1. Purpose. Establish the purpose and the mission you are trying to accomplish. Is it a certain number of new members, visitors, increased attendance or awareness? If you don’t know the purpose, you won’t know how to effectively use a promotional product, and therefore, it will be viewed as an expense and not a tool.

2. Plan. Sit down and outline the steps needed to accomplish your purpose. Are you knocking on doors, making follow-up phones calls or e-mails, or even creating interaction by drawing people to your Web site? Use a slogan when applicable (revival, summer camp, etc.); otherwise, use the church’s logo and tagline.

3. Promotional product. Here’s where the promotional consultant comes into play. She can direct you to products that best match your purpose and theme. This person can also help brainstorm ideas to develop a theme and even a plan.

She knows that most churches work on a budget, so be honest about numbers and then let her get creative with product and price. Too often, what happens is the church secretary finds a mail-order catalog and chooses from the hundred or so products displayed. However, promotional consultants have access to nearly a million products. Therefore, they can and will find you a product that you like within your price range. It’s important that the product matches the target audience. For instance, you don’t want to give a mug to a group of teenagers. However, they will love an imprinted MP3 player, T-shirt or a fun bobblehead pen.

Be wary of buying on the Internet. The value of a promotional product is in the longevity of the imprint – your message, your church. You want people to constantly be reminded of who you are and that you’re there for them. If it’s just about the product, you might as well order through the Internet or go down to your local Wal-Mart. Which, by the way, would be losing out on the power of the promotional product (a product without a logo is not a promotional product).

4. Promote. Now that you have everything, promote your church by implementing your plan. If hosting an event, don’t forget to send out a press release and invite the local TV and radio stations. The extra press will build awareness, while the promotional product will keep the memory of your church fresh for recipients.

Here are some product ideas: ...