Choosing the right social media platform for your church

Today, churches have access to the largest and most diverse mission field, with people from nearly every continent, age group and cultural background. In Matthew 10, Jesus sent out his disciples to share the Good News, and we have the same mission today - just with more advanced tools.

Have concerns? We get it. Social media can be daunting and your concerns are valid. What if Martin Luther hadn’t recognized the printing press as a tool to be used for God? What if he let his fear of new technology dissuade him from printing a translated version of the Bible?

When Justin Wise, author of The Social Church, asked a pastor why their church used social media, he replied, “We want as many people as possible to have access to our church’s resources so the Gospel can go forth and lives be changed.” Is your church ready to impact lives around the world in 2018?

Now it’s time to get started. Consider the following when selecting the best social media tool for your church:

1. Who is our target audience?

2. What platform is our target audience using?

3. What are the capabilities of our social media team?

Here are a few options to consider:

Facebook

For many churches, Facebook pages have replaced traditional websites. Using a religious organization page template, churches can build relationships with their target audiences and showcase what makes their worship experience unique by showcasing images, videos, resources, and more. The options are limitless.

Content idea: Break Sunday’s sermon into 3 actionable points your followers can participate in throughout the week. Encourage followers to share their moments in the comments.

Twitter

Twitter allows churches to engage in real-time conversations with their followers using a limited amount of text (280 characters). It’s important to remember that Twitter is a fast-paced platform, and the lifespan of a single tweet is about 15 minutes. You’ll want to post valuable content consistently and engage in conversations with your audience daily.

Content idea: Share 5 quotes from Sunday’s sermon each day throughout the week. Use free smartphone apps like Canva to create great images with quote/text overlays.

Instagram

Instagram is a photo sharing platform to showcase images, one-minute videos and 15-second disappearing video clips. In 2017, Instagram reported that 59% of their audience was between the ages of 18-29 years old, according to Smart Insights. If this is your target audience - try Instagram.

Content idea: Ask 3 members of your church leadership team to record a short video (<1min) detailing what they’ve learned from Sunday’s sermon. Publish throughout the week.

Snapchat

Snapchat is a great way to connect with students and young adults with photos and videos throughout the week or at special events. Published content disappears after 24 hours, so the platform encourages your followers to focus on the message. Similar to Instagram, 71% of Snapchat’s audience is under the age of 34, according to a report from Omnicore Agency.

Content Idea: Give your followers a sneak peek at Sunday’s sermon. Have your pastor or youth minister post a sermon prep photo or record a short promo video for Sunday’s message.

YouTube

Did you know that YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world? For some, YouTube is just another video sharing platform, but for 1 billion users in 88 countries, YouTube is the first choice when searching items like: how-to videos, commentaries on a variety of topics, sermon recaps, study resources, Christian music videos and much more. If you have videos to share with your congregation or guests, YouTube is the perfect home for your content. As a bonus, it’s free!

Content Idea: Post Sunday’s sermon in its entirety or ask your pastor to record a short video on how to apply Sunday’s sermon to hot topics in the news.

Follow @TexasBaptists on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and use #txblife to join in the ongoing conversation.