Facebook is huge. With 1.5 billion users, and more than half of them that login every day, it is safe to say that the vast majority of your congregation is on Facebook or some other social media site.
I know, you probably already knew how large the Facebook audience is and that is why you setup a church page a long time ago, but has it been effective? Have you been able to use Facebook to get your information out and get people engaged? If you have, good for you! If not, here are just a few suggestions to get the results you need from Facebook.
1. Your church building is beautiful - Your Facebook page should be as well.
Think of your profile page on Facebook as the exterior of your building. If people drive by and the lawn isn't cut, you have weeds in all of the flower beds, and your dumpster is overflowing, people probably aren't going to stop. I'll bet your church property never has any of these problems, but I cannot tell you how many Facebook profiles are not using images in the cover photo section, or even worse in the profile picture section. Use images to draw people and give them a reason to come to your page.
2. They are here, Now What?
Content, Content, Content. Your church bulletin and announcements from the pulpit are great, but how much do people remember when they leave? How many bulletins do you pick up after service from the pews? Put all the information on your Facebook page where people can find it easily and share it on their profile. Add events to the Facebook calendar and it makes inviting people a breeze as well as getting a rough head count.
3. Interaction means more visibility
If you have a church page that is setup like a personal profile you are losing out on some fans. If someone has to send a friend request in order to see your content, they probably won't stay. If you setup a business page where someone can simply click "like", they are more likely to engage with you. Which brings me to my next point, let people post to your wall. If it is always just a one way conversation it diminishes the effectiveness of Facebook. If you are worried about foul language or offensive posts, set it up so someone is emailed when something is posted and monitor the posts that way. It is very easy to delete a post from your wall if it is inappropriate.
These are just a couple of tips for using Facebook to it's fullest. Hope it helps you.
