For the second year in a row, the diocese invited seekers to church for Christmas using social media advertising. This was the fourth time the diocese has bought ads on Facebook before a major holiday, and its second time using Twitter ads.
The ads, which ran from Dec. 17 until Christmas Eve, used the same message as last Christmas: “Celebrate with us! This Christmas, find peace, beauty and joy at your local Anglican church.” Each ad also included a photo of a wooden crèche hanging in a Christmas tree and linked to the diocese’s Find a Church web page.
One benefit of social media advertising is the ability to measure how people respond to an organization’s message. Facebook and Twitter both track how many times a post is shared, liked and clicked on, also called “engagements.”
The diocese’s Christmas ad was seen more than 304,000 times on Facebook and received 408 engagements, compared to 31,000 views and 335 engagements on Twitter. While Facebook reached more people, Twitter users were more likely to respond to the ad. The diocese spent $300 on Facebook and $200 on Twitter.
The goal of the ads was to encourage seekers to visit the website and ultimately their local Anglican church, but they also helped to promote the diocese’s presence on social media. The diocese gained five new Twitter followers and a new Facebook fan directly from clicks on the Christmas ads.
Follow the diocese on Twitter at @anglicandioTO or like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/torontoanglican.
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