Overview of the Plan
The Ultimate Guest Follow-up Plan is a comprehensive guide to help you streamline your church communication and visitor follow-up processes.
By implementing this plan, ministries can better connect with their guests, helping them feel recognized and appreciated. This tool outlines actionable steps to:
Enhance guest communication
Encourage visitors to return
Strengthen membership and retention efforts
After gathering guests' contact information, the next step is genuine connection.
We've learned a lot from working with thousands of pastors, and the Ultimate Guest Follow-up Plan is our guide to implementing what we've learned!
This plan provides a well-rounded approach for improving communication, fostering a welcoming atmosphere, and increasing engagement with new visitors.
Here are the six most effective tools for church guest follow-up included in that plan:
1. Call Them:
Within the first week, call your guests to thank them for attending. Keep the conversation short unless they wish to continue talking.
If they don’t answer, leave a voicemail to show you care.
Example:
“Hello! This is Jason from City Church, and we just wanted to call and thank you for joining us during our service on Sunday!
We wanted to see if you had any questions and invite you to join us again this weekend. Have a great day!”
2. Email Them:
Send an email within the first week thanking them for their visit.
Include links to your website, Facebook page, or podcast, and end with a question to encourage a response. Follow up with an email once a week for the next six weeks.
Example:
“Hey James! I’m glad you visited City Church on Sunday. Connect with us on Facebook @ CityChurch or check out our podcast, City Church Chats. Are you a coffee drinker?
- Jason Jones, City Church"
3. Text Them:
Text messages have a 98% open rate, making them a highly effective follow-up tool. Send a simple thank you and continue with a reminder text on Fridays or Saturdays.
Example:
“Hi James- We hope to see you tomorrow @ City Church! ~ Pastor Jason”
4. Gift Them:
Everyone appreciates a thoughtful gift. Whether it’s a coffee mug or a Starbucks gift card, make sure your guests feel valued.
You can give these at the welcome center or deliver them to their doorstep.
5. Mail Them:
A handwritten note can make a significant impact. Send a quick message in the first week or two after their visit.
Example:
“Hey James! Thanks for joining us on Sunday. We hope to see you this weekend. Let us know if you have any questions or prayer requests.
- Jason Jones, City Church"
6. Facebook them:
Use Facebook to connect with your guests.
Send a friend request from a staff member they met, and invite them to join your groups or like your page after a few weeks.
Follow-Up Duration, Frequency, and Content:
Duration:
Follow up with guests for about six weeks to help establish a new habit of attending church.
Frequency:
Contact them once or twice a week to stay front of mind.
Content:
Keep your messages personal and engaging, and always include a call to action.
Following these six steps over six weeks will ensure your guests feel valued and connected. Happy connecting!
For more details on crafting effective follow-up messages, visit the Text In Church Academy.
You can also download the complete "Ultimate Guest Follow-up Plan" here or use the button below to further enhance your ministry's outreach efforts.
Key Benefits for Ministries:
Using the Ultimate Guest Follow-up Plan can significantly benefit your ministry. Below are the notable advantages:
Improved Visitor Communication: The plan offers a structured method to engage new visitors, ensuring they feel valued and welcome.
Increased Visitor Retention: By creating a meaningful follow-up strategy, the plan encourages guests to return, boosting attendance rates and community engagement.
Enhanced Membership Growth: Clear communication helps establish stronger relationships with visitors, potentially fostering long-term membership.
Options for Guests Who Did Not Return:
If a guest does not return, there are a few ways you can still try to connect with them and potentially gather feedback on ways to improve your follow up!
Automated Workflow Follow-Up:
We have a Workflow template for guests who planned their visit but did not visit. This can be a good option for automating follow-up for guests who didn't return after their first visit, too.
You can find this template by heading to the Connect tab, then Workflows, then click the blue Add New button in the upper right-hand corner.
Choose Create From Template in the pop-up menu that appears, and search for the Get More Guests Assistant™ - No Show template.
You can also customize this Workflow or create one from scratch to send these kinds of automated follow-up messages to the guest.
It's important not to send too many messages, so you don't feel pushy, but sending 1-2 messages for the next few weeks or so could provide valuable feedback and encourage the guest to visit again.
Manually Follow-Up:
Alternatively, if you've noticed they are no longer returning, you could send a manual text after service letting them know you noticed their absence and encourage them to attend next week.
Additionally, you could ask if there is anything your church could do to improve and encourage the guest to share honest feedback.
Related Topics
Have questions or need help? Email us at supporrt@textinchurch.com or chat with us from the Resources tab of your account.
