's a bad idea to have people who are paid to be professional smile, wave and handshakers. Yeah, you probably wear jeans to church and don't comb your hair, either.

This week, throw your opinion in the ring as we ask, would you hire someone who isn't a Christian to help out with your church marketing efforts?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:47 AM
| Comments (12) | TrackBack

March 25, 2008

March (Sex) Madness Poll Results

So the 30-Day Sex Challenge is already well under way, and if you were looking to join in, you'll have to wait until next year. We figured we'd wrap up our coverage of it with a poll asking what you thought of it.

Most of you were big fans of the campaign. You like the idea of churches encouraging intimacy within marriage and encouraging singles to abstain. Any British fans of church sex marketing could also check out the new material from the Church of England--"Growing Together." Summed up (probably inaccurately) by British tabloid The Sun as, "Officials at the Church of England have written a saucy good sex guide for their parishioners."

36% of you aren't so sure. Half of you aren't fans of their caveat that singles should also remain celibate. You think this is condoning premarital sex, and churches ought not be in that business. The other half of you could wrap up your feelings about the challenge as, "Meh."

The last 26% of you think it's silly altogether, and there might be a little too testosterone-driven. C'mon guys can make up the marketing campaigns just fine. I mean, what do you propose? Extreme Makeover: Church Edition? (Ed. Note: My apologies for that being the best I can come up with. Comments are now open to 30-Day Sex Challenge Alternative.)

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:19 AM
| Comments (4) | TrackBack

March 18, 2008

Sunday Morning What? Poll Results

There's a lot of newfangled names floating around for that thing churches usually do on Sunday mornings. We decided to round up a few of them and see just what everyone is calling their Sunday Morning [blank]. Here's what you had to say, followed by a custom personality analysis of your church.

70% of you are holding strong to tradition and calling it a "Service." I imagine this might be preceded by a word like "Worship," or it might just stand alone. Either way, feel good, because you're in the majority. You like to keep it simple and stick with what works.

6% of you refer to Sunday mornings as celebrations. Again, possibly preceded by "Community," "Worship" or another twist on the term. What does this say about your church? You like to let people know they're in for a good time on Sunday mornings, and they can come party with you.

Another 6% of you call it a gathering. I think this one usually stands alone, but if you refer to yourself as a "gathering," you probably tend to be a bit more free-wheeling, nomadic, and cutting edge. 3% of you go with a Sunday morning "fellowship." I'm not sure exactly what this says about your church. To me, it says that you have donuts and coffee, but that's not so scientific.

And cheers to me for a great poll result, 0% of you call it an "environment." Hey, I've heard of it before. And another 14% of you call it something else. Let's hear it in the comments, what do you do on Sunday morning?

This week, let us know, how do you feel about the "30-day Sex Challenge?"

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:21 AM
| Comments (8) | TrackBack

March 11, 2008

Give It Up for Lent Poll Results

We put together a little list, and we wanted to know which church marketing move you wanted your church to give up for Lent. Your results were all across the board. Here's what you had to say:

The top two answers were the 46% of you who either most wanted to get rid of bad web design or brand theft. You're tired of web sites that look like this (Pepsi site circa 1996, courtesy of the WayBack Machine) and series called "True Values" and "iGod." It's OK, we feel your pain.

Another 17% of you are tired of every church and their brother plastering billboards that say "Best sex ever" or "[Insert phrase] -Satan" or "God answer knee mail." For the record, we post them here for inspiration and to push the envelope, not for the express purposes of plagiarism. We won't knock it if it gets people in and gets people's lives changed though.

12% of you are fed up with paying for sermons. You want your downloads to be free, otherwise you're about to turn to church sermon piracy. Another 6% of you are ready to be rid of professional greeters. It seems a little bit contrived to you. And a final 3% of you are tired of endless blogging. I wonder if this is because of not too many pastors trying blogging or just a few pastors being great at it.

