I often get asked about how churches ‘should’ use social media. The questions are mainly around what the best tactics or best practices are. Everyone wants to reach more in their community which is fantastic.
Some questions come from large churches and others from small churches. No one it seems has completely ‘figured out’ social media (And for the record, anyone who has said they have is lying).
Most churches operate in a broadcast media world, not a social media world. Where engagement is the key. Inherent in that broadcast approach is a builder/boomer way of thinking.
Too many approach social media as an advertising platform and many would never ask this one vital question when creating social media.
‘Am I creating a post that I would ‘like’, comment, share or RT?’
Because if we aren’t, we are just adopting that old broadcast/advertising model hoping that because of our own reputation our audience will engage with our next post.
So how do you create content that people want to share?
1) Leverage your best asset
Your church community has the most social reach so why not use their networks to reach their friends . One tactic that I used that gave us 198,000 impressions. Read how I did it here.
2) Use your imagination
Believe or not there are a thousand stories to be told. You just have to use your imagination to find them. Here are 12 great examples that you can use right away.
3) Video
There is a war going on between the various social networks to own video. Facebook is giving a lot of reach if you can use video creatively.
4) Use scripture
This may seem obvious, but people love sharing scripture. If you can put some design around the verses you will reach even more people. Here are five easy, yet effective examples.
5) Ask questions
People are scanning their feeds all the time. There are though, some ways you can ask a question which will dramatically increase your engagement. I tested them out and here are some of the results.
6) Learn from others mistakes
I wrote a while ago about 22 common mistakes churches and non-profits make on social media. I got different contributors to give me what they had learnt who gave me some great insights here.
Your Turn
Do you have any strategies that really increase your engagement on social media? Leave a comment below. Got questions or queries? I’d love to hear them. Leave a comment below.
