2024 Guide to Facebook Ads for Churches

Have you tried running Facebook ads in the past, but you didn’t see the results you were hoping for?

You’re not alone! Facebook ads are tricky. The algorithm is constantly changing, and prices are on an endless upward trajectory.

The good news is that your church can still achieve massive growth using Facebook ads. All it takes is knowing how to create a winning ad campaign. This guide to Facebook ads for churches has been updated for 2024, and we’ve included the top 8 tips to help you launch a successful ad.

1. Start with a Benefit

One of the most common issues we see with church ads is an ad that asks their audience to do something without giving them a reason or benefit.

For example, advertising copy that says, “you’re invited to Sunday worship services” might sound welcoming, but it doesn’t speak to your target audience. What is special about your church? Why should someone spend part of their Sunday with you?

This messaging is easy to fix, though. All you have to do is think about that why question and make your message clear. For example, do you want to attract people new to the area? Your ad could say, “New to the city and looking to connect? We invite you to {church name} Sunday church services. Free guidance and support included!”

As a rule of thumb, before spending money on creating Facebook ads, be clear on the benefit you want to convey.

2. Create an Ad for an Event

Advertising local church Sunday services is an effective way to attract new members to your congregation year-round, but there’s another way that can deliver a big win – promoting an event from your Facebook page.

The event should be related to your church and appeal to the local community. Examples include:

Christmas caroling
Easter egg hunts
Concerts
Rummage sales
Sunday brunch
Blood drive
Meet and greet with church leaders
Introducing online worship
Celebrating local heroes

There are different ways to launch a Facebook event ad campaign. You can create a Facebook event post through your Facebook page and then run the ad as a boosted post. Facebook posts stay on your Facebook pages, so people can reference them later.

Alternatively, you can create the event ad campaign directly from your Facebook Ads Manager account (now called Meta Ads Manager).

3. Be Specific with Your Targeting

You already know that targeting Facebook users hundreds of miles away is a recipe for disaster, but what’s the sweet spot? We recommend targeting people who live within a five to ten-mile radius.

You can also adjust your targeting to ensure a Facebook ad is shown only to a specific age range or gender, or target people with particular interests.

Other successful tactics include creating a custom audience, such as a retargeting audience (people who have visited your church website) or a lookalike audience (people who are most like your Facebook followers or existing members). Custom audiences can be powerful targeting options!

4. Use the Right Images

If you want people to read your Facebook ad copy, you first have to grab their attention so that they stop scrolling. An eye-catching image is a surefire way to stop the scroll and draw people into your ad.

Here are some tips for successful images in a Facebook ad campaign:

Feature members of your church (with their permission) or your church leader
Use eye-catching colors and easy-to-read fonts for text overlays
Avoid generic stock photos when possible

They say a picture is worth a thousand words, so when selecting imagery for your ads, consider what you want community members to know about your church. Do you want to showcase the size of your congregation? Do you want people to see the warmth and support that’s part of your church culture?

There’s no wrong answer here. As long as you have a clear campaign objective, you’re bound to find the right image that tells your church’s story.

5. Experiment with Video

Video ads are also an effective way to attract more visitors to your church. You can provide a more personal touch with video and create a retargeting audience based on what percentage of your video people watched.

There’s no rule of thumb for video length. A short video is apt to get more views, but might not provide enough information. We recommend experimenting with different video lengths to see how your audience responds.

Here’s a pro tip: because most people scroll through social media with their sound turned off, use captions so that people can read what’s being said on the screen.

6. Include a Call to Action

No matter how great your Facebook ad is, a campaign will fall flat if you don’t tell people what you want them to do after seeing it.

You can invite people to your church and then send them to a landing page for more info. A simple “Learn More” button is all you need here. Another option is to request that they buy tickets or reserve a spot for an event. Every Facebook ad should have a call to action

7. Monitor Ad Performance and Analytics

Controlling your ad spend is crucial to ensuring that your Facebook advertising efforts yield a positive return on investment. We recommend checking your Facebook Business Manager Account daily to review your ad account performance.

When you review the performance of your paid ads, the following metrics are most relevant:

Cost per click
Click-through rate
Frequency
Cost per action
Conversion rate

8. Send Traffic to an Amazing Landing Page

After someone clicks the “Learn More” button, where do they go? Ideally, they should arrive on a landing page that provides new visitors with more information about your church. The type of landing page you use depends on the specific Facebook ad, and it could include: