Five Steps for Successful Church Direct Mail Campaigns

Churches are all about the people, but whether yours is a newly formed church or one with a long history in the community, what is the best way to reach potential new members? The answer may be as simple as carrying out a direct mail campaign.

Companies such as Southern California-based Mellady Direct Marketing that specialize in direct mail for churches have found great success in helping places of worship reach their surrounding communities.

“By working closely with churches to identify the audience they need to reach, we can help them develop mail pieces that have a strong appeals and calls to action,” Mellady Direct President Jill Mellady said. “Well-executed direct mail campaigns continue to see great results.”

Mellady said there are a few keys to carrying out a successful church mail campaign.

Decide on a Message: Before sending a direct mail piece, the first step is to determine what you want to accomplish, Mellady said. Whether the piece is designed to attract new parishioners or invite the community to a special event, it is important to establish the purpose of the piece from the get-go, she said.

Make a Connection: The foundation of a good mailing campaign, Mellady said, is a well-designed piece. For example, if you are sending a postcard mailer, it should feature strong, clean graphic design coupled with copy that is clear and succinct – and makes an emotional appeal with a call to action.

Define a List: A quality mailing list is the key to a successful mailing campaign. As one of the leading mailing list companies in the US, Mellady Direct works with its clients to develop effective mailing lists. Some churches may benefit from Every Door Direct Mail (commonly known as EDDM), which sends a mail piece to every address on a specified postal route.

On the flip side, Mellady said, some mailing campaigns may benefit from a targeted mailing list, narrowed down by a variety of demographic parameters.

Pay Attention to Postage: One of the benefits of working with a direct mail company is the ability to save on postage by ensuring all possible postage discounts, Mellady said. Additionally, if a church has the necessary nonprofit paperwork on file with the U.S. Postal Service, it can see savings of up to 70 percent on postage.  Mellady said that Mellady Direct Marketing has been able to achieve postage rates as low as $.064 per piece for churches.

Trust a Single Vendor: Rather than dealing with all the coordination required to work with multiple vendors on a single job, Mellady said there is a huge advantage to working with a company that provides a full range of services – from design and printing, to data processing and mailing – all under one roof.

“Our resources allow us to ensure a streamlined process and improve your success rate,” she said. “We’ve seen the continued positive results achieved with direct mail, and we’re believers in its power to help churches.”