Church Marketing: How Powerful Print Boosts Engagement & Outreach

Church Marketing: How Powerful Print Boosts Engagement & Outreach

Churches are on a mission to get The Message to the masses. And whether you’re running a megachurch with thousands of faithful members or working to boost attendance at your local congregation, print has to be part of your playbook. From outreach brochures and official letterhead to event signage and service essentials, custom church marketing is a blessing for your brand.

Two hands holding fanned out church marketing materials like brochures and door hangers.

Marketing Ministry

Services may be on Sunday but outreach and communication can happen any day of the week with the right church marketing materials. Design youth group Brochures, advertise your mission with Door Hangers or connect with your community using Letter Mailers with Reply Envelopes.

 

“We use mailers to build meaningful relationships with people who partner with us,” said Evan Wise, Communications Director for One Collective. “We’re a big organization working around the world, so often people are getting just one part of the story [and] the mailer is part of a series we do every couple of months, highlighting work happening in different communities.”

An array of church marketing materials, including door hangers, booklets and brochures.

 

For Simeon Young, Lead Pastor of New Community Church, getting the Word out means getting people involved. His “How to Have a Relationship with Jesus” Booklet encourages engagement from a guest’s very first visit.

 

“We give them away and have them available at the guest services table in the lobby to help first-time guests and members understand who Jesus is and what it means to believe in Him,” Young said.

 

Round out your online printing strategy by sending communications via Direct Mail Postcards and preach to the choir with your own Direct Mail Newsletters.

Two hands peeling a branded sticker away from its backing with other church marketing materials around it.

Various church marketing print pieces, including a pocket folder, business envelopes, business cards and stickers.

A Complete Canon

Help your staff and leadership fulfill the marketing mission with church office supplies. In order for them to serve, your human resources need actual resources like Business Cards for easy networking and personalized Letterheads and Envelopes for professional communication to parishioners and potential partners.

 

Keeping your office fully stocked means collaborating with an online printer that excels at custom projects and impresses with superior quality. After all, the devil’s in the details.

 

Sarah Vega of CTCMedia, an outreach ministry of Commitment Church, put her faith in Smartpress because of great customer service and quick and easy ordering.

“The quality of materials always meets expectations [and] we appreciate the proofing process, as well,” Vega said. “Smartpress cares about the quality of their product.”

 

Go beyond the church office with Pocket Folders full of Bible study packets or mission trip itineraries and include fun Stickers for branding on just about anything. Smartpress’ online printing services even let you design Promotional Products like branded T-shirts, bags, drinkware and more.

 

And while patience may be a virtue, it’s not something Kat Combs of Missio Dei Chicago had to worry about when placing her order. “We love the turnaround time and value,” Combs said. “We got quotes from several other printers, but Smartpress’ timeline and pricing couldn’t be beat.”

Two hands peeling a decal off its backing with custom church marketing materials scattered beneath it.

Signs from Above

When it comes to custom signage for church events, going big is better. Design Wall Decals or Posters for Sunday school classrooms, promote fundraisers and holiday programs with Retractable Banners or do more than advertise, like Vega did with Styrene Signs.

 

“Each sign is a graphic for our sermon series [and] we have an art gallery where we display each of [them] for the year,” Vega said. “It’s lightweight and exhibits the design and colors of the graphics very well. It truly is a versatile material that allows us to use [it] in multiple places.”

Custom church marketing examples, including a printed banner, booklet, direct mail and posters.

Various custom church signs, including a sidewalk sign, two posters and a floor graphic.

 

Custom banner printing can be practical, too. Combs displayed Hanging Banners outside with service times. “We needed an affordable, temporary way to update our signs and point people online instead of advertising service times that were no longer applicable,” Combs said. “The bright colors and bold design helped us catch the attention of people who see our building every day but may not notice our old signage.”

 

Ensure your members know about events with Feather Flags, guide parking lot traffic with A-Frame Sidewalk Signs, navigate social distancing with Floor Graphics and even provide Braille Signs for restrooms and cry rooms.

Marketing collateral for churches, including booklets, sermon notepads, connection cards and brochures.

A hand flipping pages of a sermon notepad with other church marketing materials around it.

Pillars of Print

Your marketing plan is only as effective as your worship service – it’s what brings your community together in the first place. Personalized Offering Envelopes, branded Sermon Notepads and weekly Bulletins are all church service essentials.

 

Print your own Bookmarks for hymnals, missals and Bible study groups, design Connection Cards with perforation for convenient contact information and offer Rack Cards in high-traffic entrances and reception areas.

And since these service essentials are member- and visitor-facing, it’s important they represent the glory and grace of your church’s teachings. With Smartpress, there’s no need to send your order off on a wing and a prayer.

 

“Smartpress is simply professional,” said Wise. “They deliver excellent quality and beautiful print, it’s always on time, and I know when the print lands in our audience’s hands, they’re going to be impressed.”

A collage of church marketing materials, including a banner, pocket folder, direct mail postcard, booklet and newsletter.

 

The Business of Belief

The power of print is evident, even in today’s digital world. It’s a tried-and-true tactic that transcends your marketing goals and makes everyday connections everlasting. The results Wise sees is a testament to that.

 

“Using print is a way to cut through clutter and connect with our audience in a highly personal way,” he said. “When you get something like this [booklet] in print and it’s not asking for anything in return, you feel valued. As an organization, we know our relationship will be strengthened.”

For Young, a print strategy comes down to one simple truth: “Even though we use digital resources, most people like having something they can hold in their hands.”

 

Whether your church marketing needs a revival or is already on a righteous path, Combs says it can be a strategic savior: “Print can help reinforce every initiative in the church, it just takes a little creativity.”

 

 

 

 

 

Hint: See how other industries get creative with print marketing:

 

FEATURED DESIGNS

Direct Mail Postcard Design by Janel Wall, Graphic Designer, Wall 2 Wall Productions
Brochure Designs by Journey Church
Door Hanger Design by Dustin Keele
Booklet Layout and Design by Simeon Young, JR.
Letter Mailer with Reply and Letterhead Designs by One Collective
Business Card Design by Daniel Huskey
Envelope Design by Kristy Mapp
Pocket Folder Design by Steve Hansen, Graphic Design Associate, Grace Church Eden Prairie
Sticker Hand-Lettered Design by Lauren Ibach
Offering Envelope Design by Jamie Lynn Colbert | Studio Lola | @StudioLolaMN
Sermon Notepad Design by Terry E Minke
Bookmark Design by The Rock Church of Fenton
Bulletin Design by Dustin Keele
Connection Card Design by Blaine Wright
Rack Card Design by Life Center Spokane
Hanging Banner Design by Kat Combs  | @klcombs95
Wall Decal Design by Courtney Kassner, Owner and Designer, Crew + Co
Floor Graphic Design by Rachel Clabaugh, Graphic Designer, Spokane WA
Poster Design by Marilyn Payne, Graphic Designer, Life Center Church
A-Frame Sidewalk Sign Design by Bionic Giant
Styrene Sign Design by CTCMedia

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