Simple Ways to Make Your Church Ads Stand Out Online

Jono Long • July 6, 2025

Online ads can help churches reach new people, build stronger connections, and stay visible in the community. Whether it's inviting folks to a Sunday service or sharing an upcoming event, the way your church presents itself online matters. The trick is standing out in a place where so many other messages appear every day. With the right approach, your church's ads can be easy to spot, connect with the right people, and reflect what your church is truly all about.

This article shares simple, clear ways to help your digital ads grab attention without needing a huge budget or team. From choosing the right pictures to using easy-to-understand language, you're going to learn how to make a bigger impact with each ad you put out. If you're ready to take a fresh look at how you're sharing your faith online, these tips were made to help.

Understand Your Audience

Step one to creating a strong ad is knowing who you're talking to. Every church is different, and so is every community. When you understand the people you're trying to reach, you can build ads that feel personal and speak directly to their needs or interests.

Here are some simple ways to explore who your audience is:

1. Talk to your regular attendees and ask what brought them to your church or what they value most.

2. Look back at past outreach efforts that worked and notice any common threads.

3. Use social media to check out what kind of content your followers engage with the most.

4. Pay attention to common age ranges, family sizes, or lifestyle details of those who attend regularly.

Knowing your audience helps you pick better wording, topics, and even colors or image styles. For example, if your church connects well with young families, messaging that feels warm, inclusive, and family-focused will likely get more clicks than something generic or formal. You're not trying to talk to everyone. You're trying to reach those most likely to respond and show up. When you can speak their language and reflect their values, your message will feel natural and inviting.

Create Compelling Visuals

When someone is scrolling through a feed, it's the image that usually grabs their attention first. Great graphics don’t need to be complicated. They just need to be clear, relevant, and feel like they belong to your church.

Here's how you can make your visuals stronger:

1. Use real photos from your church whenever possible. Stock images can work, but pictures with familiar faces or settings feel more trustworthy.

2. Stick with easy-to-read fonts and limit how many different ones you use in a single image.

3. Keep your colors in line with your church's general branding or vibe. Too many colors can feel busy.

4. Make sure the text in your image is large enough to read on a phone screen.

You want people to stop and feel something when they see your ad. Maybe a photo of a candlelit service or a smiling group from a church picnic. The goal is to build a feeling that leads someone to read more or click through to learn what’s happening. Keep it simple and consistent so they start recognizing your style each time they see it again.

Craft a Clear and Inviting Message

Once you’ve got images that stop the scroll, your words need to keep someone’s attention. Think of your ad copy like a conversation starter. Short, friendly, and easy to understand goes a lot further than long paragraphs. People often scroll past anything that feels too wordy or confusing. Keep your message simple and honest.

Here are a few things to focus on when writing your message:

1. Start with what the reader cares about. It could be an invitation to a family event, a volunteer project, or a warm community to be part of.

2. Use words that reflect your church’s personality. If your community is laid-back and welcoming, your language should feel the same.

3. Avoid church jargon or overly formal language. Keep it natural and inclusive so strangers understand what it’s about.

4. Make your invitation feel personal, even if it’s going out to many people.

Don’t try to say everything at once. One main idea per ad is enough. If your message focuses on a Sunday picnic, stay there. You can always create more ads for other events. Clear direction always beats a long list of details. One good example is a simple line like: Join us for free burgers, games, and community this Sunday at Willow Park. It shares what’s happening, when, and sparks curiosity without sounding like a flyer.

Above all, match your message with the image. They work as a team. When the copy and image feel like parts of the same story, everything clicks better.

Utilize Social Media Platforms Effectively

Finding the best platform for your church ads depends on where your community already spends their time. There's no need to be everywhere. It's more helpful to choose one or two places where you can post consistently and reach the right people.

Popular choices like Facebook and Instagram continue to work well for most churches. They allow you to share pictures, short videos, and events, while also letting folks message you with questions. With good ad visuals and a strong message, sponsored posts on these platforms can help you connect beyond your church doors.

A few tips for getting more out of social media ads:

1. Use location targeting so people near your church are more likely to see your message.

2. Keep the tone friendly. Ads that feel like conversations get more engagement than ones that sound like announcements.

3. Use video clips when possible. Even a short greeting or 10-second invite grabs attention better than static posts.

4. Always include a next step. Whether it's visiting your website or RSVPing to an event, make it clear what you want people to do after seeing the ad.

Consistency also matters. Posting once in a while won’t hold attention. Try sticking to a simple calendar so you know when you’re posting each week. This way your outreach stays steady, and your church remains visible to both new and returning visitors.

Engage Through Interactive Content

Most people want to feel like they’re part of something, not just being marketed to. That’s where interactive content helps. Simple formats like polls, Q and A boxes, or story quizzes create two-way conversations, not just one-sided messages. It’s a low-pressure way for someone to get curious, click around, or learn more.

Here’s how to use interactive content in your ads:

1. Ask a question that invites feedback, like What’s your favorite hymn? or What should we cook next potluck?

2. Use a poll to let people vote on fun or helpful things. For example, voting on service times or event themes.

3. Create a short one-question quiz tied to a sermon theme or Bible verse. Nothing deep, just light and engaging.

4. Host an Ask Me Anything event with your pastor or youth leader, giving newcomers a no-pressure taste of your church culture.

Even simple engagement tools can spark interest. Someone who votes in a poll or answers a question is more likely to come back later or share the post. It keeps the outreach conversation going beyond the ad itself. Plus, you get a better feel for what types of content your followers respond to.