And then, of course, there's the 15% of you whose church doesn't do any of these. Congratulations! Feel free to vent your frustration with other, unlisted church marketing offenses in the comments. This week we ask what you call your Sunday morning, um, event.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:35 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

March 5, 2008

Internet Minsitry Poll Results

This week, we asked how your church most often uses the Internet during ministry. We've certainly seen examples of churches doing all three, but when the vote went to the people, here's what you had to say:

The clear, large and distinct majority use the Internet to augment existing ministries. Maybe you have a Facebook account to go with your youth group, a microsite to go along with a service launch or information on your church's site to promote an event.

Another 25% of you use the Internet primarily as missions and outreach. There are people out there who are yet to be reached, and you see the only way to reach them as the Internet. Maybe gamers. Maybe techies. Maybe even Trekkies?

The final 5% of you use the Internet to replace existing ministries. I mean hey, why drive to church on Sunday mornings when you can fly in Second Life? Really though, what sort of ministries have you been able to completely outsource to the Internet? It's an interesting concept.

This week, we're asking you, what church marketing move do you most wish churches would give up for Lent?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:43 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 26, 2008

Sermon Formats Poll Results

There's lots of different ways to make your sermons available. In a few years, you'll probably just be able to stream them live to a chip in your members' head while they sleep; for now, however, we wanted to know which technologies you currently use to distribute your sermons.

The most common way to share your sermons is an audio download. 30% of you are rocking this method. Digital is fun as costs are cheap and files are portable. I guess the next step is to revisit your payment plans for sermon audio.

Just a few less of you, 29% to be exact, offer your sermons on CD. It'd be interesting to hear if the rise of digital audio has brought CD sales down at all in your church.

The next best thing, and rounding out the audio portion of our poll, is the cassette tape. Wowzers. 10% of you make cassettes of your messages available. Hey, if folks need it, more power to you. The last cassette I can remember buying myself is Ace of Base.

Video doesn't seem to be catching on quite as strongly as audio. 9% of you offer DVDs of messages, and 8% of you offer a video download of sermons. There's other options here, too -- video podcasts and streaming video come to mind. A lot of folks these days just don't have time to sit and watch a whole video.

4% of you offer a text download, and 4% offer a paper copy. It's nice to see that reading isn't totally dead yet.

The final 6% offer a resounding, "Be there or be square." If folks miss out, you don't subsidize their absence, you make them hear it from a friend.

So let us know in the comments, what did we forget? How do you share your church audio? And while you're at it, answer this week's question, in which way does your church most often use the Internet for ministry?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 6:42 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

February 19, 2008

Valentine's Day Poll Results

Cupid has come and gone, chocolate is now on sale and star-crossed lovers are no longer smelling the roses. Last week, we asked how many of you would be celebrating Valentine's Day at church with a love, marriage, dating, sex, etc. series. Here's what you had to say:

25% of you are jumping on the opportunity. You're looking to convince the world that the Bible has something to say about this whole love thing.

Slightly less of you, 22%, are sticking to the liturgical calendar. If the schedule says to celebrate St. Valentine, then by gosh, you'll do it.

But by far, the big winner are those of you who are kicking love to the curb this Valentine's Day. Maybe you don't want to use a series to talk about these things, maybe they just didn't fit in or maybe you just hate love--whatever it might be, we hope you enjoyed your non-romantic Valentine's Sunday.

This week, we're asking you, how does your church make its sermons available to those who want them?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:18 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

February 12, 2008

Wifi Sharing Poll Results

So we've talked about your church, the wifi sharer, and last week, we wanted to put stats to our speculation. Here's what you told us about your own church's wifi sharing habits:

Much better than the frequent poll where a single choice gets 90% of the vote, we had a tie at the top this week. Hooray for competition! 28% of you thought, "No way!" on the grounds that folks might end up hacking the Pentagon or viewing inappropriate content on your dime. You either don't want the legal liability or the moral liability of contributing to their shenanigans.

Another 28% of you are silent sharers. You like to keep things looking tight, but if someone asks for the password, they can easily get it. That way, you can profile the person asking for the password and determine whether to give it out to them--kidding, of course.

