Performance-based marketing to grow your Church company.

What is Church Marketing?

The average church business in the United States makes $242,910 per year in revenue. Church Marketing is promoting the business to increase that number or removing obstacles causing the ROI to be low. This can include paid social ads, paid search ads, local ads, radio ads, TV ads, or traditional ads.

Most church companies need help with various factors, such as an expensive workforce, finding adequate experts in each area, producing new creative content fast enough, and overseeing all aspects of their digital marketing efficiently. Let our team of church digital marketing and advertising experts manage the groundwork it takes to grow your Church company. If you want to increase sales for your Church business, please contact AdvertiseMint.

Popular Ways to Increase Revenue for Church Companies.

“Every Church business pays for advertising. You either pay for advertising or you pay in lost revenue to your competitors.” – Brian Meert, CEO, ADVERTISEMINT.

In the sphere of religious organizations, particularly within the Christian Church industry, multifarious approaches can be adopted to increase revenue. As churches strive to expand their reach and impact, paying attention to several key factors can ensure sustainable financial growth and enhance their ability to serve the community.

Community Engagement and Outreach: Churches that actively engage with their local communities and foster a sense of belonging tend to experience higher attendance and, consequently, increased donations. Establishing outreach programs, volunteering, and supporting those in need can enhance the church’s reputation and encourage more people to contribute financially.
Diversification of Revenue Streams: Beyond traditional tithes and offerings, churches can explore alternative revenue streams such as renting out church facilities, hosting events, or running educational and religious programs. Diversifying revenue ensures financial stability, especially during periods when regular giving might decrease.
Digital Presence and Online Giving: In today’s digital age, having a strong online presence is crucial for any organization, including churches. By utilizing social media, maintaining an engaging website, and offering online giving options, churches can reach a wider audience, cater to the preferences of younger generations, and facilitate convenient giving, thus increasing revenue.
Effective Communication and Transparency: Transparent communication about financial needs, goals, and how funds are utilized builds trust among the congregation. Churches that clearly communicate their mission, demonstrate the impact of contributions, and maintain financial transparency are likely to see increased generosity from their members.
Building Stronger Relationships: Fostering strong, personal relationships within the congregation is fundamental. When church members feel connected, valued, and part of a community, they are more likely to support the church financially. Churches should focus on building and maintaining these relationships through regular engagement, pastoral care, and community-building activities.

Church Industry Facts. *

Average Revenue for Church Industry: $74.5 billion

Average Profit Margin for Church Industry: 5%

Average ROI for Church Industry: 10%

Average Growth Rate for Church Industry: 1-2%

Average CPC on Google for Church: $2.50

Church Paid Social Ads

Paid social is a powerful way to help reach consumers interested in Church products or services. Paid social allows you to get a wide range of people and then target your ads based on key attributes like age, gender, location, interest, and behaviors or using custom and lookalike audiences. Paid social ads are the leading advertising option to reach consumers on mobile devices. Paid social is also typically less expensive than other forms of advertising, making it a powerful combination. However, the pricing for paid social can increase as you get more targeted or if your ads appear irrelevant by the ad platform algorithm. The most popular paid social ad platforms are:

Church Paid Search Ads

Paid search is the most efficient way to reach consumers actively searching for Church products or services. Consumers often search the internet for questions about where they are in the buying cycle. A general search would indicate they are just beginning to research companies. A specific search would suggest the consumer is knowledgeable and close to selecting or purchasing. Church advertisers can bid specifically on the most valuable keywords for their business, which helps them appear above their competitors for the most profitable keywords. Paid search ads are generally used for lead generation, local awareness, or e-commerce. Paid search ads can also be run on YouTube, where your business can advertise a specific video to appear first when consumers search on particular keywords or for competitors. The most famous Church paid search ads are:

