Six Easter Follow-Up Strategies
Don’t let all the effort and energy you put into Easter go to waste. Keep the momentum and conversation going with visiting families by executing an effective follow-up plan encouraging them to return.
To help reconnect, run your First-Time Visitor Report. This will help you execute quickly and ensure no one is overlooked.
The goal of your follow-up plan isn’t to share vanity metrics such as the number of new families who attended or the children’s program success. Instead, the purpose should be to let families know you genuinely thought of them and planned an experience that extends past the initial visit, offers encouragement, details how to plug into your children’s community, and answers any outstanding questions. Follow-up is also great for sharing details on upcoming children’s programs such as VBS, new family welcome events, or volunteer opportunities.
Whether you’re developing a new children’s program or increasing participation in an existing one, consistency over time is key to successful follow-up.
Here are six strategies for follow-up.
- Get personal with a handwritten thank you note, follow-up email, or form letter, and make sure you sign it. The salutation should call out the family’s name, and your contact information should be included for further conversation.
- Direct families to additional resources such as your website, social media channels, and newsletter or announcement signups. This will help them learn more about your children’s program and ways to connect.
- Send a note directly to the child and, depending on their age, consider including a small keepsake such as stickers, a bookmark, or something they can color—anything to remind them of their first visit. The child’s letter should be signed by whomever they interacted with the most.
- Offer to connect new families with a family that has been a part of your program for a while. This will enable them to freely ask questions and understand what to expect when participating in the children’s community. It will also help new families build relationships faster, an essential step in connecting them to your program.
- Schedule a second follow-up text message in a timeframe you feel is appropriate. Again, offer to answer any outstanding questions, connect them to another family, or share an upcoming children’s or new family welcome event.
- If you still haven’t connected, email them on the third attempt and invite them to return. Continue to share about upcoming events, links to program resources, and answer any outstanding questions.
Finally, whatever your follow-up plan includes, it’s critical to keep any promises made. Whether you meet them in person, send more information, or connect them with another family, be sure to follow through. Resist the urge to give up even after three attempts, be diligent, and use multiple methods of communication. You’ll be amazed at the results over time.
Click here to learn more about the benefits of using secure children’s and youth check-in to help manage your children’s area, keep families smiling, and improve child safety. You can also subscribe to the KidCheck blog or find us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
Photo by Bruno Nascimento on Unsplash
