How to Improve Your Church Social Media - 5 Easy Tricks to Try

Written By AJ Slobig

We get it; church social media can be hard to walk.

Whether it’s resistance from Elder James or Volunteer Amy who’s working on it and nearing burnout, church communications can be a challenging and difficult project.

Not to fear. In this post, we have cultivated five easy steps to take to take advantage of the widest mission field available and start getting returns on your hard work with church social media.

Social media is the modern-day mission field, and for churches navigating this digital landscape, it can often feel like a challenging journey. In this comprehensive guide, we aim to equip you with not just quick fixes but transformative strategies to maximize your church's impact on the vast mission field of social media.

Chapters:

Step 01: Stop Being the Bulletin Profile

In the realm of church social media, it's time to move beyond the static landscape of event announcements. While vital, the traditional bulletin board-style content, featuring service times and occasional quotes, can be limiting. To invigorate your church's online presence, embrace a diverse range of content, reaching out to your congregation in novel ways.

Actionable Steps:

  1. Sermon Snippets: Elevate your church's teachings by sharing bite-sized excerpts from sermons. These snippets not only offer a glimpse into your church's core messages but also provide easily shareable content that can resonate beyond the confines of your congregation.

  2. Quote Images: Infuse creativity into your digital communication by transforming key teachings or verses into visually appealing images. These quote images transcend the ordinary, serving as powerful digital devotionals that captivate your audience's attention.

  3. This Week Carousels: If you’re dead set on posting the events happening every week on social media, consider posting one post at the beginning of the week with all of the weekly events your congregation can expect. This not only will clean up your social feed, but it will also keep your audience from seeing the same images week after week.

By overcoming the limitations of the digital bulletin board profile, you open doors to innovative engagement strategies. This shift enables your church to reach beyond the traditional boundaries of your church doors and bring the gospel not only to your congregation during the week but also to the world desperately in need of a savior. As we explore these transformative steps, remember that the journey to enhance your church's online presence is one of continuous adaptation. It's not just about conveying information; it's about sending out the gospel to the next generation.

Step 02: Stop Posting Horizontal, and Start Posting Vertical Videos

Sadly, iGTV has been completely overhualed by Instagram Reals, and the beautiful platform Instagram had for hosting widescreen video is long gone. If your church is still caught in the horizontal video era, it's time for a vertical wakeup call. In the digital age, video content is a potent tool for sharing the Gospel, but the format holds significant weight. Vertical videos, beyond being easy to create, boast higher engagement on social media and are inherently more shareable. It's time to leverage this format to effectively amplify your church's message.

  1. Sermon Highlights: Transform your sermons into impactful visual experiences by capturing key moments in the vertical video format. This not only brings sermons to life but also ensures that these highlights are easily shareable, extending the reach of your church's teachings.

  2. Behind-the-scenes: Foster a deeper sense of community by offering glimpses into the life of your church. Whether it's behind-the-scenes footage of preparation or capturing moments during events, vertical videos create an immersive experience, connecting your congregation more intimately.

  3. Creative Church Invites: If you haven’t seen one yet, we’ve been seeing churches everywhere investing heavily into creating weekly or bi-weekly videos that are fun, exciting and creative ways to invite new people to church. The best part about investing into videos like this, is that your congregation can easily send fun videos like these to people who otherwise don’t attend your church.

Your church's commitment to horizontal videos might be limiting its impact on social media. Embrace the vertical wakeup call to not only stay current with digital trends but to enhance the effectiveness of your outreach. Vertical videos are not just a trend; they represent a dynamic shift in how content is consumed and shared. As you embark on this transition, remember that it's not just about the format; it's about maximizing the potential to spread the Gospel in a way that resonates with the digital audience.

Step 03: Start Posting READABLE Captions

In the dynamic landscape of social media, video captions are not merely an option but a necessity. Over 25% of Instagram users watch content without audio, making captions indispensable for ensuring your message reaches all corners of your audience. In a world where video consumption often occurs without audio, captions play a pivotal role in ensuring your message reaches all members of your audience.

Actionable Steps:

  1. Caption All Videos: Make it a rule to include clear and readable captions in every video, from sermons to event highlights. This simple step ensures that your content remains accessible to a broader audience, maximizing its impact.

