Alright, you’ve just been given the task to manage your church’s social media, and that feeling you have no idea where to start has already set it in. What do you do? What do you post? How often do you post? What if I mess it up? Where do I begin? You have all the questions and not a lot of the answers. Well, don’t worry, luckily you’re not the first one to feel that way. We’ve felt that way too…… This is why we created the beginners’ guide to church social media! Here’s a list of 5 practical tips to help you get started!
Who Is Your Audience?
First things first- who is your target audience? Figuring out your target audience will help you curate content geared toward them. It will also allow you to master the social platform they spend most of their time on.
Let’s take Facebook and Instagram:
| Facebook: | Instagram: |
| 51% of 13–17-year-olds use Facebook | 75% of 18–24-year-olds use Instagram |
| 76% of 18–24-year-olds use Facebook | 57% of 25–30-year-olds use Instagram |
| 84% of 25–30-year-olds use Facebook | 47% of 30–49-year-olds use Instagram |
| 79% of 30–49-year-olds use Facebook | 23% of 50–64-year-olds use Instagram |
| 68% of 50–64-year-olds use Facebook | 8% of 65+-year-olds use Instagram |
| 46% of 65+-year-olds use Facebook |
* Data were taken from Sprout Social 2020 Demographics
What is Your Voice?
Finding your social media brand voice should link back to your church’s brand or communication strategy. If your church’s communicating “In Reach, OutReach, Up Reach,” most of your posts should fall under one of those categories, and make sure the way you’re writing stays consistent. If you have more than one person on your social media team, consider developing a style guide. A guide everyone can access that lays out your brand voice. Consistency matters!
When Should You Post?
Each social media platform has different peak times. To check out when your audience is most active, you can track the analytics on Facebook and Instagram. In general, here’s some basic info on best posting times to Facebook and Instagram.
*You can find these infographics and more social media platforms here.
What Do You Post?
You’ve nailed the basics, but you’re still asking…. what do I post? Remember, consistency is key, but it’s quality over quantity. Some basic content includes:
- Scripture/Quotes
- Simple encouragement
- prayer request
- Sermon snippets in picture or video
- Facebook Live Devos
- Get to know the Staff
The list could go on and on! Figure out what works best for your church and what your people want to see, and curate content based on what performs well.
Conclusion:
We know that being in charge of social media can seem intimidating. But you’ve got this! This beginners guide to church social media will help get you started. You can find more information and resources on social media here, and if you still have questions, head over to our Facebook group exclusively for church communicators. Stay awesome, and have fun communicating!
