Light Up Your Christmas Ads
Advertising your Christmas services on Facebook or Instagram might sound fancy, but don’t worry—it’s easier than you think! With a little budget and a lot of heart, your church can reach your community in no time. Here’s how you can make this Christmas your most invited-to service yet.
Social ads are like a little megaphone for your church. Even if you don’t have a huge marketing budget, you can still reach hundreds (if not thousands) of people who are searching for a place to celebrate Christmas. A well-placed post can be the invite someone needs!
And here’s the best part: a small budget can go a long way and let your church’s Christmas message reach your local community.
Here are eight steps to a simple and successful ad on Meta:
1. Create a Post that Stands Out
Before you hit that publish button, you need a post that grabs attention:
Message: Keep it clear, simple, and festive! What makes your Christmas service special? Whether it’s candlelight, a live nativity, or holiday music, let people know.
Visuals: Use high-quality images or videos. Selfie invites work great! Want to share a carousel instead? A picture is worth a thousand words, but a great image of last year’s event might just fill the seats. (Be sure to not overwhelm this part with details and a lot of words.)
Call to Action (CTA): Want people to RSVP? Add a button that invites them to "Learn More" or “View Event” or one that works for your event. Meta gives you set options to choose from, so make sure you pick the best one for the action you’d like to see people take.
Website Tip: Before creating your ad, build a Christmas landing page that includes all your event details - date, time, location, what to expect, and how to register. This gives interested people who click your ad a clear next step and all the information they need to join your Christmas services.
Here’s a great example of a mobile ad that showcases exactly what makes Christmas promos work.
The preview text draws people in with an attention-grabbing hook, then shares specific benefits of attending the Christmas service – giving visitors a clear picture of what awaits them!
The headlines build on this.
The descriptions give more context but won’t be shown everywhere and will likely have a short character limit where they are seen.
The carousel photos feature moments from last year's services, helping families envision themselves joining in!
2. Set Your Budget
(It’s Not as Scary as It Sounds!)
Worried about cost? Don’t be! With Meta ads, even a little goes a long way. Start small, with $20–$50, and you’ll still see results.
Budget Tip: Use the “Lifetime Budget” feature if you have a set amount for digital ad spend. This can be useful if you don’t want to exceed a certain amount of overall spend!
3. Target the Right Audience
Meta’s targeting is your secret weapon. Instead of shouting into the void or advertising to a completely different country, you can make sure your message lands where it matters most: Set your ad location to show to only people in your town or neighborhood.
Targeting Tip: You can create an audience and retarget people who’ve interacted with your posts or page before. And if you have a Meta Pixel on your website, you can show ads to those who have recently visited. They’re already interested, so invite them back for Christmas!
4. Time it Just Right
Publish your post for 14-21 days leading up to your event. Long enough for people to see it, but short enough to keep it top of mind. If your event is ticketed, be sure to keep an eye on those registrations to know when to throttle up or down the ads.
5. Write Engaging Ad Copy
Now, let’s talk about the text. Your ad copy needs to match the excitement of your visuals! You’ll have three types of copy to think through:
Preview text appears above the headline and hooks attention. You can also provide more details here about your event.
Headlines are short, punchy statements (40 characters max) that grab interest.
Descriptions provide more context about your event in 30-125 characters. These aren’t shown in every ad placement.
6. Hit Publish and Monitor Your Ad
Once your post is live, don’t just “set it and forget it.” Check-in to see how it’s doing! Meta gives you data on how many people are seeing and interacting with your ad. Here are the metrics to watch:
Reach: The number of people who saw your ad.
Engagement: Likes, comments, and shares.
Clicks: How many people clicked through to RSVP or learn more.
Page Loads: How many people actually stuck around to view your event’s landing page.
But before you hit publish, take time to double-check a few key settings:
Make sure Ad Advantage+ is turned off. This feature will increase your ad spend and likely show your ad to people outside your preferred location.
Check to see that your location targeting is set exactly where you want it - we recommend trying a 20-mile radius around your church location.
Choose the lifetime value budget instead of daily spend so you’re not hit with a huge, unexpected bill.
7. Retarget for Future Events
After Christmas, keep the momentum going! Use Meta’s "Custom Audiences" to retarget people who engaged with your Christmas post. This way, when Easter rolls around or you’re hosting a New Year’s event, you’re still top of mind to those who have seen your ads before.
8. Get Your Community Involved
Remember, while digital posts help spread the word, nothing beats in-person invitations!
Encourage your church to invite friends, family, and neighbors. Support this by preaching on evangelism and equipping your people with invite cards they can hand out. Personal connections often create the most meaningful Christmas experiences.
Meta advertising doesn’t need to be intimidating—it’s just another tool to help your church spread the word. With a small budget and a bit of strategy, you can make a huge impact this Christmas season!
If you want to read even more on how to create a social ad, check out this in-depth guide from Meta!
