One of the hardest truths for a church to swallow is getting found. This is doubled-down because our content is boring to many people.

So how do we let our churches and ministries get discovered online?

In today’s episode we’re enlightening you on the power of the Facebook Ads platform and sharing the most important stats you need to know to get started.

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TL;DW (Too Long; Didn’t Watch)

If you don’t realize it, Facebook is the primary player in the global internet game (LINK).

Facebook’s reach is very large. And this is why we want you to use Facebook as a tool to spread your message.

But it can be hard to convince your leadership to budget for ads on social media.

So here are 7 stats that prove Facebook’s value and utility in maximizing your ministry.

Note: All statistics were pulled from a compilation via Sprout Social: 28 Powerful Facebook Stats Your Brand Can’t Ignore in 2018. If you want even more stats, feel free to check there. But these are the 7 stats we believe are the most valuable for churches to know.

 

People Spend an Average of 35 Minutes on Facebook Each Day

This adds up to people spending 3 and a half hours per week on Facebook.

Compare this to your most committed members in church. They might be at church service, a small group, and a prayer meeting.

That means your most committed members are at church about the same amount of time as the average Facebook user. This also means your average church member is on Facebook more than at your church.

So you want to take the message where people are? They’re on Facebook.

And people are on Facebook a lot…

 

People Access Facebook an Average 8 Times Per Day

Facebook has mastered the notification.

Not only will they notify you of your own alerts, but they’ll also notify you of activity they think you should check out.

Even Dave and Justin are susceptible to this. Dave checks Facebook for one thing and gets sucked into the vacuum of messages and group updates. And Justin tries to limit himself to a glance once every two hours…but that is still 8 times a day.

Fear of missing out is a real thing. And it’s causing people to think about Facebook more than their church.

The attention is on Facebook.

So how do you take advantage of this? Is the answer just to post more?

 

Organic Reach for Branded Facebook Pages Is 2% on Average

Facebook Pages used to be the end-all-be-all for business and organization presence. But over time more and more content is added to Facebook. Everyone and their dog has a Facebook Page…literally!

There is a lot more competition and the real estate is becoming more scarce.

Facebook also realized that with this content congestion, they need to prioritize what’s important to their users. And guess what? It’s not your church all the time.

As a result, Facebook de-prioritized your Facebook Page in the feed so there’s room for more friends, family, and group activity.

It’s why we recommend you utilize a Facebook Group for your church in addition to your Page.

But then what’s your Page for?

You can use your Facebook Page as your HQ for strangers and your community to learn more about your church. It’s your public-facing image.

And with your Page, you can run Facebook ads to reach more people.

It sounds like pay-to-play, and it is.

In order to get more reach into your community, you need to spend money on advertising to re-prioritize your content.

So here’s what is important to know about Facebook’s ad platform.

 

20% of Facebook’s Mobile Ad Revenue Is From Instagram

Remember that Facebook also owns Instagram.

And while we are talking in today’s show about the benefits of Facebook ads, Instagram is not to be left out.

In fact, you may be doing yourself a disservice when you don’t utilize your ads on Instagram.

So if you are running Facebook ads but not Instagram ads, or maybe you have a larger presence on Instagram, don’t be afraid to give Instagram ads a shot.

 

47% of the Value of Facebook Video Ads Happens in the First 3 Seconds

You’re going to hook people into your ad in 3 seconds or you’re wasting your time.

The first sentence of your ad and the first 3 seconds of your video need to capture attention and compel people to continue reading/watching.

If you can get them past the start, you are going to see exponential engagement and action.

 

85% of Facebook Users Watch Videos With the Sound Off

Most people are scrolling through Facebook while watching TV, commuting, or even at work. Their phones are silenced.

So if your Facebook ads rely on sound to get the point across, chances are it will be missed.

Plan for your videos to be viewed without sound. Sermon clips can still work in this environment. In fact, we did a pro-tip on how to easily add captions to your videos.

 

The most effective length for an ad title on Facebook is four words, and 15 words for a link description

You’re not preaching a sermon in your Facebook ad, you’re hooking and compelling someone to click.

And to create action, you need brevity.

So experiment with this on your own. Split test your Facebook ads with long and short headlines.

This stat is most surprising to us, but we’ll experiment with you.

 

Conclusion

The overarching truism of these stats show that the average attention span of people going through Facebook is 3-6 seconds.

We have a short window to capture the minds and hearts of people on Facebook. And with these stats in mind, we are better equipped to deliver a message that’s relevant and sticky.

What’s the most surprising stat you learned today? Let us know in the comments below!