1. Wireless: MtZion-S Password: sundaYschooL

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

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

4. 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

5. 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

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

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

8. 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 -

9. 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.

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

11. 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.

12. 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

13. 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

14. 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 addresses or phone numbers
Help protect members from fraud
Make sure that church staff and volunteer leaders are using church computers appropriately

15. Time for questions and practice