Next up are the 26% of churches who run a public, open hot spot. You like to keep people hanging around, and perhaps you even serve some coffee or pastries or even something else. How does this work for you? Any run-ins with the law yet?

A final 17% of you ask, "What's wireless access?' I say...well, I don't know what to say to that. You could drop a line to al.gore@algore.com. He should be able to tell you.

Now, with love abounding this week, we want to know, around Valentine's Day, is your church doing a love/marriage/dating/sex series?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:22 AM
| Comments (5) | TrackBack

February 5, 2008

Paying for Church Poll Results

As you browse the Internet, you're likely to find tons of church resources. Some are free, some are not. Some are free digitally, but not physically. We asked how you felt about this and what you would pay for, and you let us know.

Those of you happy to buy the digital copy if you miss out on the actual experience are in the vast minority. Only 9% of you would pay for a sermon on a regular basis. I assume this is within the bounds of reasonable costs.

Another 40% of you find yourself in the "maybe" camp. You might try and find a friend who recorded it on their cell phone, look to illegally download it on the Internet or raid the church offices. But if the sermon was great, and there was no other way to get your hands on it, you would pay up.

The majority of you, 51%, wouldn't pay up for a digital copy. You're OK with paying for the physical copy, but digital should be free. After all, the cost to the church is minimal, and you shouldn't be punished for staying home with your sick kids.

This week, we're asking, does your church provide open wireless access for anyone to use?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:27 PM
| Comments (4) | TrackBack

January 30, 2008

Church Bulletin Poll Results

Last week, we asked exactly what you do with the church bulletin when you get it. You spoke out in big numbers, and it looks like the bulletin is staying.

62% of you may skim it, but you won't be reading every bit. This solidifies the bulletin's place as an effective method of conveying news. Folks will at least look at the bulletin for information pertinent to them.

Another 21% of you will devour every word of it, and you might even save it for bathroom reading material. You're a stalwart fan of bulletins, and you wouldn't have it any other way.

12% of you send the bulletin straight to the floor. If you need to find something out, you'll get it through some way other than the bulletin--word of mouth, email etc.

A final 4% of you won't read it, but you might use it to take notes or make a fan. So the bulletin is useful, just not as a method of conveying information. This is obviously a small minority, so don't just start giving out fans quite yet.

This week, we're wondering would you pay for church content over the Internet?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 10:51 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 22, 2008

Extra! Extra! Poll Results

There's a thousand ways to distribute news--blogs, mailers, e-mails, Twitter, Bat Symbols, etc. We wanted to know what works for your church and how you distribute your news. Here's what you had to say:

The most popular way to distribute news was through announcements or bulletins. Apparently 19% of you use a weekly bulletin and in-service announcements to distribute news. About 127% of churches I've been to use a bulletin and announcements, so I think we might have had some error in our statistical methodology. Or maybe just all churches I don't attend tend not to use bulletins and announcements--what do you think?

16% of you post news to your web site. This is good, people visit your web site. If you didn't hear, we had a snow storm in the south here recently (about 3/4" of accumulation), and it was refreshing to see churches announce their closing online. It's far better than the endless game of watching the scrolling thing on the news channels.

Another 14% of you depend on your church's pre-game show to announce events. It gets your message across, you can do these pre-service slides attractively and it encourages folks to show up early. Next up are the 12% of you who go for the church-wide e-mail newsletter. Some trouble exists here--folks disable receiving HTML email, it gets caught as spam, it's not designed well, etc. Have you seen success with announcing via e-mail?

9% of you still send out a snail-mail newsletter. It gives a fun, antique feel to church. Then come the bottom dwellers: 3% of you use a blog or RSS (come on readers, we can get this number higher), 3% of you use e-mails from individual departments and 3% go with some sort of automated calling system.

Bringing up the rear are the 2% of you who go with "Something else." What on earth could this be? Twitter? Town crier? Door-to-door? Let us know down below.

