Looking for effective ways to create a church social media strategy? Let us find out how your church can plan its social media strategy to develop an effective online presence.
A recently-concluded study disclosed that 67 percent of Christian millennials watch online videos about faith or spirituality. Furthermore, more than half of the Bible readers used the internet (61 percent) or a smartphone (59 percent) to access biblical texts. In other words, statistics suggest that churchgoers are highly interested to engage with their ministry and faith outside of the church.
“And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole of creation’.” (Mark 16:15). Going “into the world” is probably way too different than it was centuries ago. Back then, there were no digital tools or social media platforms to connect with individuals. Thankfully, we have countless ways of proclaiming the Gospel in our modern world.
The COVID-19 pandemic has promoted individuals, organisations, and institutions to look for alternative ways to connect with people and churches are no exception.
What is the best social media strategy for churches?
The ideal social media strategy for your church will depend upon:
The existing church communication strategy.
The defined KPIs to measure goals.
Gaps in existing social media outreach.
Here are some basic dos and dont’s for your church's social media strategy:
Your social media channels should have internal and external announcements. It should not just have church announcements and updates. A church's social media strategy should talk about the church culture.
There must be a unique digital missionary strategy. Things that encourage engagement should be shared. Behind-the-scene content can be shared and content that people will want to see on the church's social media account should be encouraged.
You should do less to get more and avoid mastering every social media channel at once.
Social media platforms must be integrated with the church's daily communication programs. Put it on church collateral, encourage people to check in on locations, and make it easy for people to find you!
You should remember that your target audience lies in the local community and neighbors, the broader digital community at large, and the congregation.
Social media platforms such as Facebook are excellent options to share announcements, pictures, videos, and graphics with quotes, scriptures, and questions. Similarly, Twitter is best for short and pithy thoughts, trending news and hashtags, quotes, thoughts, and blurbs. Instagram, on the other hand, is a great choice to post regular updates, videos, pictures, and live feeds.
You can find stories from other social media pages or websites that your congregation will love. For instance, you share updates, news, or interesting stories from Faithit, Faithwire, and Christianity Today.
There’s so much good news out there in the midst of all the bad happening around us. Sharing good and positive news from the community will help gain a lot of traction as people tend to rally behind causes they care about.
Stay regular with sharing what’s going on and coming up at your church. For instance, you can share church announcements, upcoming events, or promote a sermon series. However, post fewer of these than the rest.
Ask fun questions that create conversation or share uplifting quotes that inspire people. Make sure whatever is being posted, liked, or shared aligns with what your church believes.
Discover how your church can build a powerful social media strategy to boost engagement. Call us at C.I.G Consultants to leverage Microsoft Dynamics 365.