I sat down with Austin Scott from The Heritage Co. Church to talk about what happens when your church plant launch strategy falls apart at the last minute. Austin had planned to use direct mail campaigns for his grand opening in January 2023. Then, days before launch, the mailers fell through. What he did next is a case study in adaptability and digital marketing.
The Church Planting Process
Austin walked me through his journey from feeling the call to plant to actually pulling the trigger. He talked about the planning phase, the fundraising, the team building, and all the pieces that have to come together before you can open the doors on a Sunday morning. For anyone thinking about planting, his timeline and approach are worth studying.
When the Mailers Fell Through
Here is where the story gets interesting. Austin told me, “It was like the Friday before launch, we get a call from the person doing our mailer, and they tell us it is not going to happen.” Most planters would have panicked. Austin and his team pivoted to Facebook ads.
They took the budget they had set aside for mailers and redirected it into targeted digital ads through ChurchCandy. The turnaround was fast. Within days, they were reaching thousands of people in their target area with invitations to the grand opening.
Mailers vs. Facebook Ads
Austin and I had a straightforward conversation about the differences between mailers and Facebook ads for churches. Here is what he found:
- Targeting. Mailers go to every household in a zip code. Facebook ads let you target specific demographics, interests, and behaviors. You reach the people most likely to visit, not just everyone with a mailbox.Cost. For the same budget, Austin reached significantly more people with digital ads than he would have with mailers.Measurability. With mailers, you send them out and hope for the best. With Facebook ads, you can see exactly how many people clicked, how many planned their visit, and adjust in real time.
Post-Launch Results
The Heritage Co. had a strong launch Sunday, and the digital ads continued to bring new guests in the weeks that followed. Austin said one of the biggest advantages was the ability to keep running ads after launch. With mailers, the campaign is over once they hit mailboxes. With Facebook and Instagram ads, you can keep the momentum going indefinitely.
Final Thought
Austin’s experience is a reminder that setbacks can become setups. Losing his mailer strategy right before launch could have been a disaster. Instead, it pushed him toward a more effective approach that continues to serve his church today. If you are a church planter weighing mailers against digital ads, or if you want to combine both for maximum impact, let’s have a conversation about what would work best for your launch.
Facebook ads were the backbone of Austin’s launch strategy. For more on how church ads work, see our guide to church ads.
For a full breakdown of all the marketing strategies churches can use to reach new people, check out our church marketing guide.
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