Looking for an effective and affordable way to get more people to visit your church each Sunday? If so, Facebook Ads for churches are one popular option you may want to consider. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The strategies that work best for large companies, established brands, and popular marketing agencies aren\u2019t always the best strategies for churches, however.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Choose the wrong strategy, and it\u2019s easy to quickly lose plenty of time and money when trying to design effective Facebook Ads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
That\u2019s why in today\u2019s post, we\u2019re sharing a few best practices and common mistakes you will want to keep in mind when designing effective Facebook Ads for churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Whether you\u2019re trying to get the word out about your church in general or you\u2019d simply like to promote a specific event, you have lots of options. For example, you could send a mailer, ask your church members to invite their friends, or try Google Ads. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
While each of these strategies can work, Facebook Ads for churches is one effective strategy you won\u2019t want to overlook.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Facebook Ads are simply one of the easiest, most accessible, and most affordable ways to get your church\u2019s name, services, and events in front of new people who would love to call your church home. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if you\u2019ve tried Facebook Ads in the past without much success, don\u2019t give up. If you know who you want to target, what they need to hear, and how to use the ads manager, you\u2019ll find Facebook Ads for churches will produce outstanding results \u2013 once you know what you\u2019re doing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Just like with your preaching, chances are, you probably won\u2019t run effective Facebook Ads or get the results you want the first time you try.<\/strong> You have to get your reps in \u2013 the more you practice, the easier it gets. <\/p>\n\n\n\n That being said, there are several best practices for running effective Facebook Ads for churches you will want to know before you begin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n While preaching the gospel is arguably the most significant role of your church, it likely isn\u2019t the only (or the first) role your church can play in people\u2019s lives \u2013 especially when designing effective Facebook Ads for churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than only using Facebook Ads to get the word out about your church\u2019s Sunday service, look for ways to truly serve your audience and their needs. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you could create a helpful PDF resource for your community, host a group to discuss a specific topic, or create an event or service to meet a specific need you see in your community. Don\u2019t just preach the gospel. Be the gospel.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While boosting your church\u2019s live stream feed is effective, it\u2019s only one of many Facebook Ads strategies you have available to you. Don\u2019t be afraid to experiment and see what works! You want your Facebook Ads for churches to be different and unique but persuasive. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For example, you might try boosted posts, photo ads, carousel ads, or video ads. You might use ads to promote your events or simply to serve your community well. Experiment and see what works.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Once your Facebook Ads are up and running, people will naturally start clicking through to visit your website and your Facebook page. Both must feature current, relevant information that new visitors can navigate quickly and easily. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your Facebook page is a ghost town or your website is out of date or under construction, people are likely to click away, never to return. First impressions matter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While Facebook Ads for churches can be incredibly effective, it\u2019s also easy to quickly waste hundreds or even thousands of dollars if you\u2019re not careful. Here are some common mistakes to avoid if you want to run effective Facebook Ads for churches.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just because you\u2019re excited about an event, you can\u2019t assume your audience will care. After all, there are probably multiple churches in your area, each hosting its own events. What makes yours different?<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rather than using Facebook Ads for churches to get the word out to your existing staff and congregation, focus instead on using ads to attract new people who aren\u2019t familiar with your church. <\/p>\n\n\n\n When designing effective Facebook Ads for churches, seek to answer the questions: <\/p>\n\n\n\n Even if your church offers the best preaching and events, new visitors are not likely to travel across the state or country to attend. Instead, you want to focus on people in your area. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thankfully, with Facebook Ads for churches, you can target people in specific zip codes around your area. Don\u2019t forget this important feature! Otherwise, you end up wasting large amounts of time and money on Facebook Ads that simply don\u2019t convert.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s easy to assume that everyone uses Facebook the same way you do. And yet, if you have the opportunity to observe someone else\u2019s Facebook behavior, you may notice that their feed looks entirely different than yours or that they interact with their feed in a completely different way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind: People don\u2019t typically use Facebook as a search engine. No one goes to Facebook because they\u2019re craving more Facebook Ads for churches that day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Instead, your ads need to capture someone\u2019s attention, cause them to stop scrolling, and compel them to interact with your ad in some way\u2013even though they are positioned within a feed that has been highly personalized to appeal to the end user.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n It can take some experimentation and practice, but it\u2019s worth the time spent. <\/p>\n\n\n\n One distinct advantage that Facebook Ads for churches offer over physical mailers is that they allow you to build an email list of people who either currently attend or might be interested in attending your church in the future so that you can follow up with them multiple times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The unfortunate truth is you don\u2019t own your social media platforms<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Facebook, Instagram, and any other social media platform could go bankrupt, go out of style, or simply delete or block your page anytime for any reason. And all too often, you have no way of getting access or your list of contacts back.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is why growing an email list is so vital. You own your list of contacts with email, and you can contact them for free on any occasion. If one email marketing platform shuts down, you have the ability to effortlessly move your list to another platform without losing all the connections you\u2019ve spent months or years developing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Furthermore, with an email list, you can easily follow up with new visitors multiple times, inviting them to additional events or providing them with more resources they might find valuable. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This way, you aren\u2019t just getting the word out about one event. You\u2019re creating a relationship.\u00a0How to Run Effective Facebook Ads for Churches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. First, Look for Ways to Serve Your Audience Where They Are<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Experiment with Different Types of Ads<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Keep Your Website and Facebook Page Up-to-Date<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Running Facebook Ads for Churches<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Focusing On Yourself instead of Your Audience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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2. Forgetting to Use Geo-Targeting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. Forgetting the Facebook User Experience<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Importance of Growing Your Church Email List<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Ready to start running effective Facebook Ads for churches? Be sure to visit FrontDoor.church<\/a>, where you can find additional resources to help you get your Facebook Ads for churches up and running (effectively!) without wasting a lot of time and money in the process.<\/p>\n\n\n\n