Church Marketing Plan Step Two: Perception and Needs

Now that Your Marketing Plan Team has:

• Completed Step 1: Values & Vision and has identified your church’s:
  • Values
  • Demographics
  • Vision
  • Key Messaging/Elevator Statement

It's time to take the second step to focus on perception and needs. This step will help your Marketing Team identify:

• Perception: Understand the church's view of itself and the community's view
• Needs: Open your eyes to your congregation and community's needs. Then determine if your church already has resources/abilities to meet those needs or if new ministries need to be developed.

Step 2: What's Involved

Homework

• Homework 1: Perception
• Homework 2: Community Needs

Action Steps

• Action Step 1: Congregational Survey or Team/Committee/Group Interview
• Action Step 2: Newer Member Focus Groups
• Action Step 3: Community Survey or Community Member Gatherings

Marketing Plan Deliverables

• Congregational Survey Results or Interview Summaries Report
• Focus Group Summaries Report
• Community Survey Report or Community Member Gatherings Report
  

What will I learn?
In this step, the Marketing Plan Team will have conversations with the congregation and community so you can assess perceptions and needs, conduct surveys, interview teams and individuals and host focus groups.

Reading through this section and reflecting on work conducted so far will:

• Help you understand the importance of perception and how it applies to marketing.
• Help you understand how to assess and meet needs in the congregation and community.
• Keep the vision fresh. As you listen and learn from the congregation and community's perspectives, you will need to continually assess and note how that compares to the vision.
• Prepare you for the types of questions you need to ask to glean the most helpful information from the congregation and community.

How long will it take?
One to two hours (longer if you choose to do further study).


Download worksheets Homework 1: Perception
Homework 2: Community Needs

Who?
Each Marketing Plan Team member will be assigned to complete one or more of these Action Steps:

• Action Step 1: Congregational Survey or Team/Committee/Group Interview
• Action Step 2: Newer Member Focus Groups
• Action Step 3: Community Survey or Community Member Gatherings

How long will it take?

Each Action Step takes about two weeks to administer. Ideally, Action Steps will be divvied up among members of the Marketing Plan Team. If so, all of the Action Steps can take place simultaneously.


What will I accomplish?
Your team will develop the following reports, which you will review as you begin Step 3: Strategy.

• Internal Perceptions: A list of four to five key things people inside your church think about your church.
• External Perceptions: A list of four to five key things people outside your church think about your church.
• Community Profile/Needs: A profile of what your community looks like and three key needs.

Download worksheets

Action Step 1: Congregational Survey or Team/Committee/Group Interviews
Action Step 2: Newer Member Focus Groups
Action Step 3: Community SurveyAction or Community Member Gatherings

Additional Reading & Resources:

• To Thine Own Self Be True: Assessing Your Congregation
• Moving Beyond Anecdotes: Developing Local Church Member Assessments
• The Green Grass Across the Fence: Assessing Your Community's Needs
• Church Vitality Indicator (CVI)
• Vital Signs Assessment: Contact General Board of Discipleship 
• Community Demographic reports: Contact United Methodist Communications
• Community Psychographic reports: Contact United Methodist Communications

Download Step Two:

• Perception and Needs: Getting Your Bearings
  and Meeting Those Around You
• Church Marketing Plan Worksheet - Complete Document
  • Word Format
  • PDF Format