4 Easy, Effective Church Social Media Ideas

4 Easy, Effective Social Media Ideas

It has never been easier for churches to use social media for outreach and communication. Sometimes, churches do not know where to start to create a robust social media presence.

You are in luck! We have searched the Internet and identified these 4 easy, effective church social media ideas that a congregation of any size can put to use.

Our examples come from Instagram, but they can easily be used on Twitter, Facebook, or any other social media platform. Churches who are using Facebook for digital evangelism and outreach should be aware of changes Facebook recently made that determine what shows up in a person’s News Feed.

We have a quick guide that will show you how to adapt to these changes. Click the button, but first read on for ideas.

We also have lots of video tutorials that show you even more ideas for how to use worship media on your church website and on social media.

Let’s dive right in to our church social media ideas.

social media idea 1 (Part 1)

Effective Use of Photos

Grab your smartphone

All social media platforms favor visuals and text. This is especially true for photo-centric Instagram. Thankfully, these days every smartphone has an exceptionally good camera. This makes it easy for you to use clever photographs to communicate about your church.

Timing is everything

First Presbyterian Church of Whitestone in Queens, NY used a special lens (which you can add to most smartphone cameras) to capture this interesting view of their sanctuary. The church timed the post to appear on Sunday morning - hinting to the community that there was still time to make it before worship began.

social media idea 1 (Part 2)

Different Point Of View

Grab your smartphone (again)

Think of ways to use social media to give your community a glimpse of what church life is like "behind the scenes."

Go "Behind The Scenes"

Here is another example of a post that was timed to encourage people to attend Sunday morning worship. In this example, Virginia-Highland Church in Atlanta, GA shows the viewer the Communion Table from a vantage point they rarely (if ever) see. This image was shot on an iPhone using the Portrait mode setting. Virginia-Highland Church regularly posts images that give people a “behind-the-scenes” look at all the preparation that takes place before most people arrive.

social media idea 2 (Part 1)

Preview Your Sermon

Encourage attendance ... with a preview

Encourage attendance at your worship by alerting your social media audience what the topic of the sermon will be.

Use visuals to preview your sermon

First Congregational United Church of Christ in Sarasota, FL informs their audience about the focus of the sermon, which an image for adding visual appeal. Also note how they embed a hyperlink so their audience can read the Scripture lesson in advance. We also love their “extravagant welcome” tag line.

social media idea 2 (Part 2)

Preview Your Sermon

Encourage attendance ... with a preview

Encourage attendance at your worship by alerting your social media audience what the topic of the sermon will be.

Previews also foster more discussion

Community United Church of Christ in Champaign, IL has an effective and modern tease for their worship service. The image they have created is the type of graphic you can create with Adobe Spark Post.Another cool aspect of sermon previews – you can repurpose them to keep the conversation going after Sunday worship has ended. Encourage your congregation to post their reflections about the sermon during the week. It’s an easy way to engage everyone in continued spiritual dialogue.

If you do not have access to a graphic designer who can help you create visuals, download the free app Adobe Spark Post (now called Adobe Express) for your smartphone. Adobe Express allows you to quickly and easily create quality images and graphics. We have a tutorial that shows you how easy it is. Actually we have two tutorials.

social media idea 3 (Part 1)

Creative Graphics

A picture is worth a thousand words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. We have two church social media examples that use a simple image in an effective way.

Putting the pieces together

First Congregational United Church of Christ in Brimfield, MA shows how you can coordinate the right image with the right caption to make a larger point. You can easily adapt this idea by changing the featured jigsaw puzzle.

social media idea 3 (Part 2)

Creative Infographics

A picture is worth a thousand words

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. We have two church social media examples that use a simple image in an effective way.

highlight your efforts ... with data

This infographic is a great way to showcase the efforts of any ministry. In this example, the social media post provides the audience with a summary of the year’s activities. It is a visual and tangible way to show the difference your ministry is making in your community.

social media idea 4

Be Consistent

slow and steady wins the race

One of the best ways to gather, and keep, an audience on social media is through consistently. Your church should establish a regular cadence for when you post. And, your posts should have a visual consistency so your audience can quickly identify the post as yours as they scroll through their feed. Use the same fonts, the same logo, and the same tone.

Beer and superheroes

Jersey Brew Theology‘s posts tell you a lot about the nature of the discussions they host. Their posts often feature images of super heroes (often with a beer). Also note their use of a #hashtag.

Pick one of these strategies and give it a try. If you do anything you are especially proud of, please let us know.