Operations 102
Communications, Class 7
1. Strategy: The Culture of
Your Church.
2. Strategy: Parsing the
Preaching Pastor
3. Web
4. Hardware & IT
5. Productivity Tools
6. Multisite & Cutting
Edge Issues
7. Advertising
8. Policy & Practice
9. Policy & Practice
10. Communications Team
Operations 102—Communications
The term “advertising” has a negative connotation
to the average consumer. Yet, we are besieged with
product information. Web and print publishing are
vital to churches. Church advertising can be as
crass as “Fast Eddy’s Used Cars.” For churches,
what is the role of newspaper, magazine, web and
social media engagement? How are you engaging
your people?
Today’s Topic
There is also radio & television advertising; is that
feasible for your church? On the web, there is SEO,
Search Engine Optimization and also social media
SEO. This class will explore various methods for
engaging the media.
More on Today’s Topic
Matt Branaugh is Director of Editorial for the Church Law
and Tax Group at Christianity Today. His duties include
editing the Church Law & Tax Report newsletter,
ChurchLawAndTax.com, and the
ManagingYourChurch.com blog, as well as leading the
editorial team. He also writes the Church Law & Tax
Update and Church Management Update eNewsletters, and
the “Office Toolkit” column for Leadership Journal.
Matt Branaugh
Advertising
Mixed Messages
Mixed Messages
Mixed Messages
Mixed Messages
 Role of print advertising.
 Role of radio and TV advertising.
 Role of web advertising.
 Role of e-mail advertising.
Introduction
 Let’s talk about your church’s website.
 Why? Because all of your advertising,
regardless of medium, will point people to
your website.
Before You Advertise
 Class 3 with John Travis and Andrew Hummell.
 A few key points to keep in mind:
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Clean design—less is more.
Easy navigation.
Clear messaging.
Mobile friendly is a must. Apps are not.
Consider “A/B” testing (David Bourgeois, Biola
University).
Website Best Practices
Remember this cycle:
 Trigger (i.e. searched need; boredom).
 Reward (i.e. quality content).
 Investment (i.e. comment or sign-up).
 Permission (i.e. gives church the right to get
more data).
Stanford University, Media Engagement and Behavioral Change
Website Best Practices
Copyright Caution
 Get permissions or licenses for streaming worship
services, or for posting recordings of them, on the
church’s website.
 Music
 Movie and TV clips
David Middlebrook, church attorney and Editorial
Advisor for Church Law & Tax Report
Website Best Practices
 Toks Olawoye, advertising business development
manager for Christianity Today
 Shiree Johnson, account executive with the
Denver Post
My Experts
Seasonality vs. Consistency
 Olawoye: Focus on seasonal advertising or specialevent advertising, but don’t advertise consistently.
Budgets are limited.
 Johnson: Consistent advertising establishes brand—
the creative should regularly change, but the logo and
mission message should stay constant.
Careful Considerations
How much should a church budget for advertising?
 Olawoye: “Many experts say you should spend
between 5% and 10% of your annual operating
budget.”
 Bigger churches are probably closer to 10%.
Careful Considerations
Should we design the ads ourselves?
 If you have professional-level talent in-house, then
yes.
 Otherwise, both Olawoye and Johnson say you
should go outside.
 Olawoye: Oftentimes, you can initially hire a firm
and then receive templates that you can customize
yourself in the future.
 Johnson: Creative may be included by publisher.
Careful Considerations
 It’s still your best (and cheapest) advertising.
 Empower your staff, lay leaders, and
congregation:
 Nicely designed fliers and e-mail messages that
they can share.
 Regularly talk about inviting others—and teach
your congregation how to do it!
Word of Mouth (WOM)
Newspaper
 Olawoye: Not necessary.
 Declining readership.
 Newspaper ads are broad and can sap budgets fast.
 Johnson: Should consider it. Brand-building and
special events.
 Local newspapers give better targeting. Example:
YourHub.
Print Advertising
Capitalize on
 Free worship service listings.
 Pitching your stories.
 Editors and reporters are keenly interested in local
angles to broader themes. Be aware of current
events and angles your church can present.
 Uniqueness and human interest are key factors in
coverage decisions.
