Marketing Ideas and Materials for Living with Hope

Marketing is a fundamental part of any evangelism series. Potential attendees need to know the basics of who, when, where, and why they should get involved. Your ability to communicate each of these points clearly will determine the number of people who walk through your doors for your event. Below are some tips to getting the most out of your evangelism marketing efforts.

Two types of promotion
When planning the marketing efforts for your event keep in mind that there are two unique audiences that you need to reach. Both demographics will play a key part in maximizing the attendance for your event.

Internal Marketing
The first segment is the internal audience of your own church. Your congregation needs to understand the event, so that they can fully support it with there time, talent, and resources. Your internal marketing efforts need to focus on the vision for the event and help build excitement. We recommend utilizing the primary image for your inhouse marketing efforts. The primary image is the one with the gentleman looking up with a hopeful stare (see sample). Here are some tips for increasing the effectiveness of your internal marketing.

Begin announcing the event early. Your website, newsletter, and announcement slides are a great way to start the buzz.
Change the look and feel of the church. If your event is going to be at your church, or even if it is going to be outside your walls, start decorating for the event. Let the congregation start to feel that this series is going to be something worth inviting their friends and family to attend. The more you do the more confident they will be in inviting people.
Arm your congregation with resources. Make sure that your members have the tools they need to invite the people they know. Wallet-sized invitation cards give them an easy way to invite co-workers and members of the community. Online information & registration gives them a place to point people who are looking for more information.

External Marketing
The second segment of your marketing efforts should focus on the external aspects of your campaign. To get people to walk through your doors you need to spend the time and effort to reach out to them in multiple ways. We recommend the use of our extrernal outreach imagery for your marketing efforts. This image includes a scale with hope being heavier than the problems of this world (see sample) Below are some proven ways to increase the effectiveness of your external marketing efforts.

Catch them in their cars. Not many things get more views for your dollar than large outdoor banners. Banners are not likely to convince every passerby to join you, but it will encourage people who have been invited by your members or through other means. This extra point of contact will increase traffic and help newcomers find your location easily.
Show them the way. Make sure the directions to your location are clear. Use maps on all of your mailers door hangers. Use sandwich boards or other signage to increase the ease in which visitors will find the facility. Churches loose possible attendees on the night of the event because they can't find their way. Many people are insecure about their decision to attend a church and will use any excuse to abandon their endeavor. Don't let them have an easy excuse to not hearing God's word.
Reach out to your neighbors. Postcards, handbills, and door hangers can all be useful tools for reaching out to the lost and hurting that may get missed by your congregants. Make sure to focus on the needs of the recipient and solutions for the problems that they face. Good communication practices will strongly increase conversion from these forms of blanket marketing.

Suggested message for Living with Hope:

What is weighing you down?
Living with Hope is a seminar series that will shine light into the darkness caused by the doubts and insecurities of these troubled times. Find hope in the Bible, a proven source of wisdom where God has laid out His promises of peace and protection. These words have been the source of hope for millions, and are the only sure answer to finding peace in a world of uncertainty.

If there was an instruction manual to life, wouldn’t you want to read it?
Life’s big questions do have answers, and give us a framework to understand the world we are living in. These answers are a rock to stand on during the chaos that swirls around our homes, careers, and relationships.

This unique series will give you the tools to understand God’s word, as you learn proven techniques for studying the Bible effectively. In each class you’ll highlight key verses in your own Bible that will be an inspiration for you and your family for years to come.

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