Written by Rick Rust - BCPM
I would use Facebook pages to start with. Then I would keep this page going for the purpose of letting the community know what is happening at your church and for them to get a feel for the type of church you are.
Once the church gets going, I would add a Facebook group. From then on, I would encourage the community to become a part of the group. This will help with a sense of belonging. In this closed group, you will continue to promote events, share church needs or concerns such as prayer requests. This becomes a community group for those who have some level of connection to your church.
Make Sure your “About” Section Is Set-up Properly – One of the strengths of Facebook is that people can get to know your church and have a connection with you. Make sure your phone number, email, and website are listed.
Know What Size Graphics to Use – When people scroll through their newsfeeds, they must be able to see your graphic without having to select the pic. Make sure you are using current Facebook graphic sizes. These can change, so just Google “current Facebook image sizes.”
Know your Purpose – What is the purpose of this page. If it is to allow the community to know what the church is about and the events that are taking place, then just post these things. Be relatable. Show pics of volunteers helping. Show behind the scenes stuff, such as a banquet being set-up. Don’t post the pastor’s vacation pics or the new car you just bought. Think about what it is you want the community to see. Posts that are unique to the church membership can be shared in a church Facebook group.
Share photos – Use fun, action type photos that show the character of your church. It is best not to share pics of children without written permission from their parents.
Sharing is Important – Encourage your members to share posts. Sharing will help with the algorithms used and result in more people in the area, seeing your posts. Also, you can ask your church people to tag the church when they post something church related, such as an Easter Service.
Stay Connected – There is nothing worse than putting out a post and not responding to comments. Facebook is about connection. Never post when you are about to go into a three-hour pastor’s fellowship. When you post, you need to be able to respond for a while. You don’t have to sit there all day. You need to be available for about an hour or so after the post to be ready if someone has a question or comment.
Use Facebook ads – Look into this. It is not expensive. You determine how much you want to spend. The area the ad reaches and even a demographic such as young families.
Search for Examples – Go and checkout the posts that others you respect are posting. Look to see what kind of posts they are using to fulfill their purpose. You can learn a lot from others.
Help with Posting – There are free sites such as Hootsuite that help you post your social media. You can post 30 posts at one time that are scheduled to go out when you want them to. You can have three social media accounts linked. This would cover your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.
I would use Facebook pages to start with. Then I would keep this page going for the purpose of letting the community know what is happening at your church and for them to get a feel for the type of church you are.
Once the church gets going, I would add a Facebook group. From then on, I would encourage the community to become a part of the group. This will help with a sense of belonging. In this closed group, you will continue to promote events, share church needs or concerns such as prayer requests. This becomes a community group for those who have some level of connection to your church.
Make Sure your “About” Section Is Set-up Properly – One of the strengths of Facebook is that people can get to know your church and have a connection with you. Make sure your phone number, email, and website are listed.
Know What Size Graphics to Use – When people scroll through their newsfeeds, they must be able to see your graphic without having to select the pic. Make sure you are using current Facebook graphic sizes. These can change, so just Google “current Facebook image sizes.”
Know your Purpose – What is the purpose of this page. If it is to allow the community to know what the church is about and the events that are taking place, then just post these things. Be relatable. Show pics of volunteers helping. Show behind the scenes stuff, such as a banquet being set-up. Don’t post the pastor’s vacation pics or the new car you just bought. Think about what it is you want the community to see. Posts that are unique to the church membership can be shared in a church Facebook group.
Share photos – Use fun, action type photos that show the character of your church. It is best not to share pics of children without written permission from their parents.
Sharing is Important – Encourage your members to share posts. Sharing will help with the algorithms used and result in more people in the area, seeing your posts. Also, you can ask your church people to tag the church when they post something church related, such as an Easter Service.
Stay Connected – There is nothing worse than putting out a post and not responding to comments. Facebook is about connection. Never post when you are about to go into a three-hour pastor’s fellowship. When you post, you need to be able to respond for a while. You don’t have to sit there all day. You need to be available for about an hour or so after the post to be ready if someone has a question or comment.
Use Facebook ads – Look into this. It is not expensive. You determine how much you want to spend. The area the ad reaches and even a demographic such as young families.
Search for Examples – Go and checkout the posts that others you respect are posting. Look to see what kind of posts they are using to fulfill their purpose. You can learn a lot from others.
Help with Posting – There are free sites such as Hootsuite that help you post your social media. You can post 30 posts at one time that are scheduled to go out when you want them to. You can have three social media accounts linked. This would cover your Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts.