Ways to spread your church’s Facebook message virally
You’ve heard that, with its more than 500 million users, Facebook is now the third largest “country” in the world! What does that mean? It means that the moment you log into Facebook, you have just entered one of the BIGGEST mission fields in the history of the planet! Spreading your message has never been so important. Getting your message to go VIRAL is the best way to reach the WORLD with your message.
virally?
What do we mean when we say viral? We refer to transmitting the message from one person to another, multiplying exponentially after each exposure and finally reaching epidemic proportions. (Well, at least 100 NEW people!)
Just like anything else, success doesn’t come overnight (unless you’re Justin Bieber). It all comes down to consistently posting content that your congregation appreciates, enjoys, and ultimately helps bring them closer to Christ.
Let’s start with the basics:
daily posts
The fundamental rule in social media engagement is to always be “UPDATING”. People are always on the lookout for what’s new, so be sure to post every day, or better yet, as often as you can. No matter what your theme or theme is, keep it clear, simple, and interesting. If you do that, your followers will respond quickly and even repost it. Try an inspirational verse or saying for the day… Magnet Likes Guaranteed!
Images
Photos and humor will get more attention than anything else on Facebook. Just be sure not to post personal or controversial photos, and always ask permission before posting photos of your congregations, as some people have good reasons not to post their photo on Facebook. (Even people in the Witness Protection Program have to go to Church!)
Videos
Oh the questions I get about this! Do I need a fancy camera and lapel mic with a videographer and production team ready to edit the video with 3D graphics and lower thirds? NOT. Most laptops have a built-in camera and microphone that are good enough to make daily devotional videos for your congregation. The KEY here is to make it easy, simple and part of your daily or weekly routine. If it takes more than 10 or 15 minutes, you’re taking too long!
Simple steps:
1. Keep it under two minutes and one is even better!
2. Use whatever camera you have or buy a $39 USB Webcam at Walmart
3. Use techsmith’s jing (free) to record your desktop or face.
4. Upload to screencast (a free service provided by jing)
4. Switch from your face to your desk for an amazing effect that people will wonder if you spend HOURS on your production.
5. Just do it. Record, upload and post to Facebook…Today!
The great thing about this process is that there is NO editing or setup. A very quick way to get a daily video for your congregation.
send a note
If you think that a Note is the same as regular status update, you are wrong. Notes are recommended for posting longer messages, as there is no maximum character limit. Also, notes can be easily retrieved unlike a status update which can be difficult to locate, especially when numerous posts are made in a single day. (I usually have several hundred!) So if one of your followers would like to reread a certain post, all they have to do is check the notes tab and quickly find “the eloquent masterpieces you’ve written.” You can see the Notes app on the left side of your Facebook home page. From there, you can write your message and start tagging people.
Labelled
Tagging is a Facebook feature that allows users to refer and identify people in Photos, Videos, and Notes. It is a way to link and share information with a target audience. However, this feature has its limits, as Facebook only allows a maximum of 50 tags for photos and videos and 30 tags for notes. For more advanced users, there is always a solution for this. (Yes, I have contacts.)
Like/Share/Repost
The good old Likes, Shares and Re-Posts are your most convenient allies on Facebook. These 3 emotes are shown on Live Feed and your like-minded friends and congregation will probably duplicate it. Personally, I’m really glad there’s no Dislike button.
Questions and Surveys
Posting Questions and Polls is a sure way to grab people’s attention. Who does not like to give their opinion. Questions pique people’s interest and will spark healthy discussions along the way. Facebook provided some quiz templates, otherwise you can make your own. Take full advantage of this feature to analyze and evaluate issues, interests, feedback, or even sermon research. Friends can be invited to participate in the survey and you can also link the survey to an event. (OK, that’s the most complicated thing I’m going to get).
invited poster
Every once in a while, it’s a refreshing twist for your followers to see a “Poster/Guest Pastor” post. You can invite an upcoming speaker to post multiple times to introduce themselves and prepare your congregation for their arrival. Ask some members of your group to contribute to the content of your Facebook page. Use this strategy randomly so it is not predictable. Remember to give out teasers before the event date to build buzz on your page.
events
Creating an event is another way to get your message out to your followers and even beyond your Church members, as events are displayed on a person’s Facebook profile and in news feeds. Keeping your Event public will also allow non-followers to view it (and all of its content) and be added to the guest list. It’s also possible to invite non-Facebook users as long as you have their email addresses.
If you have a Twitter account, you can use it in conjunction with Facebook to spread the word. Before, Twitter was mainly used as a messenger to invite Twitter followers to see updates/posts on Facebook pages. Lately, Facebook users have been allowed to post Twitter status updates to Facebook using the Twitter app.
the contest
Have you noticed the rise of contests on Facebook? You could also use the same for your church’s Facebook page. Stick to fun, simple and interesting topics such as photo contests, art contests, t-shirt/poster design contests, best “quote”, “passage” or “tips”, guessing games (for example, how many golf balls are there in a fishbowl) and invite a friend (referral) to name a few.
Now to the more advanced stuff:
Word of mouth and discussion forums
The Facebook Discussion Forum is a way to connect with people on Facebook. A public discussion forum is usually provided on a Facebook fan page. However, there are a few steps required to set up a private discussion board (if you prefer that). It is basically a chat room where people talk about certain topics or a way to catch up.
Newsletter
Newsletters automatically send the latest updates or feeds from a page to your followers. Most of the time, these newsletters are sent via email. They work to increase readership and engagement, as well as encourage participation in discussions. There are several newsletter apps available on Facebook and it is up to you to choose which one suits your requirements.
Same
A more contemporary viral phenomenon called “Meme” has also taken Facebook by storm. Memes are unique ideas that are created and passed between people within a culture to be specifically imitated. Facebook had its memorable share of Memes last year, such as “25 Things” (list 25 random things about yourself), “Cartoon Character” (sometime in November 2010, users were asked to use cartoon characters for your profile picture as a campaign to end child abuse) and “Doppelganger Week” (posting a photo of yourself next to a celebrity who looks like you, a kind of appearance game). If you have an idea or concept similar to this that could further your cause, by all means spread the word!
These techniques can overwhelm you at first, but as a friend of mine always says, “Do it once and you can do it again, better.” In other words, practice makes perfect.
To conclude, getting people to like and follow your church Facebook page is quite manageable, however, keeping people interested, connected, and really understanding your mission is a whole different ball game. If you play the social media game right, your message will spread around the world fulfilling our great commission.