GROWING YOUR CONGREGATION MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP Valerie Holton Linda Laskowski

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1 GROWING YOUR CONGREGATION MARKETING & MEMBERSHIP Valerie Holton Linda Laskowski

2 Membership Journey EVANGELIZE INTEREST Point of Entry PR/Website/ Marketing Visit WORSHIP LEADERSHIP COMMITMENT Programming: Worship, RE, Adult Ed COVENANT FELLOWSHIP Greeting 2 nd Visit 3 rd Visit Small Group Ministries

3 MARKETING Providing customers with products and services that they need or want Marketing is a process for making concrete decisions about what the congregation is going to do, and not do, to achieve its mission

4 Strategic Marketing Process Question#1 What Is Our Objective? Who do you want to serve? MEASURING RESULTS SEGMENTATION & TARGETING What are their needs? What do they care about? RESEARCH & DISCOVERY How do you know you ve been successful? COMMUNICATION TACTICS How are you going to promote? STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS What are you going to offer? Who are your competitors?

5 A Market Place Audit: Who Do You Currently Serve? Place a plus (+) in the columns to indicate where your congregation does a good job. A minus (-) in the columns where your congregation needs improvement. Questions: What conclusions can you draw? Should your congregation focus on its strengths or weaknesses? Why? Customer Group/ Programs/Services to Meet those needs Children Worship - Sunday Service Sociability Study/ Religious Education Social Action Pastoral Care Other Programs Teens Young Singles and/or Young Adults (18-34) Young Marrieds Families with Children Empty Nesters/Middle Age Older Singles Senior Citizens GLBT Community Multi- cultural (specify) Other Special Interest Groups Specify:

6 Strategic Marketing Process What Is Our Objective? Who do you want to serve? MEASURING RESULTS SEGMENTATION & TARGETING What are their needs? What do they care about? RESEARCH & DISCOVERY How do you know you ve been successful? COMMUNICATION TACTICS How are you going to promote? STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS What are you going to offer? Who are your competitors?

7 Research & Discovery Tools 1. Focus Groups 2. Interviews 3. Percept Data: perceptgroup.com Ministry Area Profile: UUA price: $225 (vs $315) 4. Questionnaires On-Line: The Uncommon Denomination

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14 Strategic Marketing Process How Are We Going to Promote? Who do you want to serve? MEASURING RESULTS SEGMENTATION & TARGETING What are their needs? What do they care about? RESEARCH & DISCOVERY How do you know you ve been successful? COMMUNICATION TACTICS How are you going to promote? STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS What are you going to offer? Who are your competitors?

15 Communications Tactics Direct Mail Marketing Part of an overall strategy Cost Effective Targeting: Mailing List is the most important part of the process 40% of its efficacy The Uncommon Denomination

16 UUA Postcards 5 ½ by 8 ½ $20 for 100 postcards back panel for your message Postage postcard rate

17 National Campaign Postcards Oversized 6 x 11 Graphic Files

18 New Campaign Postcards Smaller 4 x 6 Graphic Files

19 Targeting Your Audience Geographically Demographically: List Brokers Psychographics/Lifestyles - Claritas New Homeowners Lists Organization/Community Subscriber Lists Sierra Club, Planned Parenthood, CARE, National Defense Fund, etc.

20 Direct Mail Other Suppliers Modern Postcard: Tribune Direct (subsidiary of Chicago Tribune) $99 for 500

21 Google Ad Words Create Ads Choose Key Words what people search on to find you Customer click you pay per click, not when ad is shown. Set daily and total campaign limit Can buy by geography

22 Google Ad Words

23 Google Ad Words Imagine a religion... where people of different beliefs worship as one liberal faith. Total Clicks: 1,569 Content Network Clicks*: 642 Search Result Clicks: 927 Click Through Rate: 0.12% Average Cost per Click: $1.01 Total Cost: $1, Top Keywords: church 800 clicks spirituality 106 clicks Unitarian Universalists Find a Tampa Bay area church of caring, open-minded seekers. Total Clicks: 961 Content Network Clicks*: 33 Search Result Clicks: 928 Click Through Rate: 1.11% Average Cost per Click: $0.53 Total Cost: $ Top Keywords: unitarian 287 clicks unitarian universalist 177 clicks unitarian church 176 clicks * Content Network Clicks refer to clicks where our ad has been posted on a site with a relationship to Google and deemed relevant to our ad and keywords; as opposed to Search Result Clicks, where our ad has come up during a regular Google search.

24 Creative Materials Regional Campaigns Newspaper Ads GLBT Ads Graphics & Photos Radio Spots Website Banner Ads Bumper Stickers TV spots

25 Creative Materials - Billboards

26 Creative Materials GLBT ads

27 Creative Materials TV Ads

28 Creative Materials TV Ads

29 Creative Materials Print Ads National Campaign Print Ads Outdoor Banners Tagline Graphics Bumper Stickers Postcards

30 Strategic Marketing Process Question#1 What Is Our Objective? Who do you want to serve? MEASURING RESULTS SEGMENTATION & TARGETING What are their needs? What do they care about? RESEARCH & DISCOVERY How do you know you ve been successful? COMMUNICATION TACTICS How are you going to promote? STRATEGY DEVELOPMENT COMPETITIVE ANALYSIS What are you going to offer? Who are your competitors?

31 Guerrilla Marketing Ideas Join UUA PR list ser: E-Newsletter easy to forward to a friend Create a Speakers Forum or Music Program Public Relations Plan Guerrilla Advertising Niche newsletters Sierra Club, GLBT, Park District Niche websites Art House Theatres, Performing Arts Cable TV NPR pooled sponsorship buy Giveaways auto sun screens, coffee mugs, bumper stickers, Members Bring a Member Campaign: DVD Voices of a Liberal Faith

32 Measurement Tools 1. Focus Groups 2. Interviews first visit and exit 3. Tracking Forms 4. Questionnaires On-Line: Mystery Worshipper The Uncommon Denomination

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37 Regional Marketing Group CLUSTER OF CHURCHES -POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES Formalize Structure one representative per congregation Regional Website (ongoing) E-Newsletter Workshops related to hospitality & welcoming Area wide Speakers Forum, Music or Social Action Projects Hire a Public Relations Consultant Targeted Direct Mail Mystery Worshipper Website Critiques Gay Pride Activities Google AdWords Blogs, podcasts

38 Other Resources Religious Left Gear: Evangelical websites Marketing for Congregations, By Shawchuck, Kotler, Wrenn, Rath Purpose Drive Church, Rick Warren

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