There’s a repeated phrase in the world of social media: content is king. As a church leader who also does social media I understand the phrase but have some trouble with it because if we’re going to call anything king it should be Jesus. But the main point of this phrase is to point to the importance of content within online communities.
The term “content” can mean a bunch of different things–blog posts, podcasts, Facebook updates, e-newsletters–anything that communicates a message. The great thing about this is churches tend to have strong messages such as sermons, devotions, worship services, announcements, and photos that are translatable into online content.
Think creatively about re-purposing content. Most people need to hear or see something multiple times to remember it. Taking the sermon from Sunday and posting it on Monday could be a good way to re-enforce the message of the service. Pastoral prayers can be posted in pieces throughout the week. Reflective questions posed in the sermon can be posted and even discussed.
When we re-purpose content to be communicated online, there are some considerations that need to be thought about. When sermons are then published to be read, what else needs to happen? Are there quotes from books that need to be fully cited or emphasis that comes through in preacher’s tone that needs to be conveyed through punctuation or underlining key words? Who is going to make these changes? If the entire worship services goes online as an mp3 do you need to also put a PDF version of the bulletin up?
If you’re not sure what questions to ask, consider these:
- If a regular attender wasn’t at this service or event, will they understand the message through the medium it is being communicated?
- If someone has never attended a service or event at your church, will they understand the message through the medium it is being communicated?
With a little re-purposing you can take the content your church is already producing and ensure your online presence is kept up all week long.
