There are a thousand ways to communicate these days. Back when my parents’ grandparents’ grandparents’ parents’ were kids, there was only one: hitch up a wagon, get your machete and clear a trail. But in a world where there are more social networks than people and more media than eyeballs, how do you get your news across?
A third of you are using e-mail blasts. Probably through some sort of marketing platform, you send out an e-mail and dance a little jig if you get your click-through above .16%. And another one in five of you are using snail mail letters because you don’t know HTML, your members don’t have the Internet or you’re too embarrassed your e-mail unsubscribe rate will be 100%.
15% of you take snail mail to the next level, designing direct mail to send to your local mailboxes. And tied with that group are the 15% of you who are using gossipy members to spread news. (And the other 85% falsely imply that they don’t have gossipy members.)
9% still use a phone tree service to send out bulk calls, and beyond that, we’re scraping the bottom of the barrel. 5% are using text messaging blasts (Only 5%!?), and 3% of you are using tin cans and megaphones. Kudos go to you; in the comments, let us know your system for making that work.
Kem Meyer recently discussed this very topic on her blog. Check out more of how Granger Community Church is now delivering their news.
This week, head to the non-RSS version of the site to vote: How are rising costs and the stale economy affecting your church?
Davdi Jones
September 27, 2008
These polling numbers are very disturbing. Only one of the methods listed above are some what efficient. Its somewhat efficient because the cost is so low not because there is a big audience(email blast). It is unbelievable to me that we have all these technology resources around us and the church can’t see it or embrace it. Direct mail are you kidding me! I am surprise I don’t seethe completely inefficient yellow pages on here. I am forecasting that in the next couple of years, you will see personal media devices along with a host of other new mediums on this list.
Thank you for giving me ammo for the next month.
Media Efficiencies and planning go hand in and and now is the time of the year start planning.
If we had to substitute marketing for another word it would be planning, Jan 2009 is right around the corner, your planning for 2009 should be done in November so you can vision cast to your team in December. Therefore, its time to start thinking about your 2009 marketing budget which includes your media budget as well. Forecasting and planning will maximize your efficiencies among the work flow of your church or ministry employees. All of your plans should relate back to a vision or core beliefs or your church or ministry. This will force your ministry staff to be accountable to themselves, you(Senior Pastor or Media Director) and outside vendors, ie television and radio reps or equipment companies.