How often do we go online to check if a website has been updated? Barely ever. How often do we scroll through our social feeds? Every single day. Keep your church feeling fresh by utilizing social media posts to keep your congregation in the loop. Not sure where to start? Keep reading for our tips on making a social media plan for churches that work, namely — Twitter.
Follow
Attracting relevant followers is the first thing you should focus on when starting a new Twitter account. Otherwise, your posts will go unnoticed no matter how engaging they are. So, add your handle to your website with a button that takes the viewer directly to your Twitter page, so anyone who finds your website can effortlessly access your Twitter.
If you use digital signage solutions (we think you should!), then why not add your Twitter handle on the home screen? Bringing awareness to your social media will encourage the people of your community to give you a follow and even engage with you in posts.
Share
Wherever you post your content, including a share now button will increase engagement with all your posts. Make it effortless to share, so your content gets sent far and wide to reach more people than ever before. Think about what people want to see and share, and make a note of what receives the most attention.
Whether it is your favorite Bible verse coupled with an aesthetic image, or action-shots and videos from your church events, posting snappy and appealing content is key for maximum retweets and favorites. Incorporate a mixture of different content types to ensure you stay relevant to as many types of people as possible.
Hashtag
Hashtags enable us to see related content in a feed to help your church members feel like a part of a bigger conversation. The next time you throw an event, encourage people to tag their posts with a relevant hashtag so a discussion can happen online with ease. Remember to keep the hashtag simple so nothing gets lost.
Following trending hashtags both globally and in your local area is another church social media strategy to get your posts noticed. Watch the hashtag trends that other churches jump on and use relevant hashtags on your posts too. That way, anyone who scrolls through the content of that hashtag will have access to your posts. Not sure how to choose relevant hashtags? Hiring a copywriter who can write your social media posts for you!
Cards
Website cards on Twitter offer the chance for you to get creative. Instead of the typical 250 character post made entirely of words, using cards allows you to include your church social media graphics, videos, and any other visual media you have to complement your tweets.
Statistics reveal that social media posts with a visual element get significantly more traffic; make use of this trend by making your posts aesthetically pleasing. You can use cards like these for advertisements, event awareness, or simply to generate interest around some big news your church has to share.
Interact
Whenever someone tags your church in a post, be sure to respond in some way. Either favoriting, retweeting, or responding to every post will encourage more people to interact with your posts and create an engaging conversation around the topics you are posting about. Assigning a volunteer or staff member to the role of social media manager is a smart way of ensuring no post gets left unread.
The beauty of social media for churches, as opposed to websites, is that they are a network of intertwined comments and posts. Instead of simply sharing information with your followers, every post is a chance to spark an interesting debate. Adding questions to the end of your tweets will improve interaction rates, as it gives people something specific to respond to.
Campaign
Depending on the budget your church has available, using a Twitter campaign to promote your posts to the relevant audiences is highly effective. This can be handy for churches to spread awareness of a certain event, fundraiser, or simply looking to recruit new members.
As this hack costs money, though, it is not in the cards for everyone. However, you can choose specific posts to try out this feature and view its effectiveness. There is no harm in trying it out, as Twitter will track its success with an analytics option that runs alongside it.
How should churches use social media? There is no single answer to this question. The different social media posts for churches posted by each community will vary hugely, as every church is unique. Bring a taste of your church’s personality to your page and keep your content fresh and relevant for a thriving account. Now you have tackled Twitter, are you ready to take on Instagram too?