What's the Purpose of Social Media
More than 70% of nonprofit communicators consider social media one of their most important communication channels (source)
3.48 billion people now use social media. (source)
People spend an average of 2.5 hours a day on social media. (source)
88% of American 18- to 29-year-olds use social media. (source)
Needless to say, social media is essential. Yet, many churches treat is like it’s not. Social media is no longer a "nice to have” or an auxiliary communication tool. It is a major highway of communication that needs to be utilized and treated as such.
So many churches treat social media like a hallway bulletin board. They post events that are going on, random flyers, location changes, and other random things that don't seem to fit together. As a result, the engagement reflects this.
The reason so many accounts struggle to gain traction has to do with a misunderstanding of social media.
Remind your Followers of your Sermon
This is one of the most overlooked elements of social media.
Think about it, most of the congregation only hears the message once (we aren’t even going to talk about how they don’t take notes). For most of them, they have a surface-level recollection of what the message was.
I don’t know about you, but surface level never impacted my life. So how do we remind your congregation about the sermon in the middle of the week?
*Cue idea lightbulb*
Social media
As you've read, the average person spends 2.5 hours on social media per day. When we do the math that’s over 2x the length they are in church. So we need to meet them where they are.
The best way to do this is create social media posts based on your messages that interact and engage with followers throughout the week. These posts should capture an inspiring, memorable moment from your sermon that can impact them where they are at. Then have a link so they can watch (or listen) to the full message.
The goal here is to put your message before them again so that they can be reminded of what God is trying to tell them.
Accounts that are great at this:
@elevationchurch
@freshlife
@stevenfurtick
Engage with People
Social media is all about connecting and communicating. It’s in the name SOCIAL media. So you need to be engaging with your congregation.
So many churches simply post that’s it. I can’t tell you how many DM’s, comments, etc. that go unnoticed. If done correctly, social media can be the easiest and most effective way to engage with your audience. They literally have a direct avenue to talk to you.
What do you need to do? You need to like, comment, respond, follow, and encourage your followers. Think about it this way, you simply have to act like a friend. Show them that you care. If they share a quote from the message on sunday like it and comment. If they share a clip of Bible Study on their story, reshare it.
The whole point is to show that your account (and more importantly your church) is alive and cares about its people. Don’t overcomplicate it. There’s no magic formula on how many comments per minute you need to achieve. Just be a friend.
Accounts that are great at this:
@elevationyth
@craiggroeschel
@mosaic
Attract new People
One of the most obvious benefits of an effective social media strategy is attracting new people. Social is an immensely powerful tool. I can’t tell you how many stories I’ve heard of people who saw a post or story that encouraged them to attend church.
Regardless of your denomination or congregation size you should continuously post content that appeals to those who’ve never been to your church.
How do you do this?
You have to show value. People aren’t going to come if they don’t think they will get something out of it. Don’t take this as them being selfish. Instead, take this as them stepping out of their comfort zone. When you step out of your comfort zone you want to feel safe, secure, and welcomed. These are all things you need to be communicating through your social media
Accounts that are great at this:
@elevationchurch
@lifepointva
@life.church
Lead your congregation
Lastly, you need to lead your congregation. As I’ve said the vast majority of their time will be spent outside of the church walls so you need to meet them where they are at.
What does this look like?
It looks like taking prayer requests, reminding them of God’s goodness, encouraging Bible studies, sharing events going on in the church. The possibilities are endless. However, the important thing to remember is that you are stewarding the people who follow you. God as called you to do this and social media is a great asset to help with that.
Accounts that are great at this:
@elevationchurch
@freshlife
@life.church
@craiggroeschel
Conclusion
While this list isn’t exclusive, it is something that all successful church accounts are following in some form or fashion. To recap:
R - Remind your followers of sermons
E - Engage with your followers
A - Attract new followers
L - Lead your followers
R.E.A.L
This is a simple way to remember everything you need to be doing. In fact it has a double meaning because throughout all of this you have to be real with people. Today’s generation can sniff out authenticity like a shark. So in everything you do be real with your followers and they will respect that
Still need help?
If you still need help with creating and implementing a social media plan I highly recommend checking out Sermon Works’ social media management. We have years of experience creating graphics, implementing strategy, and analyzing analytics so that your church gets the best results. (Not to mention that it’s way cheaper than hiring a full time person for this). Click the button below to learn more
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