This week, we need to know...you walk into church and are handed a bulletin. What do you do with it?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 8:15 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 16, 2008

Presidential Marketing Poll Results

If you've kept up with the presidential race at all, you've been bombarded with tricky ploys, clever slogans, crazy ads and a thousand other marketing moves. So we wanted to know which move you would love to pull off for your church. Here's what you thought:

The majority of you wanted the deep pockets of Mitt Romney. A personal fortune lets him do most anything he wants, and you guys think this would be helpful for your church. What are you thinking? Eradicating poverty in your city? A sweet new building? A pastoral Rolls Royce?

The next biggest percentage of you, 21%, would rather launch a church blimp, a la Ron Paul. Then, from hundreds of feet, everyone could see the name of your church. Maybe you could even offer free rides to first-time visitors.

16% of you want a celebrity endorsement. Barack Obama has Oprah, Mike Huckabee has Chuck Norris ... First Community Church of Your Town could have anyone--Britney Spears, George Bush, Church Marketing Sucks. The possibilities are endless.

Another 14% of you want your pastor to be a part of a network TV series, like Fred Thompson of Law and Order. Maybe Extreme Life Makeover or a pastoral karaoke show is waiting in the wings.

Rounding out the bottom, 7% of you want to follow Dennis Kucinich and hype your staff's UFO sightings. Another 7% of you want to take a cue from John Edwards and put some green in your logo, to let folks know you care about the environment.

This week, we want to know, how does your church distribute its news?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 7:51 AM
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

January 8, 2008

Doing Design Poll Results

Last week, we wanted to know how your church goes about doing its design. Full time? Part time? No time? Here's how you broke it down:

34% of you can't afford design. Two and a half years ago, we discussed this to frenzied commenting. Go back in time and check it out.

Almost as many of you have one full time designer on staff. That's 28% of churches that devote part of their budget to keeping someone on staff. I imagine you make sure this person can do both web and print in order to avoid having to pay someone else extra? Rounding out the top three are the 17% of you who don't do design. Eeeeek. Some sort of design is always a good thing. Might I suggest our Job Lab? Even if it's just enough to keep people's attention. You don't have to "wow" anyone, but you shouldn't scare them, either.

8% of you have multiple designers on staff. Wow. Maybe a web person and a print person? Three cheers to being devoted to design, we like that. Another 8% of you mix staff with freelancers to give your staffers a little help--an awfully nice thing of you to do.

Rounding out the list are the 6% of you who only use freelancers. I honestly thought this number would be much higher, it sure seems like freelancers are everywhere. If you're looking to use one, let them know in our Freelance Lab.

Any small churches full of design staffers? How about large churches without a design staffer? My feeling is that, as usual, the group you're trying to reach out to is the most important factor in making this decision.

This week, let us know which presidential marketing tactic would you most like to use for your church?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:35 PM
| Comments (3) | TrackBack

January 3, 2008

2008 Goals Poll Results

Last week, getting ready for the New Year, we wanted to know your church marketing goals for 2008. Here's what you had to say ...

The largest portion of you, 27%, are looking to improve your web site. Face it, your site might be the key piece to marketing your church. Check out here, here, here, here or here to see that we agree.

Another 23% of you are going for self-improvement. If your church follows God more closely and improves, then marketing will take care of itself. If you need permission from anyone to do this, consider it given. Self-improvement is a must.

14% of you are hoping for less fluff. What fluff will you be eliminating? Will you be replacing it with anything else? Slightly less, 10% of you, are looking for some extra cash. Just remember the group above you and don't use more cash for more fluff. That's no good.

8% of you are in want of a professional designer. Might I suggest our Job Lab? OK, good. You can post your need for a designer there, and they'll come to you. 7% of you are looking for more CMS in the new year. We'll do our best to scratch your itch in 2008.

Bringing up the bottom of the barrel are 6% of you hoping for more events. Parties, services, outreaches, polka masses, potlucks ... the whole shebang. Finally we've got the 5% of you looking for some shock value. But when people sue you, condemn you and riot at your church ... we might not claim to know you.

