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Types of Ads
There are Two Types of Ads
- Hard sell. You are aiming at the reader's mind. A rational, informational message. "We're a Bible-believing church."
- Soft sell. You are aiming at the reader's heart. A message with an emotional punch designed to create a response based on feelings. "A place of love and acceptance."
- Factual. You present information in a straightforward way, without gimmicks. It's a rational appeal, rather than emotional. "This is what the Sunday school class is about and what you'll learn. That should be enough to convince you to come."
- Demonstration. A straightforward message which involves demonstrating the product. In the church's case, it could involve showing a worship service in progress, or portraying people involved in a Bible study, or showing children participating in a special event of some kind.
- Comparison. You compare yourself to others. Obviously, you don't want to compare yourself to other churches and thereby either downgrade yourself or those churches. But you can compare what the church has to offer with what the world offers. Happiness vs. emptiness. Purpose vs. aimlessness. Service to others vs. self-centeredness. Or, you can contrast your church with what people often find in churches. "A church for people who hate church." "A new kind of church."
- Humor. If an ad about your church makes people smile, they may figure they'll enjoy the church itself.
- Problem-Solution. You present a problem the reader may be experiencing, and then present a solution you can offer them. Or, you can present a way to avoid a problem they might possibly face at some time. "Do you feel like nobody cares about you?" "Is life a constant struggle?"
- Slice of Life. You tell a story, on paper or on screen, which uses "normal people" in a real-life situation. It could involve people interacting at your church, perhaps giving care to each other. Or, it could involve a problem an unchurched person faces and how your church helps.
- Spokesperson. Someone with credibility or stature speaks on your behalf. Celebrity spokespersons appear on TV ads all the time. It's a bit more difficult to transfer this approach to the local church, but you might find a way to pull it off. Maybe a local figure with some visibility--a politician, business owner, TV or radio personality.
Add Your Own Thoughts. Please.