In today’s era, drawing in new members to religious congregations can pose significant challenges. As a result, numerous places of worship are actively exploring effective strategies for utilizing social media platforms. While various social marketing techniques can be advantageous for congregations, there are a few specific approaches that appear to be exceptionally valuable when it comes to attracting potential new members.
To maximize your chances of success, it is crucial to adopt a multifaceted outreach strategy. However, the following social media tips will set you on the right track in the digital realm.
1. Recognize Social Media Platform Differences
One of the most important things for ministry leaders to understand is that all social media platforms are different. This means a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work. The following information will help you better understand each platform better — which in turn will help build better church social media strategies:
- Ideal for sharing images, links, events, and photo galleries.
- Provides a strong platform for engaging with your congregation.
YouTube
- The second largest search engine, making it essential for hosting all your videos.
- A valuable channel for showcasing sermons, teachings, and other video content.
- Well-suited for sharing links and photos.
- Quotes can be impactful and generate engagement.
- Galleries and events may not perform as well on this platform.
Snapchat
- While popular among teens, it experienced a decline in users in 2019.
- Consider its relevance to your target audience before investing significant time and effort.
- Links in photo captions are not clickable, so focus on utilizing effective hashtags.
- Visual content — such as images and short videos — performs well on this platform.
Remember, there are numerous smaller platforms available, but these “big five” are particularly effective for church social media. To avoid overwhelming yourself, it’s advisable to start with a few platforms and gradually expand. When starting out, prioritize Facebook and Twitter, and ensure your videos are uploaded to YouTube. By utilizing these three platforms, you can establish a solid foundation for your church’s social media presence.
2. Follower Interaction Is Key for Church Social Media
Once you have established your presence on major social media platforms, it becomes crucial to actively engage with your followers. Although the average congregation size in America is 75 parishioners, interacting with each member should not be overly challenging. However, dedicating a moment of your time to every individual even in larger congregations can have a significant impact on the growth of your flock.
This is because social media platforms often notify us when our friends interact with pages. Every comment has the potential to appear at the top of our newsfeed. As a result, when you engage with members, their friends are likely to see these exchanges, which may pique their interest in giving your church a try.
By responding to comments from your followers, you not only demonstrate that their voices are heard but also convey to them and others that they are valued. Building a strong congregation involves not only attracting new members, but also ensuring that existing parishioners know that their presence and well-being are important to you.
3. Provide Actual Value in Your Social Media Posts
To ensure an effective social media strategy for churches, it is vital to focus on providing valuable content in posts. Followers are not interested in being constantly bombarded with donation requests, event pages, or self-praising messages about your house of worship. It is essential to share content that resonates with their interests and concerns.
Valuable posts can include relatable local news, viral church videos, inspiring images, and more. As a leader within your congregation, you possess valuable insights into the values and preferences of your members. Utilize this knowledge to make informed decisions about the content you share.
A practical guideline to follow for church social media plans is the 80-20 rule. Allocate 20 percent of your posts for direct promotions, while the remaining 80 percent should provide genuine value to your congregants. This balance ensures that your posts maintain a focus on serving your audience’s needs and interests.
4. Offer New Ways of Giving
The rise of Millennials as the largest age demographic in America, surpassing Baby Boomers, has underscored the importance of a church’s social media presence. Given that this younger generation constitutes a significant portion of the population, it is crucial to focus on attracting their attention and engagement.
One effective approach is to modernize the ways in which congregants can contribute. Church online giving statistics reveal that 60 percent of people prefer digital giving methods. Moreover, Millennials seek assurance that their chosen house of worship is technologically proficient and keeping pace with the digital world. They want to be part of a community that they perceive as forward-thinking, not outdated.
Integrating critical functions like tithing into the digital realm and incorporating them into your social media strategy is of utmost importance. When young potential congregants observe your active engagement in these digital tactics, they will recognize that your church is relevant and appealing to more than just older generations.
5. Use Stories to Promote Your Page
Earlier, we discussed the significance of allocating only 20 percent of your church’s social media posts for direct promotion. However, there exists a subtle yet effective way to promote your congregation even more. This approach involves sharing compelling stories that resonate with your audience, rather than simply stating how great your church is.
For instance, you can share stories about the community coming together to revitalize the church — or a young woman from the teen mission making a difference by saving a small village’s water supply. These stories evoke feelings of promise, hope, relatability, or emotion, capturing people’s attention and motivating them to share.
On platforms like Facebook, you’ll find a plethora of inspirational stories, often accompanied by relevant images, that have garnered thousands of likes, comments, and shares. This high engagement amplifies the visibility of your posts among potential new members. Moreover, it conveys that the divine presence of God is truly alive within your congregation.
What better way to attract new church parishioners than through the power of these captivating stories?
6. Don’t Shy Away From Paid Advertising
While some church leaders may hesitate at the idea of paid social media advertising, there are instances where a modest investment in targeted ads can yield remarkable results. The beauty of this promotional approach is that it doesn’t have to be costly.
Platforms like Facebook offer the ability to customize your ad audience. You can specify the geographic area, age range, religious affiliation, and even special interests of individuals who are most likely to be intrigued by your congregation. What’s more, you can intentionally target those who are not yet following you on social media.
When delving into this type of marketing, understanding your audience is crucial. To determine the appropriate age range for an ad, for example, it’s essential not to dismiss certain demographics outright. Did you know that social media’s fastest-growing user base comprises individuals over the age of 65? This underscores the importance of understanding your community’s composition before launching an ad campaign.
Quick tip: Always incorporate a captivating and high-quality image in your ads, accompanied by an invitation to visit your page and church.
7. Utilize Data to Make Adjustments
When it comes to achieving success, 64 percent of marketing executives emphasize the importance of data-driven marketing. The underlying principle is that leveraging data to inform your marketing decisions leads to better outcomes. This holds true not only for general marketing efforts but also for church social media strategies.
While we could provide you with many social strategies, not all would be equally effective for your ministry. Each congregation and community possesses unique characteristics, making the optimal approach to attracting new congregants highly dependent on situational factors.
Thankfully, most social media platforms offer insights into the level of engagement on each of your posts. Take the time to analyze this data. It will reveal what aspects of your church’s social media plan are working effectively, what may be less successful, and how you can refine your strategy to effectively target and attract new congregants from your community.
Remember: Church Social Media Is Vital!
The importance of effective church social media strategies is indisputable. It is not a matter of whether they are necessary, but rather how effectively you can use these platforms to attract new members. Even if you feel inexperienced in this area, remember the wisdom of 1 Corinthians 1:26, which reminds us that God can utilize anyone, regardless of their background or status, for great purposes.
By focusing on implementing effective strategies, you can successfully bring in new members to your congregation. And if you’re seeking to provide your new congregants with a more convenient way to contribute to the Lord’s work, Schedule a Discovery Call to learn more about DonorWerx today.
