Tumblr is one of the fastest growing tools among millennials.
Twitter is awesome for leaders relating to other leaders, but not as great for local church connectivity.
Youtube and Vimeo have their own unique advantages for video.
And with that basic understanding in mind, get started. Here are some somewhat random tips for using social media to plant a new church.
Start With a Website
When we think about social media, we think of the social networks mentioned above, but I’m convinced that you need to see your church’s website as a social network in and of itself. It’s a content hub, of sorts. Sometimes, your goal is to move people from social platforms to your site. Sometimes, it’s the opposite. And sometimes, they simply co-exist for different purposes, but having a hub on the web is essential. And if you’re going to have a website:
1. Design it with the end user in mind, which means caring less about aesthetics than about usability.
2. Make certain pieces of information obvious on every page, such as gathering times, places and directions.
3. Tell the story of who your church is with more than just bland, impersonal statements and data. Use pictures, testimonies and video.
4. Make it findable via Google. Otherwise, it doesn’t exist. I can’t cover SEO at length here, but Google it.
Use Facebook Pages Well
We launched our church website and our main Facebook page before we relocated to start planting so as to get a jump on connecting with people. We started hearing from people wanting more information long before our first vision meeting. And it grew quickly. And if you’re going to use Facebook, use it well. For example: