Why You Need A Marketing Strategy

Developing a marketing strategy sounds like a lot of work.

There’s talking and thinking and time spent when you have a long list of other things to do TODAY. Who has time to think about the next 6-12 months, let alone developing a marketing strategy for it. We totally get it. However we wouldn’t be worth our salt if we didn’t explain why you need a marketing strategy. 

What if we told you that having a strategy in place will:

• Help save time
• Help keep other decision makers focused on church and ministry goals, big and small
• Help you use your budget more effectively

Hear us out on why you should have a marketing strategy.

If you don’t know where you want to go, all of your efforts are wasted.

The look, what you say, how you say, where you say it, and how much you spend along the way can vary widely depending on those making the decisions.

This is true for both long term (think: how this affects what people think about us in general) as well as short term (think: was this campaign successful). You definitely want a marketing strategy that covers both.

Never mind the fact that we all want to be good stewards of the money entrusted to us. If there’s no plan, I can confidently say spending isn’t as efficient as it could be. Imagine if you had a marketing strategy in place. 

Knowing exactly what outcome you want to achieve – or are expected to achieve – will help you to make better decisions.

For example, if you have an event, how many people do you want to show up? You’ll know that you’ll need to have different plans for 50 people versus 500 people.

By knowing the outcome, your marketing strategy can help you make appropriate decisions so you can be successful!

Knowing exactly what outcome you want to achieve will help you to better allocate your budget.

That budget amount is a reality that we all need to work within.

Some tactics have higher dollar costs. Some require more time and energy. You can more objectively weigh whether it’s worth the allocation based on the audience size, makeup, and any past experiences.

Or you may find we get more creative with our marketing strategy as well and look for other ways to market that you might have considered before.

We get dangerously comfy in doing what we’ve always done. Taking a second look can mean better results or freeing up cash for something else. 

Knowing who you want to talk to and what you want them to do in return. This helps you better develop and place messages.

This is where it’s helpful to know who your Ideal Audience is. What their lives are like. What are they looking for in a church, long before they set foot across your door.

By having this in mind when you first develop your marketing strategy, it will help guide you in choosing the look, images, how you talk to them and where you promote those message (Facebook, at a community event, through digital advertising, an ad in a publication, etc.)

Learn more about what discovering your Ideal Audience can mean for your church here.

Knowing where you want to go will help you along the way determine if the plan is working. Or not. Before it gets to the end.

Or before you have to look at the budget again when the time comes for annual budget planning.

Is having 5 more people visiting your church every week mean you are on track, or falling behind?

Without this end goal, it’s hard to define success beyond gut feelings of all involved, be those good or bad. Feelings may not be helpful when it comes time to annual financial planning and keeping (or growing) your marketing budget for the next fiscal year.

Are you ready for a marketing strategy session?

I hope this answered the question of “why” you should have a strategy in place. If your church needs a partner that can guide you in crafting a plan to improve connections inside your church and in your community.

Send your info our way and we can start talking about how we can put your own marketing strategy in place, and better prepare you for success!