Share:

How the Four Basics of Marketing Can Be Used in Church Planting

“Marketing is the generous act of helping others become who they seek to become. It involves creating honest stories - stories that resonate and spread.” - Seth Godin.

As a new church plant poised for an impactful launch day, we're following Seth Godin's marketing wisdom. We're creating a genuine and resonant story, but more importantly, we're offering an experience, a transformative journey that our community seeks. Let's break down the four Ps of marketing strategy - product, price, place, and promotion to see how they can fit in the plans of a church dynamic.

Product: A Unique Church Experience

Your product is much more than just a soda or even a building with pews. It's a guest experience filled with warmth, acceptance, and spiritual nourishment. You are creating a space where each guest feels valued and cared for, where their spiritual journey can grow, and where they can experience the presence of God.

"The product is the story," Donald Miller says, and to tell your story well you will need excellence, creativity and commitment to welcoming people in the best way possible. Don't shove the dirty clothes in the closet right before someone comes over. Take time to prepare a great experience. As people come into your church, each step should reflect your values. There are many places people can choose to attend church, online or in-person, why are they choosing your "product" over what they can find somewhere else?

Price: The Investment of Time

While attending your church doesn't require a monetary investment, you need to understand that there's an opportunity cost involved. "We pay with our time and attention," as Michael Hyatt aptly puts it. It's a choice to spend a Sunday morning with at your church, and it comes at the cost of sleeping in, playing golf, or whatever else one would do instead of engaging in your ministries activities.

Your goal is to make your church experience worth the price of admission. As you do, you will grow in trust with people until they become invested with their time, treasure, and talent. You want to see people move from outsider to ownership of the church's vision, and you get there by showing them that your church is not only worth their time, but because of the eternal difference you are making, it is worth their investment.

Place: Creating Accessible Spaces

In marketing, where a product is placed is just as important as the product itself. Everyone wants to be on the end cap (the end of the aisle) because they know it exponentially increases they amount of product that will be sold. In the same way, church planters should be careful when choosing a location.

You want to start your church where people work, live, or play. A venue that is well known or has an auditorium is not the only thing to consider. Is there a safe, clean and fun place for the kids ministry to meat? Is there available parking?

Many church planters would love to start with a permanent, but more times than not this means starting in a place that is not a desirable location (or it wouldn't be available on a church plant budget) or a place that needs much updating when that time and money should be going elsewhere for a new church.

Promotion: Spreading the Word

Spending money on advertising may not sound or feel spiritual, but if you are able to use a tool that makes way for people to come to church, then it is worth it. Promotion is about getting your message out there. If your message is all about Jesus, then you should be doing all you can to accomplish that goal. People cannot come to your church if they do not know about it. Investing in promotion accelerates the knowing, and is why every startup business and new movie invests heavily (up to 50% of their budget) in this area.

Someone asked what avenues should you use to promote your church? The answer is use as much as can! Digital ads, targeted to reach the demographics that are in alignment with our church’s vision, social media posts that have organic reach and direct mail marketing campaigns, are all needed. It is going to take multiple angles to get noticed and cause someone to take an action step.

What Are You Really Selling?

“You can’t sell a product without first making a customer.” - Donald Miller.

As you embark on your church planting journey, know that you are not just creating a church; you're creating a family. You're not just selling an experience; you're building relationships. Marketing is just a tool, not the goal, that helps you achieve that aim.

‍