So how does one advertise the church on a small budget? We have tried all sorts of things to get people in the doors of the church but nothing seems to be working. In February we bought some airtime on the local radio station and began to syndicate the National Radio Program Come Receive the Light. No one has come through the doors. So I am trying something new this week. I just posted an ad on Craig’s List for Liturgy tomorrow. Not sure if it will work but it is FREE and that is always good so we will see what happens.
Church Advertising
A professional looking, well updated website with your address on the homepage will do a lot. It will get you into google and put you on google maps, etc. This will be by far your best advertisement. For instance:
http://www.athanasiusoca.org/
This means that when people google for “orthodoxy in yourtown” your church will show up and will have a map to the location.
I like anonymous’ idea. Our church has a website which I maintain. http://www.holytrinityoca.org. I try to post a new quote weekly from the Early Church Fathers and keep the schedule up to date.
I would also suggest you call your local newspaper and find out if they have a section “About Town” or something like that. Ours does and free of charge will put “events” and things like that in the section if we submit it two weeks in advance.
You could also make up some attractive fliers and hang them on the community bulletin boards of the local YMCA, the local food stores and other places like that.
Another idea is to have a food drive for your local food bank. Enlist the Sunday school students and their parents to go from door to door in your church neighborhood. Have them leave a lunch size brown bag in the door with a note about the food drive. No need to knock.
nclude the church’s name, address, contact info and the priest’s name. In the note make sure to put the “pick up date” that you will go around to the houses and pick up the food left on the front porch (generally the following week). Non-perishable items of course.
When you pick up the bag, leave a thank you note with a message to “Come visit us!” Someone like the priest or parish council president or even the Sunday school students could sign the note.
This is a personal way to reach out and touch the neighbors and help your local food bank restock their shelves.
You could hold a neighborhood “party” or “fiesta” and invite all the neighbors to come, free of charge. Offer tours of the inside of the church.
Just a few ideas. Hope they help.
The best way to advertise a church is by word of mouth from it’s members. I know when I moved to LA the mosques I attended were based on input from friends. Most others will find you in the yellow pages. One thing is that many people don’t know much about Orthodoxy, so maybe some interfaith dialog at the local campus might assist as well. After thats it’s up to their experience when they do visit.
“Come receive the light” has been repeated for three weeks. What a waste of money and eventually will kill the radio audience as well.
Is this on our local radio program? If it is I will make some calls.