Ep. 032 | Tali Kauflin: Redefining Church Marketing & Communication

Marketing can feel like a taboo word for the church, but knowing what marketing is and isn’t is essential. Marketing is any activity or tactic used to attract an external audience. Communication is communicating some kind of call to action from your already committed body of believers. 

Marketing is realizing who you are, the people around you, and who you are called to reach. Once you understand these three things, you can ask yourself – are we doing a good job reaching our key people? If not, consider what tools you can use to raise awareness.

Measuring Marketing Success with the Right Mindset

We consider the standard metrics when measuring success but have a different mindset. Whether it is reaching one or a thousand, the number isn’t the goal. But thinking about how we are being effective in reaching others is essential. By using wisdom and discernment, we can take lessons from the marketplace and use them for redemptive purposes.

How to do People-First Marketing

The most crucial thing in marketing within the church is understanding your audience and focusing on the key people you want to reach. Here are some things to consider:

1. Remember your why and the people you’re called to reach – don’t get lost in the clicks, views, or measurements. Keeping the people in front of your mind helps you stay faithful.
2. Use marketing strategies to reach others. Always put people first and consider how to connect with those on the fringes. 
3. Keep a servant-hearted mindset and fight to make that your primary focus. Fight hard against the numerical aspects as a win. 

It’s important to understand that marketing strategies to reach your community aren’t wrong. It doesn’t have to feel uncomfortable. Using marketing strategies and tools is strategic.

Marketing strategies in the church are about helping to meet the needs of those who long to be known, seen, and loved by others. Consider how you can reach those people in your church, use your tools to meet their needs and impact them.

Ways to Improve Your Marketing Strategies Even With a Smaller Team

If you have a smaller team, it can be difficult not to feel overwhelmed by the opportunities to market your church. Here are a few things you can do to improve your marketing strategies.

1. Remember who you are and who you are trying to reach
2. Form a focus group of new attendees and ask them how they learned about your church.
3. Do a discovery search, see where you appear on Google, and consider what you can do to appear higher.
4. Understand where you land on Yelp and what people say about your church. Ask people to leave reviews.
5. Take a Sunday and consider everything a potential new visitor would notice – does your church feel easy to get around?
6. Do an audit of your online messages and see what people are viewing/streaming

Try starting small. Don’t feel like you need to do everything at once. Remember, faithfulness is everyday choices in a singular direction day after day. Look at your community and see who’s there to impact. There may be people plugged into your church who can help you advance your marketing strategies and help you take steps forward.

Things to Avoid When Marketing for The Church

There are key strategies that you as a church can focus on to impact your community and invite others in, but there are also things to avoid. It’s important to remember that how you win them is how you keep them.

Don’t try to be a church that you aren’t. You don’t have to have the most significant production, fancy lights, or the wildest illustrations. Don’t do it if you can’t maintain and sustain it or feel a conflict of consciousness. Allow people to understand what they can expect instead of unreachable expectations.

Final Five:

📖 Book: Dream Big. Think Small. – Jeff Manion   // Freedom of Self-forgetfulness by Tim Keller
🎧 Last thing you listened to: 90’s Road Trip – Spotify Playlist
📱 Favorite technology: Theragun or Ember Mug
📢 Favorite advice: Have gentle touch and be present. Look for the people on the fringes who may be hurting and have a soft touch with them.
💛 What would you tell church leaders? We live in a world that demands instant success and fast growth. That is a distraction. Faithfulness is so essential. Be faithful in your home, to your spouse, etc. If you don’t know, ask people around you if you are being faithful.

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