Church Marketing Sucks

Every week I hold online office hours and answer questions from folks like you. This week we’ve got a question about marketing budgets and bulletin advertising. Take a look and be sure to join me every Wednesday from 2-4 p.m. CDT for online office hours!

My church committee is starting to research exterior sign ideas.We are an in-town church that has good foot traffic and automobile traffic (speed limit is 30).  We are looking for examples that feature strong readable graphics and look welcoming.  Digital signs are a no-no in our suburban community.  Any ideas to consider?

My Response:

Great question! Especially relevant for folks who don’t have a strong need for a digital presence.

Here are some examples I found that should get the ideas flowing:

• Sign Embedded into Stone (link:)
• Sign in the Middle of Stone Columns

Because you don’t have the benefit of digital signage, you’ll want to create something that stands out aesthetically. Natural building materials (cobblestone, slate, etc.) are a great way to do this, plus they weather fairly well.

Not to mention the visual metaphor of strength! Nothing says, “We’re here and we’re sturdy” quite like stone.

Hope that helps!

We’re looking for examples of churches who are using Facebook effectively. Can you help?

My Response:

I’ve got just the thing. DJ Chuang put together a list of the top churches on Facebook.

While all of these examples may or may not be branded “effective” (it’s a very subjective term), they are popular. In other words, a lot of people use these fan pages each and every day to stay connected to their church.

Check them out, note the commonalities and build a version for your online community!

Thanks for the great questions everybody! Hopefully this information will help you get from where you are to where you want to go. See you next time in the office!