Two Types of Digital Marketing

Interest vs. Intent

Most church marketing tries to get the attention of people who aren't looking. The most fruitful outreach starts with the people who already are.

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Every church is already marketing

If your church has a sign out front, a website, a Facebook page, or a Sunday bulletin, you're already marketing. Marketing is simply how you let your neighbors know who you are and how to find you.

So the real question isn't whether to market. It's this:

Are you trying to catch people's interest, or are you meeting people who already have an intent?

Those are two very different approaches. They reach different people, they cost different amounts, and they ask different things of your staff and volunteers. Knowing the difference will change where you spend your time and your budget.

Interest-based marketing

Catching attention

Interest-based marketing puts your message in front of people based on who they are or what they seem to like. Social media is the classic example. You post, or you pay to boost a post, and the platform shows it to people in your area whose profiles or habits suggest they might care.

The catch is that those people weren't looking for you. They were scrolling past a friend's vacation photos, a recipe, and the news. Your church shows up as an interruption, and you're at the mercy of an algorithm that decides who sees it and how often.

It's good at:

  • Staying in front of people who already know you, like members, guests, and families from VBS
  • Building familiarity with your church's name and faces over time
  • Promoting big moments like Easter, Christmas, or a community event

But it's a slow way to reach someone new who needs help today. When the posting or the ad spend stops, the visibility stops with it.

Recommended Focus

Intent-based marketing

Meeting people who are already looking

Intent-based marketing starts with what someone is actively trying to find. The clearest example is a Google search. When a neighbor types "church near me," "grief support group," or "how do I fix my marriage" into a search bar, they're raising their hand. They've told you exactly what they need, right now.

Your job isn't to interrupt them. It's to be there with a helpful answer when they look: a page on your website, your church's listing in Google Maps, or a search ad that points them to the right next step.

Why it's so fruitful:

  • The person came to you. They're already open to the conversation.
  • The timing is right. You meet them in the moment of need.
  • It keeps working. A good page that answers a real question can keep bringing people to your church for years.

Interest-based marketing is like handing out flyers on a busy sidewalk.

Intent-based marketing is like being the open door on the street where someone is already looking for a church.

Side by side

Starts with

Interest-based

Who the person is or what they like

Intent-based

What the person is searching for

Typical channels

Interest-based

Facebook, Instagram, boosted posts, display ads

Intent-based

Google search, Google Maps, your website's pages

The person's mindset

Interest-based

Scrolling, not looking for you

Intent-based

Actively looking for help or a church

Who decides who sees it

Interest-based

The platform's algorithm

Intent-based

The person, by what they search

Best for

Interest-based

Staying familiar with people who know you

Intent-based

Reaching new neighbors at a moment of need

When effort stops

Interest-based

Visibility stops quickly

Intent-based

Good pages keep working for years

Most churches pour nearly all their effort into the left column. The right column is often where the neighbors who need you most are waiting.

What your neighbors are searching for

Every day, people in your community type their real questions into Google. Many of them are exactly the questions your church exists to help with.

church near me

What they're really saying

I'm ready to visit somewhere

How your church can answer

A clear "Plan Your Visit" page with times, parking, and what to expect

Easter services near me

What they're really saying

I want to go to church this season

How your church can answer

A dedicated Easter page live weeks before the holiday

grief support group

What they're really saying

I'm hurting and don't want to be alone

How your church can answer

A page for your GriefShare group or care ministry

marriage help

What they're really saying

My marriage is in trouble

How your church can answer

A page about your marriage ministry or counseling referrals

food pantry near me

What they're really saying

My family needs help this week

How your church can answer

A page with pantry hours and how to get help

VBS near me

What they're really saying

I'm looking for something good for my kids

How your church can answer

A Vacation Bible School page with dates and sign-up

is God real

What they're really saying

I'm searching for meaning

How your church can answer

A sermon, article, or Alpha course page that meets them there

Each of these is a neighbor raising their hand. The question is whether your church shows up when they do.

What about AI?

Right now, a lot of churches and the agencies that serve them are talking about AI. That's a good conversation to have. But AI doesn't replace the fundamentals. Even if you figure out AI, you still need to understand the difference between interest-based and intent-based marketing.

AI isn't a new strategy. It's a new place where people search.

When a neighbor asks ChatGPT, Google's AI answers, or another assistant "Is there a church near me that has a grief group?" they're doing the same thing they do in a search bar. They're raising their hand and telling you exactly what they need. That's intent.

So the reason to understand AI isn't to chase the latest trend. It's because AI has become one more front door on the street where people are already looking.

Same question, new place

People are asking AI the same real questions they've always typed into Google. Your church still needs a clear, helpful answer.

AI learns from what's out there

AI tools draw on what's published about your church online: your website, your Google Business Profile, and other places your church is listed.

The fundamentals still win

Clear pages that answer real questions, accurate church information, and honest reviews help you show up in search and in AI answers alike.

Get intent right, and you'll be ready wherever your neighbors search next.

Where to start

You don't need a big budget or a marketing team to begin. Start with these four steps, in this order.

  1. 1

    Claim and complete your Google Business Profile

    This is what shows up when someone searches "church near me" or looks you up in Google Maps. Add your service times, photos, and website, and ask a few members to leave honest reviews.

  2. 2

    Make your website answer real questions

    Pick three or four searches from the list above that fit your ministries. Give each one its own simple page with a clear next step, like "Plan Your Visit" or "Join a Group."

  3. 3

    Apply for the Google Ad Grant

    Google gives qualifying nonprofits up to $10,000 a month in free search advertising. Your church has to meet Google's eligibility rules, and the account has to follow its program policies to keep the grant.

  4. 4

    Track what happens

    Watch how many people find you through search, visit your pages, and take a step like planning a visit. Let what you learn guide your next page or campaign.

Keep your social media going for the people who already know you. Just don't rely on it alone to reach the people who don't.

The heart of it

Jesus told the story of a shepherd who went looking for the one sheep that was lost. Intent-based marketing is a modern way to do the same thing: being found by the person who is already searching.

Your neighbors are asking real questions today.

Your church has real answers.

The work is simply making sure they can find each other.

Pastoral Outreach Partnership

Want help getting started?

Digital Missions Project helps churches reach their neighbors through Google search, the Google Ad Grant, and websites that answer real questions. We're pastors who know marketing, and we work without gimmicks. If you'd like a second set of eyes on where your church stands today, let's talk.

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No sales pitches or pressure. Just an honest look at your church's Google presence.