Church marketing is a hot topic in the Christian world. Some say it’s not biblical to market a church, while others feel it’s necessary to reach people who wouldn’t typically hear the gospel. So, what’s the truth? Is advertising for Churches biblical?
Great Commission
Matthew 28:19–20 contains Jesus’ “Great Commission”:
“Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”
This wasn’t a request; it was something we had to do. Jesus wants us to spread the good news of His love and hope to others. But in today’s society, there are new channels for communication.
Church Marketing’s Benefits and Drawbacks
One issue is how often people use “marketing” in commercial contexts. Therefore, it can suggest laboring for income and employing dubious strategies to draw in customers.
Many elements that make a company successful may also benefit the church.
For instance, corporate executives have developed some of the greatest budgeting, process management, and information technology systems.
Additionally, there is concern that “selling” the church may gloss over the Bible’s most challenging passages. Churches that put an excessive amount of focus on marketing run the danger of appearing to be more in the entertainment industry than in the ministry.
Churches should pick their Christian marketing strategies wisely. They must refrain from taking positions that diminish, moderate, or change the Bible.
Churches have employed phone book advertisements, direct mail, and billboard ads for many years. In recent years, churches have improved their ability to use social media channels like Facebook, Google, Instagram, YouTube, websites, and television in ways that honor God’s Word and further the Great Commission.
What Keywords Do
Keywords are what move the internet. People regularly utilize search engines for hunting for anything using the shortest phrase they can come up with. To find a church, a person can type in terms like “Christian Church” or “Presbyterian Church.”
Similarly, a church worker seeking further assistance in expanding their membership is more likely to type in “church marketing.”
Google records all search keywords and counts the times a particular word is entered monthly. Christian marketing companies conduct keyword research to uncover the keywords most likely to lead to our discovery.
Using the keyword analysis tool, you may assess your church website’s content and SEO optimization. It looks at your website’s content, URLs, meta descriptions, and H1/H2 headers for commonly searched terms for ministries.
The algorithm then rates each phrase category chosen on a scale of 0 to 100. You may use this information to seek chances to increase the visibility of your church’s ministries in Google searches.
Websites Should Be Keyword Optimized
The first and most crucial choice a Christian organization should make when creating a church website is what keywords will be used to design the site.
For instance, calling a Christian church a “Christian Church” is very legitimate. This is due to the likelihood that anyone searching for churches on Google will use this keyword.
The term “church marketing” should unquestionably be included in the list of keywords for a Church Communications company.
People need to be aware that your church is there. You must interact with others. Those who don’t know Jesus reside not far from your church. Families in flux, single moms, and children without dads are all frequent occurrences. What outreach initiatives does your church undertake?
Two excellent places to start are Facebook for Churches and Google for Churches.
Conclusion
Church marketing is not explicitly mentioned in the Bible. However, stewardship, evangelism, and discipleship principles can be applied to church marketing. When done correctly, church marketing can be a tool to help churches grow and reach people for Christ. Overall, church marketing is a tool that can be used for good or bad, depending on how it is used.
With Facebook ads, we at ChurchCandy assist pastors in expanding their congregations. We want to get to know you and let you know us before we start helping you in bringing new people to your church. Schedule a call with us if you need ethical Christian marketing.