Unity Church Marketing

You see the church down the street filling up faster than yours. You and your spouse are at the coffee shop and overhear a couple talking with their friends about the same church. Over and over again, you hear about people loving the services that church is putting on, the new ministry they have just added (and you are having a challenge just getting enough greeters on Sunday’s), or how they are able to add a new playground for their youth (from the outside view almost effortlessly).

It could be about a myriad of things. Your church might even offer similar or even better programs, yet you don’t hear or see anything that has people talking about it. Seemingly, everywhere you go, you hear about this church. What is it that they are doing that your church obviously is not?

What is that thing you are hearing?

That “thing” you are hearing is called buzz. To be clear, buzz about your church, your pastor or anything your church does can go either way. So if you want to get into the buzz business, you should consider the following:

> While buzz can create attention, you will probably experience not all of it being positive. So if you are outspoken or have a definite opinion on something, while it will resonate with others, some won’t be feeling the same way. So be sure you understand not only the people you are trying to reach, but make sure the delivered message works for the board/congregation.

>Buzz is usually a collaborative effort. You take ideas and build/refine them. Don’t leave buzz to just one person.

>Begin with the end in mind! I believe all marketing should have an objective. Know yours before you just embark out into the wilderness. You wouldn’t go driving cross country without a map. Don’t do it here either.

> Metrics are important! When thinking about the metrics or measuring of your efforts, see the above first! You need to measure where you started and ended. How else will you get better?

>Buzz is about self-promotion first and foremost. Once you start, don’t stop. You will experience the phenomena of “momentum”. One event builds upon another, press releases are scheduled and delivered. Before you know it, you will be in the church people are talking about.

As I indicated above, buzz has a habit of building upon itself. That is just another reason why you don’t blow your annual marketing budget on one event. Doing just one of these things alone may not (let’s be real, will probably not result in) get people buzzing about your church. If you stop it for awhile, you are going to see how hard it is to pick it back up again!

Building buzz for your church or organization can be fun. Here are some things that you might do.

> Hold an unusual event! A lot of churches do Halloween events (or in some cases anti-Halloween). Doing a run of the mill event is a “me-too” occurrence. Look in the Guinness Book of World Records for something that your church might like to take on. World’s largest ice cream social? Biggest meatball? Get the rest of the community involved in helping you achieve this and you will be sure to get some buzz.

> Blogging/article writing: Depending on which you do, if you do it often and have a clear, strong opinion, you will get some buzz over time.

> Press releases – learn how to create a well constructed press release detailing your next event.

> Be innovative – This may involve some risk. But without risk, there is no great reward. And if buzz is what you are after, go forward with a thick skin. If you are doing something that no other church in your area is doing, (such as World Day of Prayer) shout it from the rooftops. Keep in mind that buzz is about self promotion. And if you don’t promote yourself, who will?

> Become the go-to source for your local newspaper. All newspapers are looking for a way to fill the pages with local news/events. But besides having them tell about the events, get the relationship going so when an article comes up, your minister is likely to be quoted. Don’t confine yourself to local papers. There are websites such as Help A Reporter.com or rtir.com that are looking for niche authorities to interview.

> Having a great website! And if it has a little game or quiz that is intriguing, you can get some buzz as well.

> Ministries that care! I believe it is far better to have a few ministries that set you above all other churches in the area than to have a myriad of ministries that are at best so-so. If your church does a great job of being the peace church, be the best peace church! You hold non-violent communications or women’s classes? Do them in excellence. Word will soon get around.

How do I create buzz about my church?

Is this an all inclusive list? Not hardly. But hopefully it has whet your appetite about creating buzz for your church and perhaps gave a few ideas to pursue as well. If you have ideas on how to expand the list, please let us know.