1) Set-Up Visitor Follow-Up!

Individual retention can be increased with great systems behind the scenes. Within your database, you’ll want to start by deciding how you are going to enter Visitors into your database.

• To begin, the key to an effective process is to create a 'STATUS' Group for the brand-new individuals you are entering into your database. E.g., STATUS – Visitor, STATUS – Guest. Leave people in this group until they return a second time. Then move them to STATUS – New Attendee
• Learn how a Workflow can do this for you!

2) Decide on your attendance-taking method.

• Next, how will you capture attendance data for those in STATUS—Visitor so that you know if they attend for a second time, third time, etc.?
• Are you using an Online Form? Connect card? Check-in kiosks? Registration pad? 
  However, you gather data, it is a vital piece of the process if you are going to keep up with this new attendee.

Pro-Tip: An Online Visitor Form coupled with Keyword Texting gets tremendous results.

For example, right during service, you can say, "If you're new, text "Guest" to the number you see on screen!"
(Your Text-Giving Number). Anyone who texts the Keyword will immediately receive a link that opens your New Visitor Form. 

Learn More: Forms & Workflows to Automate Visitor Follow-Up & Attendance. 

3) Utilize your database resources to build a follow-up system.

Based on these two points, build Workflow, Interactions, and Mass Contact resources to automate the process of tracking attendance and communicating with the Visitor.

A Workflow for this process might have the following triggers and actions:

• Trigger from when the person was added to STATUS – Visitor.
  • Actions should include:
    • Add the person to the group used for tracking attendance.
    • Mark Present in Group so their first attendance is recorded.
    • Send an email, or assign an Interaction for somebody to follow up with the new person

• Next, Trigger from attendance when the person comes back a second time.
  • Actions would be:
    • Remove them from STATUS – Visitor group
    • Add them to STATUS – New Attender group
    • Other actions as desired
    • Finish with Update Progress so the Trigger won’t fire again should they match the parameters again

• Next, Trigger from attendance when the person comes back a third time.
  • Actions would be:
    • Send another email or assign an Interaction for another personal follow-up.
    • Finish with Update Progress so the Trigger won’t fire again should they match the parameters again

• The last Trigger from attendance is when the person comes back for the fourth time.
  • Actions would be:
    • Remove them from STATUS – New Attender group
    • Add them to STATUS – Regular Attender
    • Other actions as desired, like assigning an interaction or sending an email to invite to a reception.
    • Update Progress.

4) Get them connected!

• Utilize Group Finders, interactions, workflows, and forms for following up with visitors, interested prospects, and those already involved in your church community! Individuals who are integrated and plugged into your organization will always increase the chances of long-term retention.
  • Group Finder—Whether within the database or on your website, this feature allows your individuals to search and discover groups that fit their interests, needs, and geography. 
  • Forms—Create something like a 'Welcome' form that allows individuals to indicate how long they've been coming, their interests in serving, or even their giving. 
  • Workflows—Paired with Forms, workflows can automate responses to information your individuals gave when they completed a form. Set up your workflow to Send automated mass communications, schedule interactions, and even organize people in and out of groups. 

Updated June 20, 2024 21:34