If Your Church Isn't Making Social Media A Priority - This Happens

Sometimes it’s hard to make social media a priority in your church when you’re already pulled in so many different directions. However, it has to be a priority. If you’re not sure where to begin, our complete church social media strategy guide can help you get started. It’s one of the best ways to market your church, engage members, reach new people and create a thriving community that expands outside your church walls. If you rarely update your social platforms, you could face some serious negative consequences. As bad as that may sound, neglecting social media does have the power to work against your church.

Your Church May Seem Nonexistent

Social media is one of the top five ways people find your church. Whether it’s from a targeted ad or just searching for churches in the area, social media has become just as important as search engines for finding churches and other businesses. If your social media page hasn’t been updated in ages or is missing vital details, such as a website link or physical address, your church might seem nonexistent to someone who discovers you for the first time. In fact, your church may not even come up high enough in social media search results for anyone to notice.

Church Members Have Nothing To Share

People loving sharing things online. If you’re not making social media a priority, your members don’t have anything to share. If you’re targeting millennials or that’s the majority of your church family, this is even more important. This age group loves finding and sharing posts and content that moves or excites them in some way. If your church is regularly sharing great content and posts, more people are seeing it because it’s being shared. The longer you go without sharing anything, the less anyone will even visit your pages.

Your Members Find New Churches

Social media is supposed to be a way to grow your church, but it could actually cause your members to look for a new church. Instead of interacting with your church via Facebook, they might find other churches with thriving online communities. Instead of sharing your content, which is rarely updated, they start sharing content from other churches. Eventually, they find a local church that speaks to them and engages them more on their terms, such as social media. If they like the online content that much, it may be enough for them to change their membership.

Your Church Seems Outdated

You may already know that an outdated website is enough to make potential new visitors shy away. But, did you realize the same is true for social media? Unless you’re making social media a priority, your pages quickly look dated. After all, why would anyone follow your Facebook page when you’ve only updated it four times in the last six months? If you’re not taking social media seriously, are you taking your church seriously? That may sound harsh, but that’s the impression you give.

You Make A Poor First Impression

Along those same lines, your social media platforms could be the first impression your church makes on someone. A post from several months ago is just going to show them that your church isn’t serious about engaging with people outside of church. All it takes is a single post a day to keep things fresh and show people you care. Scripture, a link to your blog or another church’s blog, an inspirational video or even a happy meme is all you need to make a great first impression and get people to follow you and check out your church’s website.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if a church ignores social media?

Several things, none of them good. Your church can seem nonexistent to newcomers, your members have nothing to share, and your pages start looking dated. Worst of all, members may drift toward other churches with thriving online communities. Neglecting social media doesn’t stay neutral; it actively works against you.

Is social media really how people find churches?

Yes. Social media is one of the top five ways people find a church, right alongside search engines. Someone may discover you through a targeted ad or by searching for churches in your area. If your page is stale or missing a website link and address, you may not even rank high enough for anyone to notice.

How often does a church need to post to stay relevant?

A single post a day is enough to keep things fresh and show people you care. It can be Scripture, a link to your blog or another church’s, an inspirational video, or a lighthearted meme. The point is consistency. A page updated only four times in six months tells visitors you aren’t taking your church, or them, seriously.

Can a stale social media page really make members leave?

It can. Instead of interacting with your church on Facebook, members start engaging with churches that have active online communities. They share that church’s content instead of yours, and over time they may find a local church that connects with them on their terms. Eventually that’s enough for some to change their membership.

Where should a church start with a social media strategy?

Start with a plan rather than random posting. Our complete church social media strategy guide walks you through choosing platforms, building a posting rhythm, and engaging your audience. The goal is a thriving community that extends beyond your walls, not just an account that exists.

You’re Missing An Opportunity To Fully Connect

The most important thing you miss by not making social media a priority is the ability to fully connect with your members and complete strangers. According to Pew Research Center, 69% of all Americans use social media and that includes all demographics. As of January 2018, 37% of people 65 and older use social media. That number jumps to 88% for those 18 to 29. Those percentages are too large not to take seriously. While you may not reach everybody on social media, you reach a large number. Taking a few minutes a day to post something new and respond to comments could make a major difference in someone’s life. It could be what drives someone to try your church in person the first time. It could be what inspires someone to go from uncertain to truly faithful. Are you having a hard time driving growth to your Facebook page and groups? Let us help you reach more people than ever.