Social media is not just for big corporations and businesses. Churches, both small and large, can use social media to interact with their local community, grow their church, and communicate with their members.
But beyond posting church announcements and scripture posts, how else can churches effectively use social media to grow their ministry and serve their community?
Here are three creative ways to use social media outreach for your ministry.
Create Facebook Events
While passing out flyers door-to-door does still work, creating a Facebook event saves time and increases the number of eyeballs for your get-together.
You can create a public event for your church’s fall festival or Christmas play, and it can immediately be found by people within your city. People browse Facebook events to see upcoming events related to their interests, plus Facebook’s algorithm customizes event previews based on users’ behaviors and past events. For instance, a mom in your city may see your recommended event because she has selected ‘Interested’ or ‘Going’ for past events related to family-friendly, free events.
Create the event from your church Facebook Page and invite your church members to increase visibility—encourage them to invite their family and friends. It’s an easy way for church members to invite their friends on Facebook rather than handing out a postcard that will probably get lost along the way or tossed in the trash.
Update the Event Details with the event overview and any frequently asked questions. As the event gets nearer, post reminders and videos of your staff prepping for the event. For example, take a picture or video of the stack of candy bags you have ready for your Fall Festival.
Facebook Event ideas
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Thanksgiving community dinner
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Christmas toy drive
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Easter egg hunt
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Neighborhood service events
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Holiday service
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Summer splash ‘n play
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Vacation Bible School
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Launch Digital Ads
Social media ads on Facebook and Instagram give you the opportunity to invite local Christians, your own church body, and your city community to engage with your ministry. Your staff can only reach so many people, so social media ads expand your church’s reach and community awareness.
You can target people on social media based on their age, life events, generation (Boomer, Millennial, Generation X), family size, household income, ZIP code, religion, interests, and so much more.
When you launch your social media ads, use high-resolution images (no blurry graphics!) or videos that are bright and eye-catching. Always proofread your ad text to ensure you have proper grammar and no spelling errors. Think through the landing page you want your audience to land on once they click your ad. Does the page explain who you are? Will your audience understand what they need to do?
Facebook or Instagram ad ideas
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Launch a youth ministry ad campaign to invite high schoolers to your group. Show a video of your youth eating pizza, playing those crazy youth ministry games, and having Christ-centered fun.
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Target people who just moved to the area and are looking for a new church body. Use welcoming, friendly language that invites them to join your church.
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Identify millennials who are living away from family. Focus on your young adult ministry and various opportunities to get involved with the community and church families.
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Target parents who are looking for a family-friendly church. Highlight your children’s ministry, parent support, and positive environment.
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Create an outreach campaign and invite people who are searching for meaning in life to attend your church. Be sure you have a greeting team in place during your service to welcome church visitors.
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Go Live
Seeing your face on video can be intimidating, but live streaming? Yikes. Facebook or Instagram Live is often pushed to the side out of confusion or frustration. Yet, video increases your followers’ engagement and your brand awareness—plus, Facebook’s algorithm loves live video and will typically show your video to more people than a static post.
Still not convinced that splashing your face online is the way to go? Facebook users comment 10x more on live videos than they do on regular videos (Social Media Today). So what does live streaming mean for your outreach? More people will see your content, you’ll increase church members’ emotional connection to your ministry, and you can reach people right where they are during the day.
Live Video ideas
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Share highlights or an excerpt from a past sermon
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Discuss tips to better memorize Scripture
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Show a youth ministry event, special service, or retreat
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Have a few members of your worship team sing a few praise songs
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Introduce church staff or volunteers
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Read a page or two from a Christian book you are reading and discuss major takeaways
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ChurchSpring automatically posts scheduled sermons, events, and blog posts to your social media channels, allowing you to focus on your ministry. Ready to enhance your social media strategy? Sign up for a free ChurchSpring trial or join our demo.
