Have you ever been stuck on what to post? Maybe you have gotten into the routine of posting the same type of content over and over. Well, good news you are not alone.
I have been there many times. When I am, I often will take some time and check out what other churches and organizations are doing for ideas and inspiration. So if you ever get stuck on what to post, or have fallen into a posting rut and want to freshen up your content, here are ten social media posts you should try.
Use the Multiple Photo Feature on Instagram
- Instagram recently gave users the ability to add multiple pictures to one post. Oh, glorious day. No longer do we have to create multiple posts to share more than one picture. If you have an Instagram account for your church, you should try this feature out. Share highlights from an event, Sunday worship, or mission opportunity. Capture the fun of small groups, children or youth ministries.
Create a Moment on Twitter
- If you are a Twitter user, you may have noticed the ?moments? section. According to Twitter, ?Moments are curated stories showcasing the very best of what?s happening on Twitter. Our Moments guide is customized to show you current topics that are popular or relevant, so you can discover what is unfolding on Twitter in an instant.? Did you know you can create your own Twitter Moment? Yep. You sure can. Next time you have an event or worship service create a Moment for others to enjoy and re-live. Need to know how to create a moment – you can check out the step-by-step guide here.
Share a Gift Card?
- This is always one of my favorite posts to create. We ask a lot of our followers at times, and it is nice to give back to them, just because. You can do this by downloading a digital gift card and then adding the barcode to a post for your followers to enjoy. When I have done this for my church, it is always appreciated and shared with others.
- If you want a step-by-step guide on how to create a post like this, check out Justin Dean’s blog article.
Ask a Question
- This may seem like a silly post, but asking questions creates engagement and community. When we ask questions, rather than simply posting billboard type content, we are telling those who follow us we care about them, not just our event or cause. So ask away. Here are a few questions to get you started:
- How can we pray for you?
- What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
- What was your first job?
- If today were an emoji what would it be?
- What is your favorite place to eat on a Friday night?
Go Live
- Whatever platform you are on, you have the ability to Go Live. Facebook has Facebook Live, Twitter has Periscope, and Instagram has Live Video within their stories feature. Going Live has never been easier, so why not take advantage and leverage the Live Stream capability to share what your church is doing in a very unique way. Here are a few ways you can Go Live:
- Live Stream your worship service
- Preview upcoming event, ministry, or worship service
- Give a tour of your facility
- Do a Message Q & A with the Pastor
- Share an event highlight
- Answer FAQ
Sermon Quotes
- The weekly sermon is filled with nuggets of content. ?Take notes on Sunday, or ask for a copy of the message to pull out the most important points from the message. You can then turn those into points into posts throughout the week. Try a few different posts: text only, video of a particular point made, or an image quote. This type of post will make the sermon reach far beyond Sunday.
Highlight?a Community Business or Group
- Take the time to highlight a local business or organization that is a partner of the church, or is making an impact on the community itself. This small gesture will go a long way and will help others see that the church is connected and attuned to more than what is inside the four walls. Van Baird does a great job at highlighting local businesses that he comes into contact with through his State Farm Agency. Check out his State Farm Facebook Page and see how many times he speaks highly of his clients and local partners.
Go behind the scenes
- People like to see what happens behind the scenes. It?s like that VIP access that not everyone gets to experience. Take them on a tour of what happens before worship, share a photo of a staff meeting, do a live stream of pre-event set-up, etc. Going behind the scenes gives people a glimpse of a world they don’t often get to see. This is also an excellent way to highlight volunteers who often work behind the scenes making things run smoothly.
Share a daily scripture/devotional
- You can do a VOTD (verse of the day), or even a short daily devotional for people to read or listen to before they start their day. On our church pages, we have a daily scripture that is scheduled to post around 6:45am-7am. This way one of the first things people see from our church is Scripture. During the week of Easter, I saw quite a few churches post daily devotionals. The posts were short but filled with incredible content. If you have an individual in your church that enjoys writing, ask them?to create a few short daily devotionals that can be posted.
Share a GIF, meme or entertaining moment within the life of the church
- Have fun. Add some lighthearted GIF?s, Memes or a funny moment that happened at the office. Show others a brighter side to the church communications. One caution, if this isn?t part of your church culture, go slow and maybe even add a disclaimer such as, ?This is just for fun.? Or ?To lighten the Facebook feeds ?? If needed run a few thoughts by a senior leader, and give an explanation as to why you want to add this type of content. What is important with this is to remain appropriate and respectful.
These are just a few of the many types of posts you can try for your church. What are some others posts you have done that have worked well for your church?
