If you ask most churches, they are genuinely seeking how to reach their community. Identifying your target visitor through building a community persona is the first step.
Next you need to figure out how to reach those you have identified and meet their needs. One important way to achieve this is through generational marketing*. Each audience is shaped by different life experiences, traditions and values and should be communicated to using the appropriate and effective channels.
Baby Boomers (1946 to 1964):
- Boomers adopt technology with enthusiasm. They are willing to try new brands/products
- They make up 1/3 of all online users, social media users and Twitter users, and watch the most video
- 96% of baby boomers participate in word-of-mouth or viral marketing
Generation X (1965 to 1976):
- View 75% of the direct mailers as valuable
- They are more connected by mobile technology
- They value transparency
- Celebrate diversity, avoid references to heritage and tradition
- Likes to research while shopping online. They read more reviews and visit more opinion sites
Generation Y (1977 to 1995):
- Value texts and emails as top means to communicate
- View phone calls as an invasion of privacy
- Highly visual and prefer stories told through visual elements like videos and photos
Now that you know who you’re reaching and how to communicate with them, it’s time to get out there and meet needs! Here are a few ideas to discover community needs and discern who in your church can meet them.
1. Connect with city officials to find out what aspects of the community are lacking in funds, such as:
- Local parks
- School needs
- Community gardens
- Food pantries
- Pregnancy centers
2. Decipher giftedness within the church by enacting old school spiritual gifts surveys and accessing the church database to discover careers/passions of your church body.
3. Select the project that intersects most with the generational needs of your community and the giftedness of your church.
By taking the time to really get to know the makeup of your community you can better reach them in their daily lives, meet their needs and attract them to your church.
Learn more about which marketing methods will reach your audience most effectively through this free Church Marketing eBook.
*Learn more about generational marketing by checking out the articles we pulled this data from:
http://www.marketingpilgrim.com/2010/07/not-marketing-to-baby-boomers-you-should-be.html
http://www.immersionactive.com/resources/50-plus-facts-and-fiction/
http://www.comingofage.com/baby-boomer-marketing/
http://advertisingtobabyboomers.blogspot.com/
http://www.openforum.com/articles/5-myths-about-marketing-to-baby-boomers
http://themarketingspot.com/2011/06/marketing-to-baby-boomers.html
http://www.powerhomebiz.com/042006/genx.htm
http://themarketingspot.com/2011/06/marketing-to-generation-x.html
http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2012/09/5-content-marketing-tips-for-targeting-generation-y/
This is a sponsored post from faithHighway, one of my current site sponsors at TonyMorganLive.com