Church Local Ads

Local ads are essential for Church companies and are often overlooked because of the focus on larger ad platforms. Local ads allow you to reach customers near your business and offer them a reason to visit your business instead of your competitors. Local digital ads typically include promotions, deals, or coupons and often align with your current business reviews on that platform. This means having excellent customer service and reputation management to help grow your five-star reviews. Other physical ads like billboards, digital billboards, bus, and metro ads allow you to ensure you are reaching customers located in your targeted area. The cost to get a new local customer is often tiny compared to the lifetime value that customer will bring to your business. The most popular local ads for Church companies are:

Church Facebook Ads
Church Google Local Ads
Church Yelp Ads
Church Nextdoor Ads
Church Billboard Advertising
Church Metro Ads
Church Bus Ads

Church Radio Ads

Radio ads allow church companies to reach a captive audience, often listening while commuting in the car, at the gym, or working. Radio ads will enable you to talk directly to your customers and present. Radio ads are fixed in length and cannot be skipped, ensuring your audience will hear your message. Due to the passive nature of radio listeners, it’s essential to have optimized audio creatives and a significant enough ad budget to ensure that the average listener is reached at the recommended frequency. It’s recommended when possible to use the radio personality to read your ads as they have built Some of the most popular church radio advertising options are:

Church Local iHeartRadio Ads
Church Spotify Ads
Church Pandora Ads
Church Podcast Ads
Church National Radio Advertising
Church Talk Radio Advertising

Church Direct Mail

Direct Mail can be a powerful tool for church companies to reach new and existing customers. With the increase of online advertising, direct mail can often be a hidden gem regarding going people inside their inboxes with targeted messages. Direct mail can be sent in mass with new automation tools and personalized before sending. The cost of direct mail often depends on the size of the mail (postcard vs. full-size letter envelope), and while postage can be purchased at bulk rates, it is still a rising cost to be considered. If you are interested in learning more about how your company can send out Direct Mail, please contact AdvertiseMint, and our team would be more than happy to walk you through the options.

Church TV Ads

There are several things that church companies should be aware of when running TV ads. TV advertising for Church can be targeted to users locally, which is perfect for a company with just one location, or can be shown on a DMA, state, or national level for companies with multiple locations. The price for TV ads will depend on the ad’s targeting, which often includes channel, programming, time of day and frequency you wish to display the ad. If you have exact requirements, expect to pay more. Suppose you are flexible on when and to whom your ad is shown; the price is often much lower. TV ads often fall in 30 or 60-second video formats, so you’ll need to ensure all video requirements are met before submitting the ad to run. Best practices commonly include high-resolution visuals, apparent product features and benefits, testimonials, an enticing offer, and a clear call to action, including a phone number or website for the consumers to visit. There are also options for paid programming, including 30-minute or 60-minute segments played without interruption, typically between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. If you are interested in TV advertising for your church company, please contact AdvertiseMint for more details and pricing.

How vital are reputation management and online reviews for Church companies?

Every church company knows online reviews are essential for sales growth. In a digital world, online reviews on Google Local, Yelp, and many rating websites are used by your customers to validate your business and the products or services you provide. Most of the review sites will penalize you if you try to solicit reviews for your industry actively. However, a variety of strategies can be used to help ensure your online reputation is safe from negative thoughts. In addition, you’ll need a plan to praise five-star reviews while professionally addressing lower reviews, which potential customers often read. If you want to improve your total online reviews and average rating and help lower negative articles on your company from the organic search engine rankings, please contact AdvertiseMint to talk more.

Frequently asked questions about Church advertising and digital marketing.

How much should a church business spend on marketing and advertising each year?

An average Church business should spend between $18,218 and $36,436 a year on marketing and advertising expenses, or roughly 7.5% – 15% of annual gross revenue. The total amount may be higher if you are in a highly competitive industry, want accelerated growth, or your business generates high income during the holiday shopping season.

Why church companies typically outsource their marketing and advertising?

