A quick confession before we get started, social media isn’t an area my church excels in. We know what we should be doing, but we don’t post nearly as often as we need to. It seems to be one of the first things that gets dropped when we’re busy trying to keep everything else going. We’re going to get better at it this year, but we’re not there yet. I’m willing to bet there are a few of those areas in your church as well.

The most frustrating thing about the whole situation is it’s not difficult.

Not in the least.

And if we were able to put a simple social media strategy in place, like the one I’m about to give you, there’s no doubt we would see some positive things happen in our church.

Here’s how we would do it. We would make sure anything we post falls into one of these three categories.

1. Promotion – We would want to promote church services, events, and next steps. Facebook is the greatest advertising tool available to us. We’d be crazy not to be using it to promote our church. Plus, it’s free! I’m betting the majority of your congregation and community is using it. So, make sure they know your church exists. Just don’t over do it. People tend to get annoyed by people and organizations that over promote. If that’s all you’re doing on social media, don’t be surprised if people start tuning you out.
2. Engagement –Facebook is meant for engagement. It was designed to be a conversation, and the changes Facebook has been making are rewarding for those who do this well. You want to make sure you get likes, comments, and shares. Pictures are great for this; video is even better. The more engagement you can create, the more people will see your promotions.
3. Equipping – Social media gives us the opportunity to resource and encourage not only those who attend our church, but those in our communities and throughout the world. It’s never been easier to spread the gospel message. You can post sermons, devotionals, scriptures, and all kinds of other things that add value to your audience and grow them closer to Jesus.

So if I was starting today and I just wanted to keep it simple, I’d post once a day, seven days a week. Two promotional posts, two equipping posts, and three engagement posts each week.

Now, I know there are a lot more dynamics that can go into this, but remember we’re keeping it simple. And hopefully by keeping it simple, it will keep us consistent. (Fingers Crossed)

Do you have a social media strategy? Why or why not? Let us know about it by leaving a comment below, and if you enjoy the blog make sure to subscribe so you can get tips on church growth, leadership, and more delivered to your inbox each week.