Putting Everything Into Practice

The small details in your church ads, like the photo you choose or the words you use, can make a big difference in whether someone pauses, clicks, or joins you on Sunday. The connection starts before they ever walk into the building. That means your ads serve a bigger purpose than promotion. They reflect who your church is and what someone can experience there.

When you create ads with clear visuals, friendly words, and thoughtful engagement, you're building a bridge. With each post, you're helping someone feel seen and invited. That first impression might be what leads to a real relationship and a stronger church community.

If making your church’s ads feel more personal and inviting sounds like something you want help with, Faithworks Marketing is ready to support your outreach goals.

When you're ready to boost your church's online presence through effective strategies in advertising for churches, consider exploring what Faithworks Marketing can offer. Whether you're looking to improve your social media outreach or create ads that genuinely connect with your community, our team is here to help. For more ideas and support, take a look at how we can strengthen your digital engagement.

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AI, Side Hustles, Creative Ministry, and $10K Google Grants: What Every Pastor Needs to Know

By Jono Long • August 21, 2025

For many pastors today, ministry is both a calling and a financial challenge. As the cost of living rises and church salaries remain modest, more pastors are turning to side hustles and creative income streams to provide for their families. This trend is shaping what many believe will define the next generation of church leaders: bivocational ministry. In a recent episode of The Pro Church Marketing Podcast, host Luke Clayton sat down with Jono Long , founder of Faithworks Marketing, to discuss their parallel journeys from ministry to entrepreneurship. Together, they shared practical strategies for church marketing, candid lessons from business, and encouragement for pastors who feel caught between calling and provision. Ministry Meets Entrepreneurship Both Luke and Jono began in full-time ministry, but financial realities forced them to adapt. Jono, a youth pastor in Georgia, found himself with five kids, a wife at home, and a salary that wasn’t enough to make ends meet. Out of necessity, he turned to social media management for local businesses. What started as a $300-a-month side hustle eventually grew into Faithworks Marketing , an agency serving churches across the country. Luke’s path was similar but marked by burnout. As a communications director at a large church and school, he was responsible for everything creative—websites, graphics, video, and media. With no budget to outsource and a workload that never stopped, he eventually hit a breaking point. Stepping away cold turkey, he launched his own creative business, Increase Creative , which now helps churches with websites, branding, and podcast production. Their stories reflect a growing trend: ministry leaders are often entrepreneurs at heart, using their creativity and problem-solving skills to build businesses that support both their families and the church. Why Bivocational Ministry is the New Normal While many pastors once saw bivocational work as a backup plan, it is quickly becoming the new reality. Church salaries often fall short of providing financial stability, especially for families. Meanwhile, the American cost of living continues to rise. This creates tension for pastors who want to devote themselves fully to ministry but also need to provide for their loved ones. Luke and Jono both noted the guilt factor many pastors feel when pursuing side income, as if it means they are less committed to the church. In reality, bivocational work can be freeing. As Jono shared, when pastors are less dependent on their church paycheck, they can lead with boldness, making decisions based on conviction rather than fear of losing their job. Unlocking the Power of Google Ad Grants One of the most practical tools for churches that Jono highlighted is the Google Ad Grant , which gives qualifying nonprofits up to $10,000 per month in free advertising . Many churches don’t take advantage of it, or they try but see little success. The most common reason: their websites lack content. “Church websites often have only a few words, a mission statement, and service times,” Jono explained. “That will never work for the grant.” Practical tips for churches to maximize the grant include: Create content-rich pages : Google rewards sites with valuable answers to common questions. Leverage sermons : Transcribe and summarize sermons into blog posts to boost SEO. Target felt needs : Ads about prayer, anxiety, or salvation resonate deeply with people searching online. By building a content-driven website and strategically using the grant, churches can expand their reach far beyond Sunday morning. SEO, AI, and the Future of Church Marketing The digital landscape is changing fast. With Google’s AI Overviews now answering many search queries directly, fewer people are clicking through to websites. For churches, this makes content strategy more important than ever . “Good content still wins,” Jono said. “Whether AI-generated or human-written, Google rewards sites that provide thoughtful, helpful answers.” For churches, this means focusing on practical, biblical content that speaks to real needs in their community. Lessons from the Trenches of Business Both Luke and Jono were quick to admit their mistakes. For Luke, the biggest was hiring too fast, taking on employees before his business could sustain them. For Jono, it was diving into websites and SEO without fully understanding them, learning through trial and error. Their honesty underscores an important truth: entrepreneurship is messy. But both emphasized that failure is part of the journey, and perseverance often matters more than a perfect business plan. Creative Side Hustles for Pastors Pastors and ministry leaders often have more marketable skills than they realize. Jono shared how he started a DJ and photo booth company, hiring youth pastors and worship leaders to serve at weddings and proms. Their stage presence, comfort with sound systems, and ability to engage people made them natural fits. Luke, meanwhile, has leaned into podcast production, helping churches launch and manage their shows. Both are examples of how ministry skills—communication, leadership, problem-solving—translate into entrepreneurial ventures. From web design to coaching, from content creation to event services, pastors have opportunities to create side income streams that complement their ministry instead of distracting from it. The conversation between Luke and Jono highlights a new reality: bivocational ministry is here to stay. Pastors no longer have to choose between serving the church and providing for their families. By embracing entrepreneurship, leveraging tools like Google Ad Grants, and using their transferable skills, pastors can thrive both spiritually and financially. The message is clear: you can do ministry, build a business, and serve God faithfully—all at the same time. 🔗 Learn more about Faithworks Marketing: https://faithworksmarketing.com 🔗 Connect with Luke Clayton and explore coaching for bivocational pastors: https://jlukeclayton.com/