Social media is the best tool for churches looking to connect and engage with a wider community online. With over 5 billion global social media users and around 246 million active users in the U.S. alone, social media has become a vital part of everyday life—and a powerful ministry tool.
If you are a church, you cannot afford to miss out on social media. However, there are a myriad of options to choose from. As you start engaging with social media, as a pastor, you might be wondering: what is the best social media for my church? How do I use these platforms effectively for our ministry?
Well, you came to the right place. Below, we’ll go through various social media platforms, exploring why and how you can use it for your ministry goals.
Why Social Media Matters for Churches
Social media is more than just a fad;, with more than two thirds of the global population actively engaged on these platforms, they might as well be the internet itself. With social media growth for churches you are not limited to the physical walls or geographical location of your building., you can reach out to millions of people in need of ministry across the globe.
Boost Church Engagement
Posting personal stories and testimonies on social media is the perfect way to build relationships with your online social media followers. By posting consistently and even responding to feedback, you can reach out and connect with new members and newcomers.
Build a Stronger Church Community
When done right, social media can help foster strong communities within the church. Live Q&As, comment threads and stories from and between members helps create strong ties within the church. With social media, more people will be better informed and able to be involved in church services, special events, and outreaches.
Empower Evangelism and Ministry
Social media for church outreach is great for evangelism efforts. Whatever you post on the platform, be it testimonies, sermons, or verse of the day will be shared almost 100-fold to millions of potential viewers around the world. Moreover, if your congregation reposts or engages in any way with the original social media posts, they spread them further. It’s modern-day outreach in action.
The Best Social Media Platforms for Churches (and How to Use Them)
There are a number of social media platforms. As a pastor, choosing the right platforms can make or break your social strategy. Understanding how each platform operates helps you to leverage them for your online ministry.
Here’s how the top platforms can support your church social media strategy:
Facebook for Churches
With approximately 3 billion users, Facebook is undoubtedly one of the most widely used social media platforms. Facebook for churches is crucial in reaching numerous people, even across generations, although it should not be your sole social media platform. Its wide user base makes it perfect for posting a great deal of church material. From hosting live services to sharing events and prayer requests, it’s a digital home base for your congregation.
How to use it:
- You first need to create a dedicated account for your church. Make sure you have all the correct information including your church name, location and mission. This information is crucial when people want to know about you.
- After that, ensure you post regularly: daily if you can. It doesn’t always have to be something long and complex. Even a simple bible verse can do. Just be consistent with your posts to keep your followers engaged.
- You can use Facebook Live for sermons, Q&As, and devotionals. These are tools that you integrate with your Sunday service so that those absent from the church can still be part of the service.
- Facebook is also a perfect place for creating private groups for ministries or Bible study. These will be great places for you to engage with other Facebook users and answer their questions directly.
- Run local ads to boost attendance. These digital ads are relatively cheap and are the perfect tool for you to reach potential new members and make them aware of your church.
Instagram for Churches
Instagram is perfect for visual media. You can share every story visually and connect with younger audiences, who make up the vast majority of Instagram’s user base.
How to use it:
Once you have an account, make sure to keep it active. You can post verse graphics, snippets of your sermons, quotes, worship clips and even behind-the-scenes moments. Keeping your account active will be crucial for better engagement. Also, use hashtags to expand reach, for example: #sundayservice.
YouTube for Churches
YouTube for churches offers a platform for longer video content such as sermons, teachings, and worship sessions*. It’s the perfect platform for users who want to listen to your sermons and other services. Here you can also freely engage with users and listen to feedback.
How to use it:
- On your account, ensure you have a lot of content. Upload all of your sermons and worship sessions so that you have a rich portfolio.
- *IMPORTANT: if you plan to incorporate worship music, be certain to have the proper licensing from CCLI to cover use of copyrighted material.
- YouTube uses the Google search algorithm to rank videos. As such, you should optimize video titles and thumbnails for better rankings.
- Always remember to encourage subscriptions to grow your followers.
TikTok Ministry
This is the ultimate short form video platform. It offers churches the great opportunity to go viral with short but meaningful content. If you have a creative team, TikTok is the best platform to leverage for rapid social media growth for churches.
How to use it:
- TikTok is all about short content. You can post short devotionals or snippets of your sermons that will attract users to your longer sermons.
- Make sure you use trending music and hashtags to attract more traffic to your account.
TikTok also has a live feature where you can livestream your services.
TikTok Ministry
This is the ultimate short form video platform. It offers churches the great opportunity to go viral with short but meaningful content. If you have a creative team, TikTok is the best platform to leverage for rapid social media growth for churches.
How to use it:
- TikTok is all about short content. You can post short devotionals or snippets of your sermons that will attract users to your longer sermons.
- Make sure you use trending music and hashtags to attract more traffic to your account.
- TikTok also has a live feature where you can livestream your services.
X (formerly Twitter ) and LinkedIn for Churches
While not for every ministry, X (formerly Twitter) for churches is useful for deep discussions and quick updates. LinkedIn for churches works well for faith-based professional content and community leadership.
Ideas for use:
- Share sermon highlights, leadership tips, or outreach updates
- Network with other ministry leaders
Final Thoughts
When it comes to the best social media for churches, there is no one-size-fits all answer, each platform has its own unique setup and user base. When choosing which platforms suits you best, ensure each one aligns with your goals, audience, and resources. Overall, however, no matter which platforms you choose, the key to social media success is consistency. Sometimes this might seem overwhelming, especially for smaller churches. So if you do need help, reach out to Kingdom Web Services who can easily assist with your church’s social media strategy so that you can concentrate on your ministry.
