Tips for Supporting Your Church Through Social Media

Working the Social Media Platforms
at Westside Church of Christ

Tips for Supporting Your Church Through Social Media
William Jackson, M.Edu
Social Media Visionary and Information Technology Ministry
Westside Church of Christ
Jacksonville, Florida

1. Be Relevant:
People want to see content that they are interested in.
We are accustomed to scrolling through content very quickly,
be it looking through our feeds on Facebook, reading tweets
on Twitter or looking at Instagram, it is important that your
posts have titles to generate interests and are relevant to
what your readers are looking for.

2. Use Relevant Photos and Graphics:
   Photos and graphics catch the attention of the readers.
   The proper use of graphics brings in the readers because graphics
   that are catchy and interesting are just as important as a catchy
   and interesting title. The effective use of graphics, photos and
   clipart come from practice and trial and error. They should be
   connected to the ministry of the Church of Christ.
3. Caution when Integrating Scripture :
   There are various interpretations when referencing scriptures
   to make a point, build a relationship or provide a teaching point.
   Caution should be taken because of referencing a particular
   scripture to make sure Book, Chapter, Verse and other information
   is clear and concise. Just posting a scripture with no explanation or
   meaning causes confusion and hurts more than helps.
   People are looking for different things when they read scripture,
   the most important element is understanding then secondly
   application to real world situations. When you can apply a scripture
   to your situation you have reach a point beyond the milk stage and
   moving towards meat.
   1 Corinthians 3:2 English Standard Version
   “I fed you with milk, not solid food, for you were not ready for it.
   And even now you are not yet ready.”
4. Using Hashtags with Twitter when Microblogging:
   Microblogging with Twitter has constraints with characters of 140
   or less. The beauty of hashtags are they can be used on Twitter,
   Facebook and if blogging with WordPress and other platforms.
   Hashtags lead to about 21% more engagement with your followers.
   A good rule of thumb is to not have too many hashtags in a single
   tweet, but in WordPress multiple Hashtags can be used.
   #ChurchofChrist #ChurchesofChrist #WestsideChurchofChrist
   #WestsideCoCJax
   Using Hashtags builds a following and helps to repost Tweets
   and content
5. Customer Service through Ministry:
   Even though working within a ministry, there is a level
   of customer service and professionalism that should be
   displayed. The saying about customer service is
   “the customer is king” and quality customer service is an
   attribute every company/ministry should offer.
   Social Media helps to monitor customer service and
   provides a buffer for good and bad service feedback.
   Ministries application is to keep the customer informed,
   engaged, in protocol and access to information and
   resources that they can apply as spiritual and related
   to gospel.
   Customer service helps build relationships which can
   be seen by Brands that have success for decades.
   The Church of Christ brand is related to Jesus Christ
   and the works he does for his father and ours.
   “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must
   be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).
   The Church of Christ is about “Saving Souls and Keeping
   Souls Saved,” and the very business of Christians is
   to be about our fathers business to complete the work
   he has for us.
6. Analyze, analyze, analyze:
   Using Social Media in the Church of Christ there needs to
   be a consistent level of engagement, so there are platforms,
   tools, resources and multimedia elements to stay connected
   to followers.
   Analyze your data, stats, levels of engagement and quality of
   your content. Relationships are important so keep in mind that
   it is important to interpret and apply Social Media data and
   apply it correctly to build and strengthen relationships.
   The worth of technology only matters if it can help establish
   relationships that build a connection to scripture and then to
   the “Plan of Salvation” that leads to baptism.
7. Monitoring customer behavior:
   Helps to generate targeted marketing within the ministry and
   helps with outreach to the community and fellowship.
   If questions are asked about a certain topic consistently that
   means there should be a Bible Study, Study Group or activity
   to address it outside of Social Media, in person. Social Media
   is not a disconnected application, but a way to connect the
   congregation with the correct person to pray, minister, teach,
   study or offer help and assistance.
   Connecting with the community on mobile devices expands
   the relationship and influence of the Church of Christ.
8. The Brand of “Saving Souls and Keeping Souls Saved”:
   Social media is a wonderful platform and tool for branding,
   marketing and positioning for building a community based
   on shared interests and relationships.
   When blogging for the Lord, bloggers, vbloggers, microbloggers,
   podcasters and writers need to remember that our craft is
   not to edify us, but the Lord and to share our Christian
   experiences.Sometimes it is hard to keep that in mind when the questions
   are coming, when people ask you to pray for them and when
   you feel so empowered. The humility comes in that our power is
   from God and not anything that we have done. We must allow
   him to work through us, to diminish ourselves and lift up God
   to allow him to make his presence known and seen.
   Using Social Media to Market and build relationships based on
   Christ is not as hard as thought. The Brand is “Saving Souls and
   Keeping Souls Saved,” using all the platforms and tool we have
   the share a relationship with God that will bring eternal life
   or if refused eternal damnation.
   John 3: 1-21 American Standard Bible
   “The New Birth”