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Little Ads That Work

More churches are using Facebook to get the word out.

"Couldn't you use more faith right now?" the ad asked. There wasn't room for much more than that question and the church's name. Despite its size, that Facebook ad is getting big credit in the launch of a new church near Chicago.

Pastor Ryan Hall crafted a little ad for his church plant and scheduled a modest internet campaign in under 15 minutes.

"I stumbled on Facebook advertising by accident," Hall says, "and I'm impressed at how well it worked."

More than 350 people showed up for the first public worship service, and in its third month, the new Harvest Bible Chapel in Palos, Illinois averages nearly 250 each Sunday.

Leaders planned a traditional direct-mail campaign of postcards to their Zip code announcing the church's plans and website. After the mailing, Hall used Google Analytics to see if the postcards produced web visitors.

"Google gives you high-end reporting on the number of visitors and towns where they live," Hall explains. Then, when he discovered Facebook ads, Hall targeted ...

March
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