This week, we're asking a simple question: How does your church get its design done?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:00 AM
| Comments (2) | TrackBack

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
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

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
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

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
| Comments (1) | TrackBack

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
| Comments (5) | TrackBack

November 27, 2007

Polka Mass Poll Results

Last week, we wanted to know what you'd do when you heard there was a polka mass in town. Despite stuffing yourself with turkey and dressing, you let us know. Here's how you answered:

9% of you are chomping at the bit. Just answering this poll very well might have excited you enough to go out and organize your own polka mass.

Another 20% of you want to do it, but you're not going to go out of your way. If someone will let you borrow their shoes and their favorite Slovenian folk album, then you'll partake.

12% of you are less convinced. You would go, but only as a last resort. Polka is simply your backup plan if all your friends bail on you.

The vast majority of you, 60%, wouldn't be caught dead at polka mass. For the record, I'd be in hiding with you guys. I'm more of a river dance mass guy myself.

This week, we get away from Thanksgiving fun shenanigans like polka, and we ask, when it's time to design Christmas graphics, and the word Christmas doesn't quite fit, you...

Posted by Joshua Cody at 5:22 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 26, 2007

Giving Thanks Poll Results

Happy Thanksgiving! It's only a few days past, but we have the breakdown of how you choose to celebrate at your church.

44% of you tie it in to your Sunday services the week before or after. I get a sense some of those folks just say "Oh yeah, by the way, Happy Thanksgiving!" Others probably go all out and remind folks to be thankful. Either way, you Thanksgivingify your services.

Next up, 29% of you have a special service near that special Thursday. What kind of stuff happens at these special service? I have a tender spot in my heart for this holiday, so these services sound great to me.

14% of you are already on Christmas. You're too busy decorating your tree and donning your Santa hats to think about turkeys and football. Hey, that's good, we won't come down on you for putting extra attention on the birth of Christ.

The smallest number of you, 13%, get together to give thanks on the fourth Thursday of November. (Or the second Monday of October for our Canadian friends.) Are there any bigger churches out there who get together on Thanksgiving Day?

I guess I forgot an option. My church gives thanks by sleeping in the weekend of Thanksgiving. Sorry for anyone we alienated by leaving that one out.

From Church Marketing Sucks to you, we're super thankful to have you guys supporting our mission and working alongside us. It's really an honor for us to do what we do, and we hope we're moving towards working ourselves out of jobs.

As a special thank you this Thanksgiving, we've got...you guessed it. A new poll! This week, we ask, Would you be there for polka mass?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:32 PM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 13, 2007

Blogging Pastor Poll Results

A little over two years ago, we asked you if your pastor blogs for your church. You weighed in and told us this: 21% did with success, 5% are trying without much success, 4% tried and gave up, 66% of you hadn't tried it out, and 5% had no idea what a blog was. That was then. This is now:

28% of you are blogging away, and folks are loving it. That's up 7%, so more people have tried, and more have had success. Always a great thing to hear.

10% of you have given it a shot, but it's not working out. I think the Church Marketing Lab discussion board could be a great place for this. Ask yourself three quick questions.

• Is my audience aware that I have a blog or would they read a blog?
  
• How is my site design?
  
• Am I blogging material relevant to my audience?

Talk to the kind folks in the Church Marketing Lab, and I'm sure someone would love to help you with your site.

4% of you tried, but you gave up. Let us know your story in the comments, are you a pastor who tried, but it didn't work out Are you an intended reader who helped in the project not working out? I'd be interested to hear why these sorts of things fail.

56% of you still haven't joined the blog wagon. My quick response is, "Good grief! Go blog!" My better response is that maybe this is a great idea. Don't try to do something you don't need. Keep it simple, but consider blogging.

Only 2% of you still have no idea what a blog is. If you're in that 2%, consider being discipled in technology. I don't know that I have a link to help that.

