Remember the days before lawyers and dentists ran TV ads? Remember the days before infomercials? Seems like ancient history, doesn’t it?
Advertising is an integral part of the American culture. Almost nothing is too sensitive, too personal or too controversial to advertise today. Not even the church.
Why advertise? Some churches advertise when making a major change, such as name, location or worship format.
According to Dennis Blythe, former executive pastor of NorthPark Baptist Church in Trussville, NorthPark began using a billboard when they relocated.
Blythe said, “Because we were moving to a temporary location in a new area, we wanted the community to be aware of who we were and where we were meeting. Because of [the billboard’s] high visibility on I-59, we’ve decided to use it on an ongoing basis.”
On the other hand, lack of change can also create an advertising demand.
First UnitedMethodist Church, Birmingham, has been a downtown fixture since 1872.
However, with Birmingham families moving to the suburbs while the church remains downtown, advertising is a must, according to Paul McCracken, director of Christian education and communication. He said, “We’re located downtown. We can’t afford to be a well-kept secret.”
Advertising is also an effective way for churches to build a relationship with its com- munity. Palmerdale United Methodist Church in Pinson has a tradition of advertising in the local football programs, yearbooks and ball parks, said church administrator Linda O’ Toole.
She added that even if these traditional efforts don’t bring high returns in the form of more visitors, they are a gesture of good will in the community.
There are many advertising options for churches, depending on the audience it is targeting, its budget and what particular aspect it is promoting.
Beyond the religion section
Churches advertising regular weekly services may choose the local newspaper. The Birmingham News’ advertising department said the News, the state’s largest circulated daily paper, runs ads for more than 100 area churches in the religion section directory weekly.
However, some church leaders believe that advertising in the religion section may limit your exposure.
Blythe said NorthPark’s philosophy with news- paper ads has been “if you are hoping to reach the unsaved and unchurched, don’t advertise in the religion section.”
Lance Kinney, University of Alabama assistant professor of advertising and public relations, agreed with Blythe, noting that advertising in the religion section can be the equivalent of preaching to the choir.
“The people reading that section are likely to be church members already, and reaching out to other sections may help reach unchurched community members,” he said.
Many large churches such as Whitesburg Baptist Church, Huntsville, choose to advertise via multiple media.
Carlton Berry, minister of education/pro- gram director at Whitesburg, said Whitesburg has used television, radio, billboards and newspaper advertising during the past year.
But these most common forms of advertising can also be the most expensive. Many churches can’t afford them. A more affordable form of advertising widely used is direct mail.
Joy Steed, publications director at Covenant Presbyterian Church in Homewood, said, “We don’t do what I call regular advertising, as in a weekly news ad, but we do a modest amount of direct mail. We have seen good results from it.” Steed added that Covenant uses direct mail about four times a year to promote special events.
They generally focus their mailing to within a five-mile radius of the church.
Focus is the key advantage of direct mail, said Kinney.
“Direct mail, sometimes called direct marketing, is used by all kinds of businesses,” he said. “The rationale behind direct mail is that it doesn’t compete for attention like radio and TV ads do. If I mail a postcard and get the recipient to read it, then I have his full attention.”
Direct mail might be a good idea for churches because it can also help the church reach a specific geographic location, Kinney noted. “It lets the church zero in on a place in a way that radio and TV can’t.”
However, a limited advertising budget need not limit a church’s advertising power, noted Stephen Odum, media director for East Memorial Baptist Church, Prattville.
While East Memorial uses a variety of advertising media on a regular basis — from billboards to radio ads — Odum believes a church’s best public relations may be right at hand.
Weekly bulletins, newsletters and midweek prayer sheets offer inexpensive advertisement, according to Odum. He suggests including worship times and directions to church events in these in-house produced pieces.
“Write them in a language that a visitor can understand. Don’t use terms that only a church member will understand.”
Odum also noted that a church’s marquee can serve as a billboard noting worship times and upcoming events.
Still today’s electronic age is providing new means of advertisement.
Gene Mason, communications director of Hunter Street Baptist Church, Hoover, said that in an upcoming promotion, Hunter Street will dis- tribute 10,000-plus CD-ROMs to area homes. The discs will be packaged as door hangers and will preview the church and its fall programming in video form. Mason said this idea grew out of the popularity of the church’s Web site.
“A lot of our guests visit our Web site first,” he said. “They like to get their feet wet before attending.”
Internet use has spurred innovative advertising opportunities for other Birmingham churches as well.
Birmingham United Methodist promoted their Web site, www.faithhappens.org, with volunteers from the congregation holding signs on local overpasses.
They also advertised it on preview movie slides at a local theater. McCracken said both efforts yielded much interest in the Web site and the church.
Widening the reach
One might assume the wide use of church Web sites might lead to a decline in church advertising, but not so.
Joy Moore, communications specialist at Briarwood Presbyterian Church in Birmingham, said, “Web sites and advertising work best when they work in tandem.
“For many churches, a Web site is a reason to advertise rather than a replacement for it.” But just like people who wince at those
ever-increasing attorney TV ads, some church members are uncomfortable with the term advertising.
“It may sound self-serving to some members,” Moore explained. “But if you speak of it in terms of informing people about events in the church, it’s better received. After all, our motive is to let people know what God is doing.” Doug Rogers, coordinator of communications services for the Alabama Baptist State Board of Missions, sees advertising as a form of spreading the good news. “Paid advertising can make the
community more aware of your church and its ministries,” he said.
“I believe we have the responsibility to take the gospel to the marketplace, just like Christ did, and one way we can go beyond the walls of the church into the community is through advertising.” Ultimately, most church leaders agree that
word of mouth is the best advertisement. Mason said Hunter Street’s best publicity is keeping its members informed and offering programs they are excited to share with their friends.
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