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With the popularity of social media in everyday life, churches everywhere are trying to make an impact in their communities using this tool. Ministries big and small are now signing up for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and even Snapchat.

While it’s super easy to register your church on these platforms, it’s not so simple to successfully manage them. It takes time and dedication to build your online audience. And, it’s even harder to know what to post on your pages.

The question I hear most from ministries trying to make an impact online:

What should our church post on social media?

Because there is such a need for resources in this area, I’ve put a handy list of links at the bottom of this post to help you with some post inspiration.

Stop Right There…

Before you dive into just posting what every other church has used on their pages, I want to give you a rule that you really need to know. 

I believe that this piece of advice has the potential to transform boring social pages into exciting, thriving online communities for ministry.

This rule applies to every church – no matter their size, location, age, or denomination. The best part? It works wonders and doesn’t cost a penny to integrate.

 

The New Golden Rule:

Use your social posts to communicate the things people actually want to know about your church. 

 

I know this sounds simple, but hear me out.

Too often, churches are focused on communicating what’s important to themselves rather than asking what’s important to their audience.

• While you’re busy talking about your worship team’s latest song, your community is wondering if <insert people group> are welcome in your services.

• While you’re talking about the latest program or event, people are really wondering if your church is a safe place to bring their children.

• While you are posting about your new sermon series, your audience is wondering if your pastor is credible or if your church is made up of religious wackos.

 

Your New Job…

If you’re responsible for social content, one of the most beneficial things you could do is pinpointing what people in your community want to know about your church.

I suggest gathering together a handful of pastors or leaders in your ministry for a brainstorming session with the goal of determining this crucial data. Look to the emails and messages that have come into your church. What questions do people ask before showing up? What feedback do they give? See which pages on your website have the most traffic.

By establishing 5-10 meaningful topics that you can regularly touch on with your online audience, you’ll be able to connect with your community more effectively.

This is a great marketing technique turned into a social media strategy. Make it your goal to remove any fears or barriers that would keep someone from attending your church.

 

Examples:

People are wondering if your church is a safe place for kids. You regularly post photos from your kids ministry (with permission) and share stories from families with children.

People are curious about what the services are like. You post short video clips and photos from various parts of your service to show what they’re like.

Your first-timers say that they had a hard time finding your church. You regularly post simple directions explaining how to get to your location.

Guests wonder what they’re supposed to wear. You routinely post photos of your church family walking into the church lobby and express “come as you are” as a theme.

People worry that your church is a place where they’ll get overlooked. You share stories of how small groups have helped someone build relationships with others.

 

The key is to answer these questions in a non-obvious way. Turn someone’s cares and concerns into helpful posts that will benefit your entire audience. Keep it positive and aim to make attending church worry-free.

 

Helpful Social Media Content:

• Twenty Effective Social Media Posts Your Church Should Try

• Thirty Churches To Follow For Social Media Inspiration

• Thirty Free Images For Your Church’s Social Media Pages

• Four Simple Steps To Improve Your Church’s Social Media

Kendall Conner

What do you get when you combine production, design, and communications together with a passion for the Church? It turns out, this is the precise formula to make up Kendall Conner. For over 20 years, this Christ-led creative has been bridging the gap between media and ministry. In addition to serving as the creative pastor in his local church, he is the Chief of Operations for Church Motion Graphics, a ministry-focused design studio that serves thousands of houses of worship around the globe. Kendall specializes in equipping church media leaders and volunteers to utilize creativity in their services to share the hope of Jesus.

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