Three questions to ask before using Facebook Sponsored Posts

There are a lot of things we love about Facebook advertising. Sponsored posts are a fantastic way of promoting your church’s events, getting wider exposure to your local community, or more effectively engaging those who already attend your church. We love that, for a relatively small investment, you can achieve huge reach with your message. We love that you set the maximum amount you want to spend, so there are no surprises at the end of an advertising campaign. We love that your ads can be tailored to appear to the exact demographic you specify.

But before you go ahead and purchase your first sponsored post, here are three questions to think about:

1. What, exactly, are you promoting? Are you simply wanting to promote the fact that your church exists, in the hope that people who have been thinking about going to church might check you out? Are you advertising a specific event that your church is hosting? Are you running a campaign in order to gain more Facebook Followers? All of these are good reasons to pay for a sponsored post, but make sure you know why you’re running a Facebook ad campaign before you go ahead and do it.
2. If you’re promoting an event, is the event for insiders or for outsiders? If the target audience for your church’s event is people who are not-yet-Christians, or not part of your church community, your sponsored post will look very different to an ad for an event aimed at people who already go to your church. Is your event for evangelism, Christian growth, or deepening community? Knowing who your event is for will very much shape what your ad looks like, and how it’s circulated.
3. Is your ad persuasive, or simply an exchange of information? When putting together advertising material, it’s so important to be communicating the why of an event, before listing all the logistical details like date, time, RSVP, etc. Most people won’t attend an event simply because it’s happening. People need to be convinced that this event is something they should attend. Use your Facebook advertising to persuade your audience to engage with you. Don’t just give them the details — convince them!

At my church, we’ve had great results from Facebook sponsored posts. So why not give it a go? Think through these three easy questions, then go for it! We’d love to hear how it went.