If you want to be “found” on many social media sites today, then you need to be harnessing the power of the hashtag. Simply stated, a hashtag is an identifier that can help people find a post when they use a search bar. It can get confusing because hashtags are used in a different capacity per social media platform.
For example, on Facebook and LinkedIn, just one or two hashtags are used to describe the post, like #churchinspiration or #bibleverse. But on Instagram, up to 29 hashtags can be assigned per post, and are used in a cleverer manner like #instainspo #summerlovin #summer2019 etc.
Which hashtags should you be using for your summer social media right now, especially for a church? Let’s look at the best 6 to utilize right now:
#EndlessSummer:
Dubbed after the Endless Summer documentary from the 1970s, this hashtag pops up every year in full-swing. It makes sense, considering it comes with that fun, care-free kind of attitude we all want to embrace during the summer months. If you don’t know what else to throw on a church summer post, consider this one. It’s a catch-all option.
Which social media sites will it be the most effective on? Instagram followed by Twitter. It doesn’t really have a purpose to it that identifies a service or a business, but it is definitely one that people are going to sit on while they look around at other summer content that gets them excited about the day.
#TravelGram:
This one is just for Instagram but considering that Instagram is the fastest growing social media site in the game today, that’s perfectly fine. #TravelGram is what you use when you post a picture that was taken on a traveling excursion. It can be somewhere in town that you have never seen before, or it can be from one of your missions personnel somewhere around the world.
This hashtag can also be the foundation of a powerful summer campaign in which you share content from your missions groups around the world, highlighting the environment, people, and places that they are experiencing as they share the word of Christ. Remember: this hashtag only holds weight on Instagram, so do not use it on Facebook, Twitter, etc.
#LiveOutside:
This is another great catch-all hashtag that can be used on just about every single social media site today. It states the obvious – it’s all about highlighting the great outdoors and the beauty around us, afforded through God in His creations. You can consider a summer campaign in which you highlight different landscapes and nature pictures that you come upon, sharing the grandeur and presentation of the world through a Biblical lens.
You can also include a snippet from the Bible that relates to the appreciation of plants, trees, birds, water, and mountains around us, with the hashtag #LiveOutside plastered next to it. It’s a great way to reach a segment of outdoorsy people that might not know God yet.
#WhereToFindMe:
This is a clever and niche hashtag mainly meant for Instagram that you can use with pictures that showcase you and your staff enjoying your summer. Everyone wants to go to a church that has a laid-back staff, able to get out there and smell the roses. This hashtag can be used on any picture of you enjoying your summer, as well as with a humorous angle as well. Consider a picture of your feet in sandals next to a pool, with a Bible on your lap – everyone loves a good chuckle on social media.
#PoolDay:
You can use this hashtag on all social media sites and consider building a campaign around it. Many churches have pool days or pools that they use for water baptisms a few times per summer. You can use this hashtag to introduce the pool water baptism days while also drawing in some viewers that might not otherwise have landed on the post.
#SchoolsOutForSummer:
Obviously named after Alice Cooper’s “School’s Out” hit, this is a fun hashtag that will catch both young and older users on social media. It’s a great way to have some fun with your church’s social media, while also using it perhaps for some kind of summer Bible challenge geared towards kids. There’s plenty you can do with this one, considering it can also be used on most social media platforms.
Worship Times
Summer hashtags are a great way to come into contact with new church followers, interested visitors, or people that just might have a little curiosity when it comes to spirituality.
Of course, understanding which hashtags to use according to the platform can be a challenge, which is why here at Worship Times, we can handle all of the summer church hashtags woes for you. Let’s get started! We can give your social media accounts a review and create a social media content plan tailored for your ministry!
