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Social Media & The Congregation Presented by Sarah christiaansen, synod communicator

Overview Where to post What to post When to post ELCA social media policy Questions/practice

Where to post More networks=More engagement Most important – Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Snapchat Pinterest Most important – Facebook 8 out of every 10 Americans are on Facebook

Benefits of Facebook Higher reach without paying for it Communicated internal messages Making common connections is easier Members receive notifications automatically Easily found Helps bring church to people rather than people to church

Benefits of Instagram/Twitter Reach a younger audience Great place for photos Engagement Hashtags #socialmedia Create community

Mobile Mobile is everything. 85% of people access social media from their mobile devices

What to post Prayers for others Sermon quotes and sermon clips Engaging questions User generated content (can do really well) - ask people to post photos, hold photo contests Out of the box posts - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qdi_yp9FA-I

Promotions Promotions should be one of the last items on your list when figuring out what to post. For every promotional post, three non-promotional posts.

If your content is funny, brings up memories, connects to heart it has a better chance at doing better on social media.

When to post Facebook Instagram Twitter The best time to post on Facebook is 1–4 p.m. late into the week and on weekends. Instagram Instagram audiences are engaged throughout the week. Mondays should maybe get a little more attention. Twitter The optimal times to tweet are 12–3 p.m., with a peak best time at 5 p.m. During the workweek is the best, though some niches might have more active audiences on the weekend.

ELCA social media policy Social media policies generally address two areas of concern: Guidelines for appropriate use A manual documenting work flow, roles, and activities that support your church communication strategy

Sample Staff Guidelines This is a resource with suggested guidelines and policy samples. It is important to consider carefully all such documents and review these with your congregation’s legal counsel

Safety Don't post images of children without the consent of a parent or guardian Don't caption photos with full names of children (even if there is consent) Don't post member e-mail addresses or phone numbers Help protect members from fraud Make sure that church staff and volunteer leaders are using church computers appropriately

Time for questions and practice