Church Business owners are often heavily involved with the day-to-day operations of their business. Some of the most common challenges for a church business include:

Declining Attendance: In many regions, particularly in the West, there has been a noticeable decline in regular church attendance. As secularism grows and society becomes more pluralistic, attracting and retaining a devoted congregation has become a significant challenge for many Christian churches.
Cultural and Generational Gaps: The rapid pace of cultural change has led to generational divides in how faith and religious practices are perceived. Many churches grapple with how to remain relevant and appealing to younger generations while still upholding their traditional values and teachings.
Financial Strains: With decreasing attendance and societal shifts in the way people prioritize charitable giving, many churches face financial pressures. These strains impact everything from maintaining infrastructure and historical buildings to supporting outreach programs and pastoral care.
Navigating Social and Ethical Issues: As society evolves, churches often find themselves at the crossroads of deeply contentious social and ethical issues. Balancing traditional religious teachings with modern societal norms and expectations, particularly on topics like LGBTQ+ rights, can be a challenge and sometimes lead to divisions within the congregation.
Leadership and Succession Planning: Finding the right leadership for a church is paramount to its success and continuity. As older pastors and leaders retire, there’s often a gap in bringing in younger leadership that can resonate with both older members and the younger generation.

Because Church businesses are so focused on these challenges, it often becomes very efficient to bring in outside experts to help manage and ensure specific tasks are done correctly. Marketing and advertising are two of the most commonly outsourced areas businesses use because they are critical to their success.

What are the most popular church advertising objectives?

Church Lead Generation

Many church companies are focused on generating leads. This can include building an internal email list for marketing purposes or generating high-value leads that can be quickly contacted to grow revenue. Lead generation typically involves creating a specific incentive, offer, or informational guide and then driving prospects to a landing page to collect their information. You can also manage the prospects’ information on a lead form hosted by the ad platform. Both options can be connected with your CRM or email marketing system so automatic calls, emails, and SMS messages are sent directly to your new prospect. If you want to help set up a lead generation for your church office, please contact the team at AdvertiseMint to discuss your options.

Increasing Church Sales

The most popular of all advertising objectives for church companies is sales. Increasing revenue is essential for every Church company to succeed. Many ad platforms have new tools that allow you to pass through values for each customer, which means they associate more weight towards the customers spending the most. This will enable them to find more customers like your top spenders. If you want to help grow your church, please contact the team at AdvertiseMint to discuss your options.

Church App Installs

Perfect for any church business that has a mobile app. The mobile app objective allows you to run ads for new app installs or for app events, which are specific events set up inside your app, such as account creation, payment method added, or transaction completion. It can also monitor usage inside the app or if users reach a particular area. This allows you to display highly targeted ads relevant to each user who sees your ads. The most common types of apps are games, utilities, or informational mobile apps. If you want to help grow sales or usage from your church mobile app, please contact the team at AdvertiseMint to discuss your options.

Church Local Traffic

Many church companies have locations they are looking to drive local foot traffic to. This can be for a special event, promotion, grand opening, or daily usage. Local ads can be targeted down to a single zip code or a 1-mile radius around a spot on a map. This ensures you can reach the individuals close to your Church location and get your ads in front of them. If you want to increase foot traffic for your church location, please contact the team at AdvertiseMint to discuss your options.

Church Brand Awareness

As your church company grows, it will become essential that you stay ahead of your competition. This is generally done by Brand Awareness campaigns, which focus on reaching a vast number of targeted users consistently over a long period. This ensures that your church company stays at the top of mind for your consumers, who continue to purchase your products and services. If you want to increase your Brand Awareness, please contact the team at AdvertiseMint to discuss your options.

Should church companies utilize content marketing to boost their advertising efforts?

In today’s digital age, the notion of churches leveraging content marketing may seem somewhat unconventional. However, numerous religious institutions are increasingly recognizing the potential of content marketing to elevate their presence and outreach, in a manner that aligns with their mission and values.

