When it comes to direct mail, one of the most frequently asked questions we get has to do with the success rate. But the success of a direct mail campaign is not always made clear immediately. 

Too many churches create an event (church launch, campus launch, start of a new series, Easter, Christmas, etc.) and pour a lot of resources into making it the best it can be. Oftentimes, they will make this an evangelistic effort where they spend money on marketing initiatives such as direct mail. So the weekend comes and goes and the leadership sits down on the Monday morning after the event to evaluate the effectiveness of their marketing efforts. While this is certainly a wise thing to do, the effectiveness of direct mail cannot be fully known based only on the turnout that particular weekend.

We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again. Play the long game.

Think about it like this. First Church just had an event and used direct mail as a part of their marketing strategy to let the community know they were invited. This is great. So a few days before the event, John Doe receives the mailer from First Church. It looks great, so it grabs his attention and he flips it over to see what’s on the other side. John Doe is now familiar with your church when he wasn’t before. But John is comfortable and has no compulsion to join a church right now.

Six months down the road, John’s marriage hits a rough patch and he and his wife, Jane, feel a sense of desperation. They haven’t been in a church in years, but they remember how important it was to their friends when their marriage hit a rough patch. So now they’re far more open to investigating the option to visit a church. 

How do they decide which church to check out? The most likely option will be the one their friends have been inviting them to join, but second to that is the one that has gotten onto their radar. First Church. 

First Church invited them to a campus launch six months back. And two months ago, the Doe’s were invited to a Christmas series. In other words, First Church has been on their radar. And now that they are considering joining a church, First Church is almost certain to be one they will visit.

There are several factors why someone may become more open to visiting a church: the death of a loved one, the birth of a child, a recent move or job change. Statistics show that these major disruptions in life lead people to be more open to things like joining a church. And the long game goal of direct mail is to be the church they think of when that disruption comes. 

Our aim is to be a resource to the local church and to church planters. We have a team of relationship specialists available to discuss your needs with you to see what would be the best use of your funds. Reach out to our direct mail specialist, Andy Brown, to request a free, no obligation consultation by emailing us at [email protected].