How churches can create the foundation for a social media strategy that works

Churches are no strangers to social media. In fact, most churches have some sort of presence on at least one platform. But even though they may be using social media, they often still need to leverage it to its full potential. Creating a social media strategy is key to making the most of your church’s online presence.

Here are four tips for creating the foundation for a social media strategy for your church:

1. Define your goals.
The first step in any social media strategy is to define your goals. What do you hope to accomplish by being active on social media? Do you want to reach more people in your community? Grow your church? Increase the reach of your pastor’s sermons? Help people take next steps in their faith journey? Once you know what you want to achieve, you can start planning how to use social media to help you reach those goals.

2. Identify your audience.
Who are you trying to reach with your social media posts? What are their demographics? Their interests? Their pain points?
You will need to approach parents of elementary school children in your congregation differently than you would college students in a different State.
If you’re not sure who your target audience is, take some time to research and identify them before moving on to the next step.

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3. Choose Your Platforms Wisely
There are a ton of different social media platforms out there, and it can be tempting to try and be active on all of them. But in reality, that’s just not realistic or sustainable. It’s better to choose a few platforms that fit well with your goals and focus on creating quality content for those platforms rather than spreading yourself too thin by trying to maintain a presence on every single social network.
For example, if you’re hoping to use social media to reach out to members of your community who might not be aware of your church, Facebook could be a great platform to use because it has such a broad reach. If you want to create a space where members of your congregation can connect with each other, something like Instagram might make more sense because it’s less formal and more visual in nature. Researching each platform and thinking about which will work best for your goals is crucial before getting started.

4. Create A Content Calendar
One of the best ways to ensure that you’re consistently posting quality content is to create a content calendar in advance. This will help you avoid feeling overwhelmed by the task of coming up with something new to post every day and will also allow you to plan ahead for any special events or holidays that might be coming up.
When creating your content calendar, make sure that you’re keeping your goals in mind and planning accordingly. For example, if one of your goals is evangelism, ensure you include content that would appeal to someone who doesn’t already attend church. Planning ahead will help ensure that all the content you’re putting out there is working towards achieving your overall goals.

Social media can be a powerful tool for churches if used correctly. By taking the time to create a social media strategy that includes defining goals, identifying your target audience, choosing your platforms wisely, and creating a content calendar, you can make sure you have a social media strategy that is sat on a foundation strong enough to grow your church in ways you never thought possible!