Direct Mail and Church Marketing are a Match Made in Heaven
Does Direct Mail Work for Churches?
To answer this question, we turned to one of our existing customers, The Mission Church, located in Holmes, New York. A customer since 2013, this church uses the power of direct mail and church marketing to attract people to visit their church during busy holidays like Christmas and Easter, but also to engage with their community throughout the rest of the year by inviting them to special events such as open houses, Vacation Bible School, parades, fall fests, and much more. Here’s an example of how Modern Postcard supported The Mission Church with one of their Easter direct mail campaigns and how it impacted church attendance:
“We had record numbers for both Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday. We saw 100 more people than the average for Palm Sunday and hit a record high of over 900 for Easter – that’s 200 more than our average Easter! Sending 10,000 postcards had a greater effect than the usual 5,000 we send. We also gave out every one of those Invite Cards. Modern went above and beyond to launch our promotions on time.”
—Jason Murphy, Executive Pastor, The Mission Church
Do: Mail invitations to specific events at your church throughout the year. And be sure your invitations are delivered at least 2-3 weeks out from the event date to create awareness well-ahead of time. Timing is key!
Don’t: Based on years of experience, we suggest to never mail general and vague invitations without any specific calls-to-action. However, done right, direct mail marketing for churches is a proven marketing strategy that can really make a difference in attracting visitors to your church.
Church Direct Mail Statistics
If your church is struggling with getting younger generations to attend services, you may want to consider a direct mail campaign. According to the USPS® 90% of Millennials love receiving mail! It may seem surprising at first, but if you think about the excess of digital advertising that’s happening on smart devices all across the nation, receiving a lovely piece of direct mail in the mailbox sure sounds like a nice break from all the digital noise, doesn’t it? And here’s a little insider tip: mailing to Millennials might indirectly help you get the word out on their social media channels as they share with friends and neighbors on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, etc., where they’re planning to go and what they’re planning to do.
Church Direct Mail Services
There are numerous ways for churches to get the word out via direct mail. One of the most common invitation formats we see clients utilize is simple church direct mail postcards. Most churches operate with a limited budget, which is why postcards are a very popular option to mail out to the community. If you choose Modern Postcard as your direct mail partner, we can help you decide whom to mail to, in order to get the best response. For example, we can mail to homes by specific zip codes you choose, or by a specific mile radius around your church location. When it comes to the mailing list, there are many different demographics we can choose from, so don’t worry if you don’t have a specific list in mind. We’ll work with you on that aspect of your campaign. We can also limit a mailing campaign to a specific budget.
Do: Partner with a reputable print and mail house to help support your campaign’s specific needs.
Don’t: Never mail invitations without having a way to track your success and response rate.
According to a study by Grey Matter Research, over 17 million non-churchgoers visited local church websites in a 12 month period, and over 28 million churchgoers visited a church’s website they currently don’t attend. Wouldn’t you like to know who’s researching your church through your website, and be able to reach out with an invitation to your church? Well, we have a solution for you. We offer a program called Modern iO that can identify your website visitors, match them to mailable addresses, then help you convert them into new visitors by mailing an invitation to your church the very next day. There’s no sign-up fee and no minimums to join this program. Call us to get a free tag placed on your church’s website and start identifying all the potential new visitors you could be inviting to your church!
Do: Ask around to see what other marketing channels can support your direct mail campaigns. Keep in mind that direct mail paired with digital ads boost response by 118%!
Don’t: If you rely on social media and digital marketing alone, you’re missing out on countless of new prospects in your community.
Is Direct Mail Too Expensive for My Church?
One of the biggest myths regarding direct mail is that it’s too expensive for smaller organizations. We’re here to tell you, just because you have a limited budget doesn’t mean you can’t launch a direct mail campaign. In addition, most churches are designated non-profits, which helps to bring postage costs down by quite a lot. If you don’t have a .org status, we can show you how to get it – just let us know you need help with that. Call us any time at 800.406.8132 to speak with one of our church marketing specialists.
Do: Work with an experienced direct mail provider that can help you plan a campaign that fits your outreach needs and budget. Also, don’t forget to ask for case studies. It will enable you to see for yourself what may or may not work for your needs.
Don’t: If you assume that traditional marketing like direct mail or outdoor banners and signs do not work in this day and age, it may hurt your odds of getting more people to visit your church.
What Should Be Included in Direct Mail Advertising?
It’s really up to you what you want your community to know about you. But at the very least, we recommend including nice images of your church. Exterior, as well as interior images are a good idea. Sometimes, adding a map of your church’s location is a nice touch, especially if your location is not on a main street that everyone in the neighborhood is familiar with. Other than that, we do of course advise all of our church clients to include contact information such as a phone number and a website address, if applicable. If there are any upcoming events at your church, make sure to include those as well, clearly stating the dates and times. Whatever you do include, make sure your tone of voice is friendly and inviting. We’ve found that a lot of people are curious to visit their local church, but they just don’t know where to start, and if they can just show up unannounced. So, a friendly invitation really does go a long way.
How Do You Practice Marketing for Churches With Direct Mail and How Can I Make My Direct Mail Successful?
These are questions we receive a lot, and the key here is to be consistent. We don’t mean you have to mail something every month, but rather be consistent enough throughout the year so that your community is aware of your church’s activities on an ongoing basis. For sure do not miss out on Christmas and Easter mailings. Those are the times when people tend to look for a church to attend, but in between those two events, allow for some gentle reminders to go out once in a while.
Modern Postcard’s Direct Mail Printing Services
Starting a direct mail campaign can be quite exciting and fun! Just think about all the people in your community you can reach. In addition to a mailing list, you’ll need to decide on what kind of direct mail format you want to go with. Our church printing services can be found here, and they include not only mailable formats, but also products such as business cards, door hangers, indoor and outdoor banners and signage, magnets, yard signs, table tents, notepads, stationery, etc.
Church Graphic Design Services
You do not need to be a graphic designer, or even have access to one, in order to create a beautiful direct mail campaign for your church. Our customizable designs, along with complete layout services, are included with every print or mail project. Simply choose one of our church postcard templates as a starting point or provide your own ideas, images, and copy, and we’ll put together an impactful church marketing piece for you.
If you are not quite ready yet to pick up the phone and start a conversation with us, we encourage you to at least request a FREE Church Sample Kit to see some direct mail pieces other churches are using. It also lets you see and feel our print quality in person!
And lastly, we’ll leave you with this: Believe that you can make a difference for your church by asking questions and being curious about how marketing can help you grow your congregation.
Ready to amplify your church outreach with Modern Postcard?
Give our Church Marketing Specialists a call today at 800.406.8132