Blue Tooth Location-Based Mobile Ministry - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

What in the Wide World of Sports is Blue Tooth, location-based mobile ministry? It's a means of effectively reaching folks that is easy to accomplish and could absolutely revolutionize your ministry impact. In a nutshell, Blue Tooth broadcasting (BTB) through a simple USB adapter or through a Blue Tooth transmitter, will allow any computer to become a broadcast hub for your ministry.

Though I'm still in the midst of feverish research and gathering price quotes, I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am about the ministry prospects of Blue Tooth broadcasting. For all you techno-challenged folks like me, let's briefly survey the technology involved with BTB. Then I'll offer a few ideas for using Blue Tooth broadcasting in your ministry.

Thankfully, the technology involved in BTB is quite minimal. Basically you need a Blue Tooth dongle (a silly word, indeed) or a Blue Tooth adapter, and software to run an ad campaign to folks within range of your transmission. The BT transmitter sends out a signal to any passers-by with Blue Tooth devices and lets them know that content is available. If recipients opt-in, then they'll get your ministry info, links to websites, coupons, and more (the possibilities are pretty much endless).

Proxiblaster has the best deal I've found for Blue Tooth ad software ($129) and they offer a n affordable long-range dongle (range up to 900 feet for $129). They also sell relatively cheap software that will run campaigns on multiple computers ($199). No, I don't work for Proxiblaster; they're simply the best BTB solution I've found thus far.

Onto the ministry possibilities...

With Blue Tooth your church could:

1) Send church invites and evangelistic info with web links to folks in your neighborhood.
2) Give attendees the opportunity to learn more about specific ministries, without their ever having to stop by a ministry table or fill out an interest survey. Blue Tooth could be especially helpful during ministry fairs and serving-focused teaching series.
3) Offer coupons for discounts at your church bookstore/coffee shop.
4) Send missions updates, prayer requests, and more to interested members.
5) Broadcast church info to folks visiting your church for a major outside event (concerts, bible conferences, etc.).

For ministries who regularly host conferences & events, you could:

1) Gather contact info through a simple form Blue-Toothed to a attendees. As a former fundraiser and event organizer, I know follow-up is an incredible challenge after ministry dinners and conferences. Folks who are jazzed up/thrilled/inspired at events, often fail to provide their contact info/avoid you like the plague after an event. Not anymore. With BTB, you could capture their contact info, interests, and maybe even donations at the event!

2) Blue Tooth a simple menu that allows folks to choose the ministry(ies) they'd most like to receive info on. If you've got a new project requiring funding for personnel, technology, and more, you could recruit folks to give to those things they're most interested in. Or if you're running many different ministries with diverse focuses and goals, you could use Blue Tooth to capture attendees most interested in specific projects/ministries.

A few closing thoughts...

In case you missed it, BTB is permission-based. Folks have to opt-in to receive content. You won't just be spamming them into oblivion.

No more "kitchen sink" follow-up letters. Through BTB you'll already know what the folks you're writing to are most passionate about. Rather than throw all your projects into your ask letter and hope something jumps out at them. BTB should empower you to highlight specific opportunities they've already expressed interest in and perhaps even help you tailor the gift amount you seek.

Best practices worth mentioning. Proxiblaster also offers an informative guide to BTB content. Among their tips, they suggest you keep file sizes to 10k or less and post signage letting folks know they can receive your Blue Tooth content.

I'll keep you posted as I dive deeper into BTB. If you're already using Blue Tooth location-based marketing, I'd love to hear about your successes and failures.

Read the next installment in this series here.

Happy Blue Toothing...

Fundraising Quick Tips: Organic Fundraising - Ministry & Business Marketing, Media and Strategy Blog

Today's post is the first in a here-and-there series about fundraising--a subject few want to talk about and many see as a mere necessary evil in ministry. As a former "development officer" and now part-time fundraising consultant (Jesus salesman, panhandler, beggar-for-hire...all names my friends have called yours truly), I will now deign to offer my insights into this most hated activity and how you can stop despising it and transform fundraising into an integral, maybe even organic, aspect of your ministry.

Fundraising should be an organic part of your ministry. Scripture teaches that giving is just one of many acts of devotion to Christ and should evidence/be accompanied by total Christian living, (1 Cor. 13:3, 1 John 3:17). Mirroring this integrated approach, you should weave opportunities for folks to financially partner with you throughout your ministry relationships.

No, this doesn't mean simply adding more "donate now" buttons to your website. (You do use online giving, don't you?)

Biblical, organic fundraising also requires you to call folks more than just once-a-year to "hit 'em up" for more ministry cash. You should actually live out your love for your ministry partners by praying for them, ministering to them, and if they own a business or provide a service, actually ask them how it's going and pray about folks you might send their way, (see Gal. 6:2, Phil. 2:4).

But how do we make fundraising a more organic part of our ministry? A few ideas...

1) Put a link on your homepage to a testimonials section featuring folks who've given to the ministry and seen God move through their efforts. This helps build community and establishes giving as a vital part of the ministry's continued health. If you have audio or video, that's even better than simple written testimonies. If you only have written stories, include a picture of the giver and/or the group ministered to through their gift.

2) Don't just talk about giving at the end of your newsletters and emails. No more "Oh, and by the way, we need money." Start your correspondence with, or at least include in almost every communication, a story of the Lord's work in an individual or group through your ministry and thank everyone who gave to help make it happen.

3) Implement strategic volunteering throughout your ministry. One great way that the Holy Spirit builds up the Body of Christ through the "proper working of each part," is through folks doing more than stuffing/licking envelopes until their fingers bleed and their taste buds fail. Use your partners'/members' skills, not just their load-bearing capabilities.

Do you know a CPA or CFP? Why not ask her to give an hour a week to help with the books or, even better, plan your ministry's investment strategies?

Do you know a plumber or electrician? Why not approach him to fill that critical need of a remodeled bathroom for your outreach center/church, and couch it in terms of the potential ministry impact of their labor?

Do you know a handful of successful business owners with a solid biblical foundation (and I mean biblical)? Why not recruit them to prayerfully help you plan the future of your ministry?

This strategic volunteering should be preceded by your commitment to/clear communication about your desire to best utilize the many fellow workers God has brought your way, beyond their ability to write big checks. Don't accept their buy-off; prayerfully seek their buy-in. Now that's organic!

Next time I blog about fundraising, I'll share four key aspects of nearly every successful ministry communication. Feedback?