facebook for churches five top tips

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FACEBOOK FOR CHURCHES Five Top Tips

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Page 1: Facebook for churches   five top tips

FACEBOOK FOR CHURCHESFive Top Tips

Page 2: Facebook for churches   five top tips

1. SPEAK TO YOUR AUDIENCETake time to understand who will be looking at your posts on Facebook. What sort of things do those people want to see? How likely are they to share things? What would they want their friends to see?

Try this iChurch worksheet to help you: http://forum.urc.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/Planning-your-Website-Strategy.pdf

Page 3: Facebook for churches   five top tips

2. JOINED-UP THINKINGThink things through. It pays to have a strategy. Having a great deal of content on Facebook is less helpful than having a small amount of content that is relevant to your church and community. Having a Facebook page at all is only of any use if people want to see it.

Great free social media strategy templates: http://blog.hootsuite.com/social-media-templates/

Page 4: Facebook for churches   five top tips

3. ADD VALUE

Why should people bother to read, or share, your Facebook content at all? What’s in it for them?

Take a look at this infographic for lots of tips: http://socialmetricspro.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/infographic_lower.jpg

Page 5: Facebook for churches   five top tips

4. GET TO THE POINTJust because there’s space for lots of words, it doesn’t mean you should use lots. Facebook posts are most likely to be engaged with (liked or commented on) if they are only 40 characters long.

For more information: https://blog.bufferapp.com/the-ideal-length-of-everything-online-according-to-science

Page 6: Facebook for churches   five top tips

5. GO YOUR OWN WAYThe internet thrives on authenticity. People want to see what your church is really like. If you have Bible study sessions, consider posting the notes online. You could create online spaces for contemplative prayer. Why not give your Junior Church space to showcase their film-making skills?

Some examples of churches being themselves on Facebook: Stainbeck United Reformed Church; The Dandelion Community, Wythenshawe; Parish of St. Hilda’s, South Shields

Page 7: Facebook for churches   five top tips

FACEBOOK FOR CHURCHESFive Top Tips

Communications training at the Windermere Centre http://windermere.urc.org.uk