  2. Keep it Readable: Use these tips to make sure you captions are actually digestible, and not leaving your reader-watchers more confused than without them: first keep your captions the same font size between 18-24pt. font, second make sure to either have an outline, or a contrasting shadow or background to keep your text easy to read, lastly keep words on screen for 2-5 seconds each, ensuring time to read and digest information.

Is your church still neglecting video captions? In the fast-paced world of social media, where attention spans are fleeting, captions serve as silent ambassadors of your message. By adding this simple yet impactful element to your videos, you not only broaden your audience reach but also ensure that no one is left out of the conversation. Embrace readable captions as a fundamental aspect of your social media strategy, making your content accessible, engaging, and universally appreciated.

Step 04: Stop Posting Squares, Start Posting Verticals

The evolution of Instagram demands a departure from the square image tradition. As the platform embraces diverse formats, it's time for your content to follow suit. Unlock the potential of added screen real estate with captivating vertical photos that not only capture attention but also put an end to the mindless scroll.

Actionable Steps:

  1. Event Previews: Give your audience a sneak peek into upcoming events using visually appealing vertical images. The increased space allows for more detailed and engaging previews that stand out in the feed.

  2. Inspirational Quotes: Transform inspirational quotes into visually captivating formats, seizing the opportunity presented by the expanded canvas of vertical photos. This approach not only enhances the visual appeal but also ensures that your message resonates effectively.

Gone are the days when square images dominated Instagram. Break free from the confines of tradition and embrace the dynamic potential of vertical photos. If your church is still adhering to the square image norm, it's time for a visual revolution. The advent of vertical photos on Instagram not only provides more screen real estate but also allows your posts to command attention, making them unmissable in the scrolling frenzy. It's a transformative shift that ensures your visuals align with the evolving trends of social media, making your church's presence more impactful and visually arresting. Step into the era of vertical photos and witness the newfound vitality they bring to your Instagram profile.

Step 05: It’s Time to Start Posting Carousels

In the dynamic landscape of Instagram, the metrics of engagement have undergone a significant shift. The era where likes were the ultimate validation has evolved into an age where shares and saves hold more sway. Crafting content that is not only liked but also shared and saved is the key to a truly impactful profile. Embrace the power of carousels and sermon recaps to ensure your church stands out in this new era of Instagram dynamics.

Actionable Steps:

  1. Carousel Recaps: Summarize key sermon points in engaging carousels. Encourage your congregation to not just like but share content that resonates with them, expanding the reach of your impactful messages.

  2. Interactive Q&A: Utilize carousels for interactive elements like Q&A sessions, polls, or thought-provoking questions. This not only boosts engagement but also creates a sense of community involvement.

In this evolving landscape, shares and saves have become the true indicators of content impact. Carousels provide a visually appealing and interactive way to convey your church's message. Elevate your online presence by creating content that goes beyond likes, prompting your audience to actively engage, share, and save. It's a transformative approach that aligns your church with the evolving trends of social media, ensuring that your message not only reaches but resonates deeply with your congregation. Step into the new era of Instagram engagement with impactful carousels that reflect the vibrancy and dynamism of your church's mission.

While the above steps offer practical insights, recognizing when to seek professional assistance can be a game-changer.

Actionable Steps:

  • Explore Better Brands Churches: Consider the expertise of Better Brands, offering a dedicated team of Designers, Editors, Audio Engineers & Copywriters.

  • 14-Day Free Trial: Take advantage of a 14-day free trial* for communications management via email and social media, committing to two months of continuity programs.

  • Better Brands is a sub-brand of STUDIOCINE L.L.C., which was founded in 2022 as a high-level commercial production company passionate about bringing small-to-medium-sized churches and non-profits the industry standard of Branding, Video Production, and Marketing Expertise.

    Their owners and agents have a collective 45+ years of experience in branding, marketing, and videography work.

    In 2023 they created Better Brands to specifically work with Businesses, and Non-Profits as a Creative, and Social Media Agency.

  • Better Brands strives to always have a humble and learning mindset in every aspect of their business, while also bringing professionalism and meekness into every partnership they make.

    We see every project we are included in as a new relationship filled with trust, compromise, and humility. We strive to bring the highest excellence into every relationship and help our partners improve.

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AJ Slobig

Chief Marketing Director

http://www.betterbrandscreative.com