Marketing 101 - Matt Felts

The Marketing Consultant

Each month I’m going to attempt to cover the basics involved in marketing your ministry. I know what some of you are saying right now. A ministry is not a business so why would I “market” it? The definition of marketing is simply the promotion, advertising, pricing, distribution and branding of a product or service. If your goal is like mine and most singers of the Gospel, you want to reach the largest number of people possible. You spend a lot of time pouring your heart into creating your music so it’s worth your efforts to make sure the message you are sending out fits with who you are and your goals.

A question I have asked quite often is what areas of ministry operations are affected by a marketing plan. My answer is very simple. Everything. A well designed strategy will influence your bookings, radio play, product sales, exposure level, etc. Most importantly, it can help to establish a fan base that will keep you singing for years to come. Like many things in life, a little hard work up front can pay off over the long haul. As the plan develops you will see how the work you put into your brand identity for example, will make booking dates easier to accomplish.

A good analogy of how a marketing plan works is similar to building a house. If you’ve never built a home before its important to follow the directions or you may not want to live in it when you’re finished. A marketing plan gives you direction and provides the tools needed to build your home. Just like a building, you will want to start with the foundation and that’s “branding” your ministry. The better your foundation, the more secure your structure will be.

Over the next month, take a look at your ministry and examine it. What message are you sending? Is it the message you want? What current methods are you employing and are they getting the results you desire?

I encourage you to go on the website for my consultation firm, Beyond Measure Marketing, and you can learn a little more about all of the elements that help market a ministry. Next month we will focus on branding and how that can impact your ministry.

Matt Felts

http://www.beyondmeasuremarketing.com