Making Church Social Media Manageable: A Practical Guide
My last post explored how your church's social media can serve as your biggest entry point. Now let's focus on implementation. Let's face it, social media can feel daunting when you're already juggling responsibilities. But there's a practical approach any church can implement – even without staff or a budget.
Three Anchor Posts: Your Starting Point
To make social media manageable, start with three weekly "anchor posts" covering all core content types: community building, education, and promotion. These provide a balanced foundation you can build upon as your comfort and capacity grow.
- Sermon Reflection (20% Educational):
- Provides a spiritual touchpoint throughout the week.
- Example: A quote graphic: “Grace isn't a license to sin, but power to overcome it.” Caption: “What resonated with you from Sunday's message?"
- Community in Action (70% Community):
- Showcases church life, showing what it means to belong.
- Example: A video of kids making crafts. Caption: “Joy in action! Our children's ministry is a place for fun and growth!"
- Weekend Invitation (10% Promotional):
- Invites newcomers and reminds members of the service.
- Example: A photo of greeters. Caption: “Join us Sunday at 10 AM for worship and a message of hope!"
Essential Tools for Non-Technical Leaders
- Canva eliminates design stress. Set up your church's brand kit with logo, colors, and fonts, then apply to pre-made templates with a single click. It's completely free!
- Your smartphone camera is perfect for photos and short video clips. These authentic moments often perform better than polished content.
- Meta Business Suite or Buffer: These free tools let you schedule posts in advance. Dedicate one 30-minute block weekly to scheduling all three posts.
Building Your Social Media Team
You don't have time? I hear you. The solution is to find just ONE reliable volunteer for a specific, limited role. Look for people who are already active on social media or show enthusiasm when you mention the idea. Try these focused requests:
- "Could you take 10 photos during fellowship time once a month?"
- "Would you be willing to create sermon quote graphics using our template?"
- "Could you schedule our posts each Friday for the coming week?"
Do you have students in your congregation? They're often natural content creators and meaningful social media roles give them ways to serve while developing skills they're excited about. Create a shared photo album where volunteers can drop content, making curation simple.
Remember Your Purpose
- Focus on authenticity, not perfection. Your goal isn't stock photos or polished graphics – it's showing real people living out faith together. Those candid moments – volunteers laughing, children worshipping, people praying together – are what draw people in.
- Be a meaningful interruption. Your content offers spiritual nourishment in bite-sized formats that stand out in busy feeds otherwise filled with ads. These glimpses provide value to someone's day, even if they never attend.
- Build familiarity that leads to connection. Each authentic post helps people feel like they already know your community. When they're hungry for more, the step into your physical space feels less intimidating because they've already experienced your warmth digitally.
Start small, be consistent, and watch your digital ministry become one of your most effective outreach tools!
Ready to get started? Download our free Implementation Checklist and Content Ideas resources.
Megan Cullum is our ShareChurch Marketing & Communications Specialist. A skilled communicator and leader, she is passionate about building Christian community, creating meaningful connections, and helping to strengthen churches. In addition to her husband Jacob and their two young children, Megan enjoys reading, music, basking in sunshine, exploring, and connecting with others – preferably over tacos!
