Twelve Tips to Advertise Your Program
Created by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ)
For more inspiration, check out our Marketing Gallery with online ads, flyers, and other advertising examples from other grantees. Have an ad example to share? Let us know.
1. Start with your “why.”
Have a clear understanding of the motivation for and goals of your program. What is the outcome you are working towards and how will that be measured? Knowing your “why” will help you develop the right advertising for your program.
2. Get to know your audience.
Online Ad from ReformJudaism.org
Nothing should be planned without input from your intended audience. Talk to a sample of people from the same demographic as your intended audience to understand their interests and needs. What are their “pain points” or the problem for which your program is the solution? For example, if the problem is that parents of young children need a night out but feel reluctant about spending time away from their children, a compelling child’s activity that allows parents to drop off might be the right “solution.” If the problem is that parents want to help their children practice their Hebrew lessons but don’t know how, then a Hebrew course for parents might be the “solution.”
Get to know where your audience likes to get their information about programs and opportunities, what appeals to them and what is a turn-off.
If you are currently reaching some participants but want to expand your reach, ask your current participants where they learned about the program, what compelled them to participate, and where they learn about other programs that interest them.
If you are trying to engage a new market, the approach is similar. Think about how your intended audience learns about programs and opportunities and then put your ads in those places.
3. Find out what works and then repeat, repeat, repeat.
Judaism 101 from Sha’ar Zahav
The goal of advertising is to put the information in front of “the right eyeballs” in the most attractive way, that will lead to participation in your programs.
If possible, build in a way for you to track how registrants learned of your program. The most accurate way is if the ad has some built-in data collection. You can also ask a “how you heard” question on your registration. This information is somewhat unreliable; people often don’t recall how they heard and may not distinguish between seeing an ad on a website and seeing an ad or post on Facebook.
4. Invest in quality “creative”
“Creative” refers to the actual ads or marketing assets. Ads need not be fancy to be effective.
- Ads should have a clear directive or “ask”, e.g., “Register Now,” or “Learn More.”
- Images used should be representative of your target audience.
- Be sure to only use images for which you have usage rights.
- A larger ad can accommodate a busy image but a smaller-sized ad benefits from a less busy image.
- For accessibility, any text included in an image should be repeated in the post, because electronic readers can’t read text embedded in an image.
- Avoid clip art.
- Choose a font that is easy-to-read.
- Consider whether use of Hebrew will be experienced as attractive or as a barrier.
- For in-person events and programming, consider including details about parking and public transit, and physical accessibility, etc.
5. Lead with your values.
Family Day photos courtesy of Ian Lawrence Photography
Use ad images that reflect the diversity of our Jewish community – include people of color, people of all genders, people who are differently abled, a variety of family structures, etc.
Both during registration and during the program or course, refrain from asking questions or making statements that assume a potential participant’s Jewish background, i.e., “Is your mother Jewish?” or “You’ll remember this melody…”
Provide space for participants to communicate in advance about accessibility concerns and any accommodations required. Advertise that you will offer live closed captioning or ASL interpretation if requested.
6. Place your ads where your audience will encounter them.
Advertise where your audience is already looking, e.g., Is that the e-newsletter of the local farmers’ market? Consider that your audience may not be the readership of your local Jewish media. Consider advertising with organizations which are aligned with your values and with the interest and values of your audience.
Marketing graphic courtesy of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Pittsburgh
7. Go local.
You know your community best. Is there a local website or publication that is popular among your audience? Consider digital advertising in local online spaces – local blogs for general audiences, websites for those moving to your area, local parenting sites, etc. Ask the outlet’s representative which section of the website has the largest readership and seek to place your ad there.
8. Consider public radio and/or podcast sponsorships.
Public radio advertising/sponsorships can be very effective, depending on your locale. NPR radio stations and podcasts offer many advertising channels, are generally well trusted, and may reach your key demographic. Public radio sponsorship is most effective in smaller markets, which are both more affordable, and where the program’s reach matches the geographic reach of the broadcast. For example, one congregation in Maine was successful in advertising on public radio. Listeners were in driving distance of the congregation, and the congregation wasn’t competing with many other congregations in the same area.
9. Print ads are a possibility, too.
If you think print ads are effective for your audience, first determine which secular papers are widely read in your area (those who read the Jewish press already know how to find you) and if there are specialty publications geared for your target audience. For example, is there a “parent” magazine or newsletter? Is there a weekly publication that is geared for young couples in their twenties or thirties? Does a newspaper have “zone” coverage that focuses on a particular region or neighborhood? Advertising rates for individual zones often run much lower than for total circulation.
Print ads should be approximately six column inches, or two columns wide by three inches deep. Newspapers will quote prices in terms of column inches. For example, an ad that is six column inches could be one column wide and six inches deep, or two columns wide and three inches deep (this is an effective size that presents an uncrowded appearance).
Consider placing ads in the digital versions of the paper. There may be discounts for running print and digital ads in the same area. If it is a daily paper, find out which day of the week has the largest readership. Whether the paper is a daily or weekly, make sure your ad appears in a lifestyles section (news, entertainment, or family section) – not in the “religion section.”
Many newspapers offer a nonprofit rate to religious organizations. They will need a copy of your tax-exempt documentation to receive this discounted rate. Find out if your newspapers offer a discount for two or more ads run in the same week or for ads that are run consecutively for three weeks.
Congregation Keneseth Israel
10. Use free listings and “earned media”
Press releases, calendar listings, submitting to local community calendars, etc. can be excellent ways to get the word out.
Feature stories can be a great way to expand your reach.
If permitted, neighborhood and other geographic-based Facebook groups can be a great (and free!) place to promote programs.
11. You can rely on “word of mouth.”
Encourage members of your community to share the event out on their own social media. Identify a few informal “ambassadors” and ask them to recruit others.
12. Plan to Get the Most from Your Advertising Budget
Decide on the right time advertising window. For a multi-session program, consider starting six weeks prior to the first session.
Repeat advertising is critical. Conventional wisdom states that it takes three appearances before the public “sees” any given ad.
Chart your overall advertising strategy. Make sure you are aware which ads will appear in which media vehicles on which days. Pay for as few ads in advance as possible so you can change your strategy, if necessary, based on what is most effective. Make sure you look at each vehicle on the day your ad is first run to make sure it was placed correctly.
Provided by the Union for Reform Judaism (URJ), February 2022