So, you might be wondering whether you should comment on this post. There's a few types of people who should. Are you a SuperBlogger? Tell us why you think it works. Is your blog struggling? Ask for some advice. Are you a blogger feeling rejected? Let us know why you think it didn't work. Anyone else? Heck, just let us know what you think.

In the mean time, this week, we want to know, will your church do a Thanksgiving service? Head to the right and let us know.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 1:52 PM
| Comments (6) | TrackBack

November 6, 2007

Church Marketing Support Poll Results

Last week, we asked how much support you could muster up for the idea of church marketing. When you go to your church staff, leadership teams and church friends, what is their reaction to the term "church marketing?"

Good news! 42% of you are a part of churches who are completely supportive of the idea of church marketing. If you go and tell them about what you read on Church Marketing Sucks, they'll probably be a-OK with that.

The bad news? Still 5% of you are a part of churches where you're the only one on board with church marketing. If you go and tell them about what you read on Church Marketing Sucks, they'll probably tell you that Church Marketing Sucks sucks.

In the middle of those two alternatives, 24% of you are part of churches who are getting closer to a grasp of church marketing, but not quite there. Another 16% of you are part of 50/50 churches who ride the fence about the ideas.

11% of you church marketers are a tiny majority in your church. Let us know about your church marketing secret societies and covert-ops in the comments. Finally, 2% of you are just here to pick fights, and you don't even like the idea of church marketing. Welcome!

This week, we're headed back in the CMS time machine and asking a question from a few years ago ... Does your church or church leadership blog?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 9:09 AM
| Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 30, 2007

Hire Your Staff Poll Results

Last week we gave you the opportunity to restructure your church marketing efforts with an unlimited budget. The first place you said you would hire is ...

A teaching pastor. It looks like the time-honored tradition of the most important guy being the one with the microphone lives on today, albeit only by a small margin. 29% of you would start here.

The big surprise is that 21% of you would hire a web or graphics guys. You think graphics are the new face of the church. These numbers are way up from the last poll 50 years ago. After all, good teaching is a good thing.

I think the popularity of the first two show the popularity of an attractional ministry philosophy. The third most popular response highlights the popularity of a more missional approach. 20% of you would turn first to an outreach pastor.

12% of you are more business-minded. You would first turn to an executive pastor to make sure everything is going smoothly. Some folks would call you boring, but we'll call you precise and wise. Executive pastors are important, and it's not the sexy choice. Cheers to you.

A little smaller slice of readers, 7%, would head for either a new band or some super-sweet production. I'd imagine here we'd be thinking long hair, smashing guitars, strobe lights and beyond. Yes?

Getting barely any love from our respondents are architects. Only 3% of folks would hire one of them first. Perhaps next week, we could poll that 3% to find out how many of them are actually architects.

This week, we're asking about your support. Head east and weigh in. How supportive is your church of the idea of church marketing?

Posted by Joshua Cody at 2:43 PM
| Comments (4) | TrackBack

October 16, 2007

Church Franchises Poll Results

We talked a while back about church franchises and it polarized folks a bit. So we decided the best way to go about things was to take it to the polls. Here's how you felt about franchising church:

The majority of you, 53%, think the idea rocks. You, however, think the name sucks. Perhaps some other term could work more effectively for you. It's almost like you're putting a new church somewhere and tending it, so those 53% of you could call it something along the lines of "church planting?"

Slightly less of you, 33%, don't like the idea in general. Why should a new church be part of an old church? What's wrong with the way things are done? I think this comes down to a matter of the wise old adage "different strokes for different folks."

The smallest group of you are totally on board with franchising church and calling it "church franchises." That 14% of you does disagree with the idea of super-sized service length. And hopefully you will fight for these franchises to continue serving nutritious and substantive life change.

This week, we want to know if you're a church conference skipper or a junkie. Head over to the right frame and let us know where you stand. RSS readers, click on through to let us know where you stand, too.

Posted by Joshua Cody at 12:21 PM
|