Are you ready for digital discipleship? Let’s begin…
How a Church Discovered the Power of Online Ads
A small congregation attending a Community Church stumbles into the world of digital advertising – and it makes a big difference!
The Problem They Faced
It’s a quiet Sunday morning when Pastor Mary realizes something isn’t quite right. She looks around the church and sees the same familiar faces, but not many new ones. She loves the church family, but knows God is calling them to reach more people in the community.
That’s when Sam, their tech-savvy youth leader, suggests they try something called “digital advertising.”
Taking the Digital Leap
Sam explains that digital advertising means sharing the church’s message online, where lots of people spend their time these days. He says it could help them:
- Reach more folks in town
- Save money compared to putting ads in the local paper, doing mailers, and even doing printed flyers
- Connect with specific groups, like young families or seniors
- See how well their ads are working
- Keep in touch with the community all week long
It sounds pretty good, but Pastor Mary is a bit nervous. Then Sam shows her how many local businesses and even other churches are already doing it. That’s when Pastor Mary decides to give it a shot.
Their First Steps into the Digital World
They start small, with just a few simple steps:
- They think about what they want to achieve, like getting more people to Sunday services and their annual summer picnic.
- They talk about who they want to reach – young families, college students, and anyone new to town who might be looking for a church home.
- Sam helps them set up accounts on Facebook and Google Ads. He says that’s where most people in their town hang out online. Facebook ads allow the church to target audiences by location and demographics. Google ads allow the church to target the audience by search and anticipated searches.
- They create some friendly messages about the church, using photos from their events and services. They make sure to mention things like their welcoming atmosphere and their awesome kids’ program.
- Sam shows them how to make sure their ads only show up for people near the church who might be interested in finding a faith community.
- They set aside a small budget – just $50 to start – to see how things will go. After $50, they decide to increase their budget to $800 and they engage with an ad agency who helps with key word optimizations.
Below are examples of Meta Ads and Google Display Ads:
The Results: God Works in Mysterious and Digital Ways
Within a few weeks they can see their website visits rising. Then they see livestream numbers increase. After that, they start seeing new faces at Sunday services. A young couple says they found the church after doing a Google search for “Churches near me.”
The summer picnic has the biggest turnout ever, with lots of new folks joining for food and fellowship. And the best part? They spent less on these online ads than they used to on printing door hangers and having volunteers hang them on local neighborhood doors!
Learning and Growing Together
- Of course, it isn’t all smooth sailing. They make some mistakes along the way:
- Their first ads are a bit too wordy. They learn that short and sweet works best online.
- They accidentally set their ads to show up in the next town over – oops!
- Sometimes they forget to spell check or check how the ads are doing, but Sam reminds them to keep an eye on them.
But with each little mishap, they learn and get better. They start trying new things, like:
- Making short videos about church events
- Creating a special webpage for people who click on their ads
- Using different messages for different groups, like ads about the youth group for local teens
What They Learned: Keep It Simple, Remain Faithful
Looking back, Pastor Mary realizes that digital advertising isn’t so different from how they’ve always shared their faith. It’s about connecting with people, showing them God’s love, and inviting them to be part of the community. They’re just doing it in a new way that reaches people where they are today.
If your church is thinking about trying digital advertising, here’s some advice:
- Start small and learn as you go
- Be yourselves – let your church’s personality shine through
- Focus on how you can help and welcome people
- Don’t be afraid to ask for help (thank goodness for tech-savvy folks like Sam!)
- Pray about it and trust that God will guide you
Remember, it’s not about becoming marketing experts. It’s about using new tools to share the timeless message of God’s love. So why not give it a try? You might just be surprised at how God uses something like online ads to bring new sheep into the fold.
*This story was generated to echo stories we hear often from churches who are reluctant to “market” or “sell” churches to people. However, people in your area are craving connection and do not know you are there unless you meet them where they are and that’s online!
Resources:
HubSpot Academy offers a great, free, course and certification in Digital Advertising. Find details here: https://app.hubspot.com/academy/
MissionalMarketing.com does a great job partnering with churches for their online ad needs!
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