For over 75 years, when churches have been hosting evangelistic series, they have utilized handbill mailings to promote them. Why? The reason is simple: because it works.
Even though direct mail still stands as one of the leading methods in event advertising today, things have changed dramatically over the last decade. Things like how often people check the mail and when your mailing should land in mailboxes are major factors worth re-evaluating when utilizing direct mail as an effective tool for promoting your evangelistic efforts in the current age.
In 2005, 98% of the US population checked their mail daily. Today, that number has dropped below 60%.
The new, ideal mailbox landing window
For years the standard ideal landing window was to have your mailing to arrive in the mailbox just a few days before your event. It created a sense of urgency or FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) and it limited people from taking the mailer to their spiritual leader who might persuade them not to attend opening night.
We are starting to see a shift in a campaign’s overall effectiveness when people are given more time, not less, to respond to a mailing.
It makes sense that people are busier today than ever before and they don’t check the mail as often as they used to. People are only checking their mail a few times a week, if not once a week. If we ignore this and stick to the old mentality of trying to land just a few days before the event, we actually increase the risk of people not learning about your event until after opening night!
By sending your mailer a little earlier rather than later, you decrease that risk and significantly increase the likelihood of your mailer getting seen before your event date, which always outweighs it getting seen after your event has already begun.
The lasting value of the mailbox
40 years ago, the main way people could hear about an evangelistic series would be through direct mail. While now we have more options thanks to digital media, direct mail is still the only way to ensure everyone in your area can see your event details (whether or not they are ever online).
Not only can direct mail reach every home in a carrier route, bifold mailers and jumbo postcards dominate the mailbox and perform best when paired with stirring visuals and a strong, clear, call to action (such as event pre-registration). But most importantly, they work best when used in a multi-touch marketing campaign.
Multi-touch marketing offers a full-scale solution to your event marketing strategy.
Multi-touch marketing means more visibility which creates more credibility and awareness for your event. Multi-touch marketing for event marketing gives your church top-of-mind awareness in your community anytime someone sees a banner, road sign, social media ad, mailer, or personal invitations for your upcoming event.
