Parish Social Media
Since there isn’t a one-size fits all approach to using social media, here are a few tips to help you improve your parish’s social media presence.
 

1. Don’t use words or pictures that are overly “churchy”.
 
Some people who visit your social media page are potentially new to Catholicism. Exploring a ministry’s social media page is a way for people to get familiarized with what is going on at your parish. Facebook and Instagram can be a way to start the evangelization process, not just a place for those already involved in your parish.
 

2. With every post try to post a picture or article that captures what you are saying authentically.
 
Posts with pictures or links get more attention than posts without pictures. In fact, posts with pictures get as much as 39-50% more interaction and account for 93% of the most engaging posts on Facebook!
 

3. When creating an event on Facebook – invite people.
 
By inviting people to your Facebook event, the event will appear in their notifications. If someone was invited to an event and did not respond, Facebook sends out a reminder to them – promoting your event without you having to do a thing! You should also invite people to like your parish’s page and encourage others to do that same.
 

4. Use “stories” on Facebook and Instagram.
 
This triggers a notification to your followers that highlight you. For directions on how to start creating “stories” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5huqsex7EQ
 

5. Be consistent.
 
Try to post one item to Facebook or Instagram every day. This sounds like a lot of work, but Facebook has made it pretty easy. On the top of your parish’s Facebook page, click “More” located next to the “Insights” tab. In the “Publishing Tools” tab you can create posts and schedule them to be published at a future date and time. Therefore, if you would like, you can schedule all your posts for the next few weeks at one time.