Social Media Strategies

Meet Parishioners Where They Already Are Nancy Chafin, Director of Communications

Erin Monaghan Kamran, Communications Associate

Diocese of Virginia

Where are your parishioners?

• Social Media ─ Facebook ─ Instagram

• E-Newsletter • Church Website

Social media: The why and how

• Two audiences • Less formal, real • Build community outside the building – extension of

fellowship at church • How to grow audience – follow others, post often

and consistently • Create a schedule for post ideas • How to increase engagement: Create conversations;

ask questions; ask for submissions on topics; like and respond to comments

canva.com/learn/design/tutorials/beginners-challenge/

youtube.com/watch?v=XqYti78riU8

Social media: The what – creating content

• Photos, SHORT video , Facebook live, links, tagging, hashtags

• Sources for content – events, spiritual, what happened, what’s coming up, link to sermons, other web content, cross pollinate, re-use

• Creating content with graphics – canva.com • Stay sane – calendar content – Facebook and

Hootsuite

Facebook publishing tools

• Schedule posts when it’s convenient for you • Save draft posts as “filler” • Work smarter, not harder

Facebook post promotions

• Reach internal and external community • Virtual postcard • Spend as little as $5 • Choose duration of promotion • Choose target audience: local, age specific,

interests

Contentious communications …when the public brawls on your social media pages

Don’t • Take the bait : Some commenters may be trolls • Debate: Let your supporters fight the battle for you. Do • Monitor closely during the firestorm. • Delete comments that are offensive, discriminatory, libelous, or

contain profanity - immediately. • Like comments when appropriate (It lets followers know you’re

hearing their support) • Keep your perspective. • On RARE occasions, there may be some merit in correcting factual

inaccuracies (not opinions) OR providing background info if warranted.

• Call the Diocese for guidance.

When contentious communications reach the mainstream press

• Call to notify the Diocese (Communications, Canon to the Ordinary or a Bishop)

• Prepare in advance (if we get a call, who will speak, what are our 3 key points?) Diocesan staff can help you prep based on how you want to respond.

• Call a time out (say you’ll get back to them, you’re “working on gathering more information,” etc.)

• Beware of “No comment.” It’s definitely ok to stay out of an issue, but do so with grace.

Questions

Success Stories

Instagram

• One of the fastest-growing social media platforms

• Photo/video driven • Easily crop and add filters • Be brief and playful or lengthy and heartfelt • #hashtagAbundantly

Newsletters

• How often? When? • What’s good content • The subject line – open rate • Length of items – short, short, short – links • Photos – stock photos instead of clipart • Check the mobile version

Defeat Bad Clipart

Church websites

• Two audiences; two goals • Label intuitively • Carefully plan what’s above the fold • Balance brevity and detail • Have a designated announcements/news

section

5 Things that should be on your homepage

(or clearly accessible from there)

• Worship times • Contact information—address, phone number • Staff list with emails (no contact forms) • Pictures of your parishioners • Link to calendar of events (if it’s current)

Website through the Diocese; $10/month

Communications Do’s & Don’ts Don’t • Bury the lead • Forget the seekers • Overthink it, sometimes good enough is good enough • Be afraid to have fun Do • Keep it simple • Photos, photos, photos • Keep your audience in mind • Cross pollinate • Be brief, grab your audience fast and get noticed • Include a call to action • Steal content liberally • Keep a regular schedule • Create community • Feed your followers spiritually • Ask the Diocese for help! nchafin@thediocese.net, ekamran@thediocese.net

Mostly Free Resources • Stock photography

– Pixabay: pixabay.com – Pexels: pexels.com/

– Freely (Christian Stock Photos): beta.freelyphotos.com/

• Canva – for graphic design – Flyers, graphics and social media posts – Stock images available in program

• Constant Contact, Mail Chimp – for eNewsletters