Engaging the Community through Content: Churches are creating engaging content to connect with members and the public, promoting a sense of togetherness and sharing the Christian message in relatable ways rather than commercial promotion.
Leveraging Digital Platforms: Digital platforms have become a pivotal medium for churches to communicate with their congregations and beyond. Many religious institutions are utilizing websites, social media, podcasts, and online videos to share sermons, inspirational messages, and educational content. These platforms allow churches to reach a wider, often younger, audience and provide a space for interaction and discussion.
Addressing Modern-Day Issues: Content marketing allows churches to address contemporary issues and societal challenges through a Christian lens. By producing content that tackles real-world problems, churches position themselves as supportive resources for individuals seeking guidance, thereby enhancing their relevance and impact in people’s lives.
Educational and Inspirational Content: Churches are creating content that educates and inspires. From Bible studies to life skills workshops, churches offer a diverse range of content that caters to their congregations’ spiritual and practical needs. This type of content strengthens the church-community bond and attracts individuals seeking personal growth and development.
Transparency and Authenticity: Authenticity is key in content marketing, and this is especially true for churches. Being transparent about beliefs, values, and the use of resources fosters trust within the community. Churches that communicate openly about their mission, work, and impact are likely to build stronger, more engaged congregations.

How can church integrate AI and other advanced technologies into their marketing strategies?

The world has changed for church, looking to increase their marketing and advertising efforts using AI. Various new tools enable automation and AI to be used in areas like sales, graphic design, video production, content creation, voiceovers, spokesperson, video creation, blog writing, and more.

What do church companies need to know about search engine optimization (SEO)?

The current average cost per click (CPC) on Google ads for the term “Church” is $2.50 and is expected to increase over time. SEO generates these same clicks from targeted keywords for free. SEO has tremendous value as you can generate a high traffic volume for your critical business segments. However, SEO is a long-term investment. We recommend that Church companies should be willing to plan for 6-12 months of SEO services before expecting an increase in results from these efforts. Please know that with SEO, the work is foundational, which means each task builds on top of each other. Each action adds more credibility to your website in the eyes of Google and other search engines. AdvertiseMint only believes in high-quality SEO, or long-game efforts, when building SEO. Most SEO tricks or gimmicks often work for a bit but later hurt your church company when updates are made to the search engines. The only way to move forward regarding SEO is by doing a lot of the right things and doing them faster than your competitors. Church SEO involves three main areas. The first is onsite optimization, which means the pages of your website contain content and are optimized for the search engines. The second step is to build more topical authority around your business to help Google understand that you are an expert in the church area. This is done by writing consistent blogs between 500-2000 words on core topics relating to your business. The final area is off-site linking, meaning other websites link back to your site and use specific anchor text. This can be achieved by public relations, outreach, and building relationships with other websites. When these three are done together, the result is that your Church SEO will improve, and your organic ranking will start to increase, thus sending more traffic to your website. If you are looking to improve your SEO, please contact AdvertiseMint.

Should church companies be doing Email Marketing?

Yes. Every church should have email marketing and SMS marketing for their company. Email marketing has continually been proven to be one of the most profitable marketing channels for Church companies. Email marketing allows you to reach your prospects and customers with specific messaging based on their location in your customer journey. These “flows” can be set up so that every person experiences the same informational process regardless of when they join. This ensures your company communicates 24/7 with the people most interested in your Church services and products. SMS messaging is also becoming highly profitable for breaking through all the noise and reaching your most valuable prospects via text. There are many rules regarding SMS marketing and how to add and remove people from your Church SMS marketing. If you want to learn more about optimizing your Email and SMS marketing for your church company, AdvertiseMint is here and ready to help.

Are there any advertising restrictions for Church businesses?

