If you decide you must use paid advertising, I urge you to be smart about your choices.
For example, if you’re approached by a savvy newspaper salesman who tells you that buying an ad for a few hundred bucks is the way to go, you should be ready to ask a few questions:
- How many people will this reach?
- What are your subscription numbers for the past three years? (This will show you whether the number of subscribers is going up or down. National trends show a decline in those who take out a subscription, so they’ll probably try to push you to advertising on the web).
- If you’ve noticed the physical size of your local newspaper is shrinking, ask: Why does the newspaper keep shrinking in size? Doesn’t that indicate that fewer people are advertising in the print edition? If fewer people are advertising in the print edition, and readership is down, why is this a good idea?
- What kind of web specials do you have going?
If you buy advertising, you’ll probably be asked to package web ads with more traditional forms of paid advertising like newspaper, TV and radio. If you buy TV ads, they’ll probably try to get you to advertise on their website. The same for newspapers. Probably the same for radio, as well.
Some initial questions to ask when buying web ads:
- Who comes to your website? (Ask for demographics to see if they match your intended audience).
- Will you provide analytics to show how many people click through to my site? (This will help you measure the outcome, to see if it’s worth doing again).
- Where will my ad be placed? (If you’re going to spend the money, do it right. You’ll want the best real estate on the page , or at least something that will be seen near the top. Don’t buy some dinky ad that floats around near the bottom of the page. That requires people to work to find it).
Advertising can be a very beneficial thing for you, if you ask the right questions, do the right research, and make decisions that help you reach your goal. Otherwise, you’re just gambling.
Some questions to ask yourself before purchasing ads: Do I look at the ads when I read the newspaper? Do I notice the ads on the website?
Ask others in your church those questions, as well. It’s okay to take an informal survey. If enough people say they ignore the ads, then you might have your answer.
Most of the time, depending on your message and what you want people to learn, I would strongly encourage churches to consider other free or low-cost options first: Community calendars, presentations, their own websites, asking their congregations to spread the word, Facebook, etc.
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If you have questions about advertising or planning your church marketing budget, contact Hands and Feet Marketing for consultation.