Many efforts will be conducted this year with less funds than usual for advertising, and many doubtless with no conference subsidy at all. The following suggestions may be helpful to those who have little money to spend and wish to make it go as far as possible.
Obviously, there is no advertisement cheaper than free advertising. Absolutely the best free advertisement an effort can have is the oral invitation passed on enthusiastically by church members, who will themselves attend and swell the crowd. This method is being used in the mission fields with wonderful success.
Free advertisement is sometimes obtained through the newspaper correspondence columns, and members with a gift for expressing themselves in "black and white" should receive encouragement to write brief letters to newspaper editors, voicing their approval of the truths presented week by week.
Free advertisement in the shape of write-ups of one's meetings will, however, not usually be given unless some large notices have previously appeared. As an indication of what may be expected where there is neither great hostility nor any particular sympathy, last winter in Brantford, Canada, we paid for 220 inches of space in the advertisement columns of the only local newspaper, and received 190 inches of free advertising. Some large advertisements are desirable during the week previous to the meetings, if the money happens to be available; also just prior to the presentation of the Sabbath question. For the newspaper, a good picture of the speaker is, in my opinion, preferable to any other type of cut.
The writer prefers to distribute bills 51/2 x 61/2 or smaller, rather than bills approximating the size of those put out by commercial establishments. If possible these should be handed out rather than dropped into the letter box. The idea of a different religious cartoon on the bills each week, fitting in with the topic, appeals to me, if one has money for the cuts. I see no reason why handbills would not as a rule be as effective as cards. For inviting those especially interested to the first Sabbath meeting, I would, however, consider a card preferable.
After the first week or two of an effort, brief, carefully worded notices, published in that section of a newspaper which deals with local events, will accomplish almost as much as large notices in the advertisement sections. Most newspapers have columns headed: "Coming Events," "City and District," or "Announcements," in which appear notices of public meetings of all kinds. People study these columns to find out what is going on in their neighborhood, and often pay no attention to the regular advertising columns.
The first two or three words of such advertisements should be such as will immediately grip the attention and arouse interest. These opening words should be capitalized, and wherever possible, printed in heavier type. Some effective openings are: "Stirring Bible Lecture," "Hear the Story—," "Do You know—," "Hell Fire—," "Jeans Said,—." Or, sometimes a single word in heavy type prefacing a sentence, is sufficient, as: "Paradise," "Peter," Saturday," "Prepare." The following, occupying less than one inch of a column, will serve as examples:
"Are You. Still 'under the law,' or has Christ given you grace to keep it? Hear —, speaking on 'The Ten Commandments' tomorrow, at 7:30 p. m. Place, ________________ , on such and such a street."
Another week the announcement might begin:
"The Reformation is still on, away from human tradition, and back to the good old Book. _____________ 's subject tomorrow will interest you,—perhaps convert you!"
Not only will this inexpensive way of advertising in the newspapers make its appeal to the general public, but it will result in a larger attendance on the part of church members, if there are any in the town. This is desirable from many standpoints. If it is known that a church exists in the city, and the members themselves do not attend the meetings, this will have a very prejudicial effect on the interested ones.
Brantford, Ontario.