The social media landscape is constantly evolving, so it can be difficult to know how, where and if your parish should join the conversation. Social media is helpful in giving your parish a presence in the digital space – one where billions of people spend hours of their time. Not only does it allow you to share timely, useful information, but it gives you a chance to connect with people on a more personal level. Here we’ve compiled some tips and information to help get you started.
With 1.6 billion daily active users worldwide, Facebook allows parishes to connect with a large, diverse audience. A parish Facebook page can serve as a landing page for those seeking information about your church, and it is useful for keeping parishioners connected and informed. It is a great place to share news and updates, events, photos, videos and more.
– If your parish uses only one social media platform, Facebook should be it. Its versatility and diverse community of users make it easy to reach many different people in a variety of ways.
– It is important to build a following on Facebook. Publicize your page in the bulletin and on event flyers, and link to it on your website.
– Though people of all ages use Facebook, it tends to appeal more to adults. In the U.S. last year, 84% of users were between the ages of 30 and 49.
Twitter is a fast-paced, concise way to communicate information and to cultivate conversation. It allows you to share brief snippets of information and inspirational content, and it can be used to drive traffic back to your website.
– Hashtags are a key tool on Twitter. Consider using relevant hashtags that are currently trending in order to connect your content with the broader conversation.
– Younger audiences depend on Twitter for news, especially for hyper-local information. People living in urban areas are more likely to use Twitter than their rural or suburban counterparts.
– Twitter takes time and energy to use well. Use this platform if you have the bandwidth to engage frequently and in a timely manner.
Instagram is all about the visuals. Images speak to users’ emotions, so it is a great place to showcase the beauty of our Catholic faith if your parish has enough high-quality imagery to take advantage of the platform. Users rarely leave the app, so while Instagram is a great place to inspire and to give people a glimpse into your parish community, it is not as helpful for sharing information about events or links to information on your website.
– Instagram’s audience skews younger, and is most popular with those between the ages of 18-29. More than half of all American teens and people in their 20’s use Instagram.
– High-quality imagery is important in order to capture the attention of users.
– Consider using this platform if parish staff or volunteers are producing compelling photos and videos that can be shared.
Ways to improve your social media strategy
This video shares Catholic social media tips to help churches use social media effectively and answers some of the most common Catholic social media questions.
Social Media Examination of Conscience
Do you work in youth or young adult ministry? We’ve created a Social Media Examination of Conscience that can be used to reflect on the way we choose to interact with others online. Click here for a downloadable pdf that you can share digitally or print copies of to share with your group, or download the front and back as jpg files.
A social media crash course from the Catholic Apostolate Center
This video, produced by the Catholic Apostolate Center, provides an overview of social media platforms and shares information on how to use them.
TOP TIPS FOR USING SOCIAL MEDIA
Here you’ll find tips for using social media well. Click here to download a printable pdf containing this information.
Create a strategy
To start, identify what you hope to achieve. Are you trying to reach out to the broader community? Connect with parishioners? Develop your plans for posting content accordingly. Try starting with just one social media platform – we recommend Facebook – and grow from there. Facebook allows you to share events and to connect with a diverse audience.
Share relevant, timely information
Once you know who you are trying to reach and why, be sure the information you share reflects these goals. Only share information that adds value or helps to communicate your key messages.
Keep it consistent
Try to develop a consistent voice, so that followers know what to expect from you. Set a schedule for how often you will post, and stick to that. Going silent for too long (or conversely, suddenly oversharing) can impact how many people see your posts.
Communication is a two-way street, so engage!
Social media is all about creating connections and conversation. Respond to your followers’ comments; engage with organizations in your community; share other Catholic content to your page.
Branding matters
Maintaining a consistent look and feel on your parish’s social media page helps people to recognize your content when they see it. Logos, imagery, colors and fonts should match the style of your parish’s website and all other forms of communication.
Safety first
Your pastor and staff members and/or appointed volunteers should all have administrative access to the social media page. Ultimately, your pastor is responsible for parish social media accounts. Keep login information on file in the parish office. The page should be monitored so that inappropriate comments and interactions are removed in a timely manner.