The document provides a comprehensive guide for churches on effectively managing their social media presence, particularly on platforms like Facebook and Twitter. It emphasizes the importance of regular posting, engaging content, and analytics to determine optimal posting times, while also suggesting tools like Hootsuite for scheduling. Additionally, it covers best practices such as using hashtags, tagging, and creating a content calendar to streamline social media efforts.

1. SOCIAL MEDIA FOR CHURCHES
Tips & Tricks to
Manage Your Social Media

2. FACEBOOK
 FACEBOOK: 1 out of every 7 minutes spent online is spent
on Facebook
 Make a good first impression!
 LINK, LINK, LINK!!!! Link all other church sites and social
media accounts to the “About” section. If someone is
looking for the ‘college’ or ‘worship’ group they should be
able to find it easily!
 Install the “Twitter” App on main page
 Rearrange boxes to ensure the most important thing is first

3. FACEBOOK
 Analytics are key to knowing how and when to reach your customers!

4. FACEBOOK
 Posts pictures and “interesting” status updates! Find this data under
Page Insights  Posts  “Best Post Types”

5. FACEBOOK
 Tagging people, places, and pages in your pictures helps make the image
go ‘viral’ (do this by hitting @ and start typing the person/business name)
 The more names you tag, the more “VIEWS” you will get

6. FACEBOOK
 Find out when is best to post based on YOUR fans! Find this under
Page Insights  Posts  “When our Fans Are Online”

7. FACEBOOK
 Use Facebook as your “business” page to comment and like other
business fan pages (gains friends & increases engagement)
 Go to Edit Page  Use Facebook As…

8. FACEBOOK
 Find your designated email and text pictures or status updates from
your phone
 Go to Edit Settings (under page)  More  Mobile  Under With
Mobile Email

9. FACEBOOK POSTS
 Should be posting DAILY on Facebook
 Check out “When Our Fans Are Online” to decide when is
the best time during the day to post
 Pictures typically get higher views, try to incorporate a
picture with a link when possible
 Facebook has its own scheduling tool built in, if you want to schedule
posts directly from Facebook
 Post Videos!!!! 2014 is the ‘Year of Video’ and with Facebook’s auto play
feature it makes videos highly viewed among other posts

10. TWITTER
 From the main account list/link all other accounts in the top
profile display
 Makes it easier for viewers to find what they’re looking for!
 Should be posting 1-3 times daily (during high traffic times)
 BEST TIMES: 11-3pm with prime time being 1-3 on Monday and Thursday
 AVOID: After 3pm, especially on Friday afternoons

11. TWITTER
 “Follow” others. Search for St. Augustine and follow those that are specifically
relevant to the church

12. TWITTER
 If you like something retweet it, reply to it, or favorite it! This gets you noticed
and can cause others to “follow” you

13. TWITTER
 USE #HASHTAGS! Posts with 2 hashtags
are statistically proven to be viewed more
than posts without a hashtag
 Follow the trending hashtags and try to
make a comment or share something
regarding that topic (as long as it is
relevant to the church)

14. TWITTER
 Set up your account with your mobile phone. Text your tweet to 40404 and
your text tweets out to all your followers! Easier and uses less data than
downloading the app. Be careful! Keep your tweets short!
 Under “Settings”  “Mobile”
 Download the Twitter app for your phone to plug in multiple accounts

15. TWITTER
 Post 1-3 times daily
 Post pictures!
 Tag specific people in your twitter posts
 Use #hashtags (2 is best)
 Use the 4-1-1 ratio rule
 4 posts of useful content for the viewer (i.e. relevant blogs, bible verses, pictures, etc)
 1 retweet (either from the pastor, the main page, a church member, etc)
 1 self serving tweet (meaning a direct advertisement for church service, etc)
 Customize your background and top header

16. PLANNING POSTS
 Create and utilize a “Content Calendar” that provides specific
post themes/ideas for each day
 This will help if multiple people are tasked with posting
 Include post ideas for both Facebook and Twitter
 List everything! Events, sermons, holidays, community events, volunteer opportunities,
everything!

17. CONTENT IDEAS
 Share sermons from your website
 Blog/article posts from inspirational artists, pastors, etc.
 Attribute appropriately!
 Create and use EVENTS! Concerts, special worship sessions, movie night, kids
events, etc. Events are designed to share easily!
 Weekly bible verse that is related to the week’s sermon
 Colorful, graphic, make your own or share someone else's (Examples)
 Promote different groups (one each week)
 Be sure to use graphics (i.e. the ones shown on your website)
 Holidays! Add a Christian view in celebration of various holidays (i.e.
President’s Day and share a picture or article of a president with strong faith)

18. HOOT SUITE
 Social Media Coordinators secret weapon!
 Helps you manage your social media and plan in advance
 Schedule posts for up to 5 social sites for months in advance
 Create messages with links, pictures, videos, etc
 www.hootsuite.com

19. HOOT SUITE

20. HOOT SUITE

21. HOOT SUITE

22. BEST PRACTICES
 Subscribe to newsletters that are industry relevant (fellow pastors,
sister churches, associations, etc), sign up for Sway or Google Alerts
 The more information you can have delivered straight to your inbox will make it
easier for you to use for social media content
 Pull content from member testimonials, events happening within the
church, holidays, etc.
 Crosslink your social media sites (i.e. share ‘Pins’ on Facebook, or
Pictures posted on Facebook on your Twitter)
 If you haven’t already, develop a social media policy for the church to
clarify what is appropriate to post and how/who should be posting
 This site is very helpful! “Internet Toolbox for Churches”
 http://www.internettoolboxforchurches.com/

23. HOW TO BALANCE IT?
 Come up with a social media plan
 Create a calendar highlighting important events for the month and what content is
appropriate to share on your social media sites
 Brainstorm some ideas: “See You At the Pole”, news stories that affect the church
and/or community, local events that may appeal to your fans, etc.
 Schedule at least one week of posts in advance on HootSuite
 Use the same content for all sites but schedule them for proper timing and modify
the length to match the site your using
 Alternate days (i.e. Tues and Thurs engage for 15 minutes on Twitter,
Mon, Wed & Fri engage for 15 minutes on Facebook)
 Post up-to-date news or content straight from your phone by texting,
anywhere at anytime.