Social Media….You’ve definitely heard of it, you see it and most likely use it personally, but you just don’t really know how your church can do it purposely. As a graphic design and web development firm, we’ve had to make sure we stay up to date with best practices for churches and ministries. So here’s some of our best information to help you make the most of your online presence!
Most churches, at least, have created some kind of page or profile to represent themselves on a social network, whether it’s on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter. Most everyone these days have come to realize that it’s a needed asset to help represent themselves online, but how to make use of it, properly, is a question a lot of our Epic Life Creative clients ask.
One of main reasons social media was formed was to connect with others and create conversation. Whether you’re a mega church or small and rural, both of those things can be done effectively using your social media network of preference. You can use social media to collect feedback to help grow your ministry. In addition to growth, knowing what your church attendees want, how they think or feel can make a difference in your planning.
If you’re not using social media and are intrigued by how it can help, keep reading to learn more about how to use social media for your church…
Start with the platforms that you know can do well, and commit to making them a priority each week! If you take on too much, you may feel overwhelmed and decide to abandon those tasks altogether. If you work in a large church, there’s typically enough social media work to be done for it to be designated as a role within the church. You’ll want to be sure to monitor the social media profiles so that you can respond to any questions or comments by its followers.
Be authentic and share authentic stories. Followers can spot inauthenticity from a mile away, so be real and genuine. The internet is crammed full of content, so make sure the content you share has a purpose, is relatable and be natural.
Be present and use your influence. Did you know that the average person spends around 2 hours a day on social media? Every day, the number of social media users increase, so a good reason to use social media for your church is that it meets people where they are. If you want to see more of this current date, check out this website. https://www.broadbandsearch.net/blog/average-daily-time-on-social-media
Reinforce teaching points from sermons or devotions. Social media is a great place to offer opportunities for conversations with those that want to engage with comments, feedback or stories related to the topic. You can post additional talking points, graphics
Utilize the live stream feature if possible. This feature allows people, who can’t attend church in person, have access to your live feed to watch at home or while they are traveling.
Use Facebook events to help improve attendance. What a facebook event does is help interested attendees connect with others, the speakers, ask questions and more. People can also RSVP on the event, which in return becomes viral on the network so that they are also spreading the word about the event.
You can create small private groups for different ministries within the church. Use the private groups for things such as bible studies, women or men’s groups, or youth groups to increase communication. When you create these specific groups, it allows your main page to be freed of clutter and allow side conversations for those users.
Now that you’ve got some ideas on how to use social media for your church, here are some things you’ll want to keep in mind…
Respect your attendee’s privacy. When taking pictures close up of people, be sure to ask if it’s okay to take their picture and make them aware of what it’s for. Always be careful of using pictures of children and get permission from their parents before you post.
Become aware of copyright laws. Social media platforms have rules in place for the types of media you use on their networks. If you are not the owner of any music, film or photos used, it could get you in trouble. Most networks will give you a warning or will suspend your accounts for awhile due to copyright reasons. If you are needing to use stock photos or other media, you can obtain a creative license to use copywrited material or there are plenty of free or pay as you go stock sites that supply those kind of files.
Don’t post any information that may be confidential. Don’t post prayer requests with names (unless you have permission) which may be confidential. Also any mission work that is being done might be sensitive material, so make sure you’ve received approval on that content too. Sometimes for the safety of the traveling missionaries, it is best to post after they have returned home.
Don’t allow staff to accept friend requests from kids. It’s better to use those private Facebook groups for the whole youth group to communicate so that healthy boundaries are established.
If this list seems overwhelming it’s perfectly normal to feel that way starting out. The best way to do it properly is to plan and keep all these things in check as you move forward. If you realize that you want to keep social media going for your church, but need help with things such as content creation, graphic design, blogging, SEO and more, please know that Epic Life Creative is there for you and we are happy to help you with any of those needs. You can currently check out our website, Facebook and Instagramand give us a follow!