 Examples:
Print Advertising
OK
We’re doing a live nativity for Christmas Eve! (So is everyone else. It’s
maybe a photo opp, so that isn’t bad).
Really Good
Local economy is flat or down, but giving at your church is up and the
church is expanding its food bank.
Your church decided combating human trafficking would become a
major ministry initiative. The CEO of an international organization you
supported is coming to speak to your congregation and he’s available to
interview about how human trafficking affects your local area.
Print Advertising
Billboards
 Olawoye: These are more effective than you realize.
 Target within a 25-mile radius of your location(s).
 Emphasize positive messages, either based on
season, special event, or sermon series.
Print Advertising
Don’t underestimate the power of local Christian
radio and/or local news radio advertising.
 Olawoye:
 Stay away from talk radio.
 Stay away from secular music stations.
 Stay within your local broadcast area.
 Position your senior pastor and staff as experts
available for morning show interviews.
Radio and TV Advertising
Local cable stations
 Olawoye:
 A third option, but effective nonetheless.
 Focus on stations that broadcast religious
programming.
 Stay within your local broadcast area.
Radio and TV Advertising
Johnson says a church web ad campaign should
consider (in the following order):
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Search
Social media
Online banner ads
Mobile phone and tablet
Web Advertising
 Search Engine Marketing:
 People interested in church or spiritual help will
search.
 Pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns increase your visibility
with searches. Tailor them by keywords ($$$).
 Search Engine Optimization:
 This is an organic effort. Bourgeois advises:
 Using keywords in the titles of pages, headers and
subheads of pages, and in URLs. Also, get other
reputable sites to link to your website.
Web Advertising
 Social Media
 Johnson: Facebook is king. Use the church’s Facebook
page to highlight great content from your site. Try to
post “shareable” items (viral WOM).
 Don’t forget YouTube, which has grown into one of the
largest search engines itself.
 Another viral WOM opportunity.
Web Advertising
Online banner ads
 Johnson: If you purchase these on sites, work to
customize the geographic areas that will see them
when they visit the sites.
 Sites with specific local focus will give you more
bang for your buck.
Web Advertising
Mobile Phone and Tablet
 Still developing. Good opportunities with geographic
specifications.
 This is where a mobile-friendly church website
becomes so powerful: Your messaging in e-mail,
banner ads, or social media should redirect mobile
phone and tablet users to your site.
Web Advertising
 Build your church’s e-mail database. As you
collect addresses, ask if people wish to receive enewsletters and special information.
 If you’re newer, or wish to spread the message to
outsiders, consider renting lists of e-mail
addresses once or twice to build your database.
E-mail Advertising
E-newsletters
 Consistency is key.
 Third-party options include ConstantContact and
MailChimp.
E-blasts
 Especially effective for special events, seasonal
activities, and sermon series.
 Your third-party option can help with this.
Remember: Great designs and messages get
forwarded!
E-mail Advertising
 Should we do all of this?
 No! Limited staff and limited resources.
 Bourgeois: An effective campaign has multiple
streams— but not all of them. Use only the ones
you know resonate with your church’s
personality and demographics.
A Final Thought
Church Law & Tax Group
Additional Help
 Essential Guide to Copyright
Law for Churches
by Richard R. Hammar
 http://christianitytodayads.com
 “E-ministry,” Leadership Journal,
Summer 2013
 Ministry in the Digital Age:
Strategies and Best Practices in a
Post-Website World, by David
Bourgeois
 http://SproutSocial.com
 http://FaithHighway.com
 http://ChurchMarketingSucks.com
 Defamation in a Digital Age
 Untangling the Web
by Richard R. Hammar
 Using Social Media Safely
Additional Resources
This webinar is designed to provide accurate and
authoritative information in regard to the subject matter
covered. It is provided with the understanding that neither
the presenters nor the publisher is engaged in rendering
legal, accounting or professional service. If legal advice or
other expert assistance is required, the services of a
competent professional person should be sought.
Q&A
Send Questions via Chat to Tami
 Why do we as leaders become so attached to the
vehicles we use for change rather than the
destination itself?
 Why might leaders be so eager to affect positive
change over smooth transitions?
 How might a senior leader begin to mold and
shape a “tribe” to respond to a passionate, Godgiven vision
Matt Benford
Chapter 7, “Changing Vehicles”
Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code by Sam Chand