Social media is an important instrument for churches to connect with people inside and outside of their congregation. Each platform can be handy for changing lives and promoting ministry, whether it be through Facebook or Instagram. It’s not the lack of creativity that prevents most churches from posting on their social media regularly, but the lack of content to share. Have you ever been lost or frustrated with what to share on the social pages of your church? It can certainly be challenging to think about different ways to utilize these platforms. But no worries! This post will tackle things that we should consider when differentiating our church’s Facebook and Instagram content.
Audience Demographic
Facebook and Instagram have different user demographics. Most of the younger generations are more active on Instagram, and the older ones are on Facebook. When posting content on both platforms, consider the demographic. The aesthetic or even the messages on our posts should be made appropriate to the platforms’ target audience, just like what Steve Walters mentioned. “Send the relevant messages to the relevant people using relevant methods. Your artwork style should change as well,” he said in a comment he made, also suggesting that a good way to understand this is to learn from other churches that do it well.
Platform Features
Another thing to consider is the platform’s distinct features. For instance, Facebook is more suitable for long-form content, whether blogs, videos, and other posts that offer a lot of information on a particular topic. They are also easier to access when it comes to live streams and organically get more views, especially since Facebook prioritizes live videos on your followers’ news feeds. According to Michael Stein, Facebook for their church is “more of bonus content, resources, promotion, and resharing other pages’ great posts.”
On the other hand, Instagram is more suitable for bite-sized content. It is good for stories, short clips, and photos and is mostly driven by visually-stimulating posts. Putting your location on every post is a great way to get more visibility organically. Hashtags are also appropriate on this platform. These will help you promote your page, plus you get to connect and engage with your community by seeing posts under the tags you use.
Reach of your Social Accounts
Lastly, another aspect to keep in mind is the reach you have and could have in each platform. The message you send across your audience could differ depending on your followers’ on both social sites. If your Facebook page tends to be more public, then you should post more general content there. Prioritize posts that almost everyone can relate to, broader content.
If your followers on Instagram are the ones that are within your community or congregation, unique, personal content will undoubtedly give you more engagements. Post curated candids of people at your church volunteering, getting together, and the likes to have a more welcoming feel to your members and other followers.
Conclusion:
Different platforms offer their users different things. Utilize their unique features and capabilities, and it will reward your church’s social accounts. But don’t limit yourselves to these tips. Use them as you try differentiating your Facebook and Instagram content. Just try and try! Test your content out. Analyze what works for you and what hasn’t, and learn from it.
