If you’ve spent any time on the major social media platforms, you know there is a lot of pressure to spend money on advertising. There are a hundred ways to do this, but if you’re going to spend any marketing dollars on social media, don’t boost posts. These one-off, flash-in-the-pan successes will certainly give you a rush of dopamine, but in the long run, they do little to impact your ability to reach your neighbors.
Instead, use your marketing budget to run ad campaigns that increase your following. Every major social media platform has a way to build out an advertisement where the only call to action is “click here to follow St. Sample Catholic Church.” Do this a few times, targeting by geography, age, and interest, and you’ll soon have a large following.
Once that’s accomplished, use your in-person gatherings (see here) to draw parishioners’ attention to items you really want out there in the world. It’s as easy as asking, “Hey everyone, before Mass begins, could you please do us a favor? We really want to let everyone in the area know about our parish festival. Could you share that event on Facebook so your friends know about it?"
