Earlier this week, Justin Wise wrote an article for Church Marketing Sucks about his congregation’s experience using Facebook ads. It is a brief but informative look at both the basics of setting up an ad and his congregation’s positive initial experience. He concludes his article recommending that all churches consider trying Facebook ads:
If you’re in a church that has a small budget for marketing, you need to give Facebook ads a try.
If you’re in a church that has plenty of exposure locally but you want to expand the reach of your online campus, you need to give Facebook ads a try.
If you’re in a church that’s trying to reach people with a pulse, you need to give Facebook ads a try.
So What?
All churches are in the marketing business. Most congregations designate a specific amount in the annual budget for marketing and then turn over all responsibilities for how those funds are allocated to a team/committee. Ideally, the marketing team/committee’s work is guided by an overall marketing plan and each initiative is evaluated. Unfortunately, in some congregations things don’t work that way in practice: the responsibility is simply an additional task handed to a team/committee with broader responsibilities, the marketing dollars are always spent on the same few print ads, and/or there is no attempt to measure the effectiveness of any single initiative.
- How are marketing decisions made in your congregation? How do you measure the effectiveness of each initiative? What percentage of your budget goes to print advertising (direct mail, newspaper ads, phone book, etc.)? Over the last several years has the percentage of your marketing budget allocated to print advertising declined?
- Facebook now includes over 500 million people. Recently I wrote about Churches Embracing Social Media and included the statistic that 47% now have a presence on Facebook (a free means of connecting with those already affiliated with your congregation as well as those who are actively searching for a church home). Facebook ads are a logical next step to expand your reach. You can select your target demographic and design a campaign that fits your budget. If you launch your ad prior to the end of the year, you can do so for free (for the first $50 by using the code “WebFree50?). If your church is not yet on Facebook, will you commit to establishing a free presence by the end of the year? If your church is on Facebook but has never tried Facebook ads, will you commit to launching an ad using the coupon (and perhaps allocating a few additional dollars)?