What about Newspaper Ads?

If you are looking for ways to let the community know about your congregation, you may consider advertising in the local newspaper.

Depending on your purpose and audience, print ads can be effective. But congregations should think carefully before they "go to press."

Some ideas to consider:

• Decide who you are trying to reach. Knowing your "target audience" is essential to make your advertising effort effective. Are you trying to reach persons who read the paper? Teens and young adults typically are not newspaper readers, radio might be more effective. The newspaper advertising department has demographic information about their readers and what sections of the paper they read.

• Be sure you know what your message is. Print ads at Corpus Christi (Texas) First Church said, "Come join our family." What do you want your readers to do because they have seen your ad? "Worship with us this Sunday." "Celebrate God's love at First Church." "Make a difference for your children." "Come home for Christmas." "Meet the risen Christ."

• Remember that ads are most effective when they are part of a larger campaign. Think of any product you see advertised. Repetition is the key: TV commercials, promotional fliers, sports sponsorships, magazine ads, billboards, radio ads and more. Your advertising will also be more effective if it can be repeated in different formats.

• If you decide to use the paper, you also want to think which section of the paper your target audience will read. Want to reach men? Put your ad on the sports pages. Young adults are more likely to look at the entertainment pages. If your newspaper has a religion section, or religion pages, they may well be the least read pages of the paper. However, they may also be the least expensive pages for your ad.

• Think about which day of the week your ad will run. Saturday's paper often has the fewest readers. But if your event is on Sunday, a Saturday ad is closest to the time you want action.

If you are interested in pursuing print advertising, your newspaper office can be a big help. Check with them early to find out about advertising rates and to learn how the paper will help you design your ad. ASK QUESTIONS!

If you are going to make a considerable investment, you may want to talk with a public relations or advertising professional. Their advice may cost money, but it can also help you spend your promotional dollars more wisely. For more information on church advertising, contact Communication Ministries, Christian Church (Disciples of Christ).

One congregation's experience

Corpus Christi (Texas) First Church ran a series of ads promoting their congregation.

The ads were run at times when persons might be most interested in church: Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, beginning of school year. They included the common line, "Come join our family."

Planners placed the ads in their newspaper's "Living" section, because this section has more women readers. Women often make decisions about attending church for their families.

The congregation also places an ad in the weekly church listing, with church name, location and service times.

According to Debbie Wingfield, who headed the marketing effort:

• It was hard to tell if the ads were the primary reason people visited. We do know of a few persons who came because of the ads.

• The ads built pride in the congregation for those persons who were already members.

• Church activities have also been featured in newspaper stories. For example, the congregation's annual Boar's Head Dinner usually rates both a story and photos. These kinds of stories also help promote our church.

Debbie said the advertising did have an overall positive effect. The church may use newspaper advertising again.