[stextbox id=”custom”]This is a guest post by Corey Steiner of Steiner Media. He is a social media manager and consultant. You can follow him on Twitter and on Facebook. If you want to guest post on this blog, check out the guidelines for doing so.[/stextbox]
As a social media manager for various companies I see how social media helps to convert numbers into sales. In fact, social media is king when it comes to sharing your message.
Just to give you an idea of the power social media has, there are more than 300 million people on Facebook and more than 175 million logon every day. There are over 21 million Twitter users and 100 million daily YouTube views!
Let’s consider this for a moment; if you leveraged any of these platforms to share the message of our King (Christ Jesus) more people than ever would get to hear the good news. I think of Daniel 12:4 when I think about social media ministries, “But you, Daniel, keep this prophecy a secret; seal up the book until the time of the end, when many will rush here and there and knowledge will increase.”
Sure, there are millions of Christian videos on YouTube and blips about Salvation on Twitter, but how many churches are using these platforms in collaboration to share the good news?
Here’s 4 ways your local church can better share the Love of Christ via social media.
1. Treat your social media the same way you’d treat a marketing campaign. You’re “selling” people on the idea of a loving God. Use spiritual discernment when you create any necessary graphics or written content. Remember, use disarming love to connect the lost to the Lord.
2. Do not underestimate the power of the fab four of social media – Fan pages (Facebook), Twitter, YouTube and your blog. Keep your image constant between all of your platforms; keep your updates consistent, and keep your content relevant and fresh.
3. Be prepared for the occasional anti-Christian comments. You have two choices, you can continue a public debate or you can delete what they posted. Sometimes it’s to the public’s benefit when someone posts a comment that helps you answer questions or share valuable revelation. Use discernment when approaching this kind of situation.
4. Shoot and share lots of video! Most people would rather sit back and be fed information than read it. Video is highly engaging and allows people to see a face, hear a voice and have a relationship with the person(s) on video. There are many ways to use video to share your message. You could produce teaching videos where people act out scriptures or share a scripture-based message. When it comes to constant videos of someone standing in a pulpit, you lose viewers. If you make entertaining/informative video using real life situations you capture many more people. Think outside the box!
I pray this helps you to understand how social media can help spread the Gospel of our King Christ Jesus.
Question: How has your local church been using social media to advance the gospel, and also to communicate with its members?
Question: How has your local church been using social media to advance the gospel, and also to communicate with its members?