Churches and other religious institutions operate within a unique framework when it comes to advertising and conveying their message. Being non-commercial entities, churches are subject to certain regulations and guidelines that aim to uphold the sanctity of religious practices while allowing freedom of expression and outreach. Here are some advertising restrictions that churches need to be mindful of:

Political Endorsements: One of the most stringent restrictions churches face is in the realm of political endorsements. Given their tax-exempt status, churches are prohibited from endorsing or opposing political candidates. They must tread carefully to ensure that their communications do not violate this guideline, balancing their Christian message with a non-partisan stance.
Commercialization: Churches need to be cautious about the commercialization of their message. While they can advertise services, events, and programs, they must avoid the perception that they are engaging in commercial activities or profit-making ventures, which could potentially jeopardize their tax-exempt status.
Misrepresentation: Like any entity, churches are subject to laws against false advertising and misrepresentation. They must ensure that any claims made, whether about the impact of their programs or the use of donated funds, are accurate and verifiable to maintain trust within the community.
Respect for Diversity: In today’s diverse and pluralistic society, churches must be sensitive to the varied beliefs and values of the community. Advertising content should be respectful and inclusive, avoiding any language or imagery that could be deemed offensive or discriminatory.
Use of Media Platforms: While churches are free to use various media platforms for advertising, they must adhere to the guidelines and policies of each platform. These may include restrictions on content, targeting, and the use of data, which churches must navigate to ensure compliant and effective outreach.

Where can I find examples of other Church ads?

You can find examples of church competitor ads online in several places. Here are the instructions for how to view competitor ads running on Facebook, Google, and TikTok ad platforms.

View Church Competitor Facebook Ads

Go to Facebook Ad Library
Select the country where the ad appeared.
Select ad category (All, Politics, Housing, Employment, Credit).
Search by keyword or advertiser.
Review Facebook ads.

View Church Competitor Google Ads

Go to Google Ads Keyword Planner
Sign into Google Ads.
Click ‘Tools and settings’ in the top nav.
Click ‘Keyword Planner’ under the ‘Planning’ heading.
Click ‘Discover new keywords’
Type a relevant keyword into the box.
Click ‘Get Results’
Review Top of page bid and Google ads.

View Church Competitor TikTok Ads

Go go TikTok Ad Library
Select ad target country
Select ad type.
Select ad published date.
Enter in the desired keyword or advertiser.
Hit search.
Review TikTok ads.

How do Church companies measure the success of their marketing and advertising?

For most companies, revenue is the KPI (key performance indicator) we monitor when determining whether marketing and advertising efforts are successful. The revenue can be used to determine the ROI or ROAS for your campaigns over a set time. ROI (Return on Investment) is calculated by subtracting the initial cost of the investment from the final value, then dividing this new number by the cost of the investment, and finally, multiplying it by 100. ROAS (Return on Ad Spend) is determined by dividing the total revenue by the actual ad spend for a specific time.

In addition to revenue, other companies may use metrics such as CPL (Cost Per Lead), CPA (Cost per Acquisition), or CPI (Cost per Installs) for mobile apps. Monitoring these costs over time can help understand factors increasing or decreasing these numbers. They can be affected by various factors, such as landing page optimization, time of the year, and competitors.

Many digital ad platforms offer a tool called the brand lift study for companies interested in branding and spending over $100,000 on advertising. This study is used to measure the impact on the perception of your brand when running ads. A brand lift study splits a specific audience into two groups. The first group is shown your ads over a particular time; the second group sees none of your ads. At the end of the study, users in both groups were shown a survey by the ad platform. The difference between the first and second groups is called the brand lift, or the increased consumer awareness of your brand due to running advertising.

Who is the best Church advertising agency?

Advertisemint is the best church marketing agency. Our church advertising expert team has proven experience in the Church industry. We bring a full-service team of expert account managers, copywriters, graphic designers, video editors, and media buyers ready to help you implement your marketing strategy and grow your church business.

Church Advertising Agency Digital Marketing