Why is Social Media Important for Churches?
Never before has the world been so interconnected. Events that happen in the world can ricochet around the globe almost instantaneously. News, videos, quotes and photos go viral and are shared via social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube all around the planet. Governments have literally been toppled by people communicating through social networking sites. Why not take advantage of this new technology to spread your message?
Consider how it works. Your church has a Facebook page, and you encourage your followers to visit regularly to catch up on what’s new at your ministry. Facebook is extremely interactive, so visitors can comment on your posts, which is a great opportunity to receive feedback. They can also choose to “share” your posts, effectively reposting them to their own pages, which are then viewed by all of their “friends”. If one of their friends likes your post, he or she can also choose to share it, and now it will be viewed by a whole other group of people.
Reach Thousands of People – or More
It is not uncommon for avid Facebook participants to have hundreds of friends; all who view posts and shared items, and can repost or share them on their own sites, to be viewed by their hundreds of friends. You can see how quickly something can spread. Post a meaningful quote, photograph or bit of news and it will likely be shared.
Twitter works in a similar manner, but whereas people generally check in with Facebook once or twice a day, Twitter users are constantly reading and sending “tweets.” Tweets are short messages, limited to 140 characters, and quite short-lived. You only need to post on Facebook once or twice a day, but to get your message out on Twitter, you should send your tweet out at least five or six times a day.
It’s All About the Access
When it’s so difficult to call up a commercial organization these days and actually get to speak with a human being, people appreciate the direct access they get through social media. They can comment on your posts, and you can read their comments and respond. This give and take is perhaps one of the strongest reasons that people visit social media pages run by large commercial or not for profit organizations.
And even though you’re only responding to one individual, hundreds or even thousands of people may be reading your response. What an opportunity!
For more information on this and other topics, get your copy of “The iChurch Method Volume 1: How to Advance Your Ministry Online.” or The iChurch Method Volume 2: Changing the World When You Login or even sign up for the iChurch Method Online School.
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