Spring is in the air, birds are outside chirping, the temperature is rising, and the sun is hanging in the sky a little bit longer every single day. It’s a time of year that has us all itching to get outside, spring clean our homes, and revamp our wardrobes with brighter colors and more breathable fabrics. What could be better than the springtime?

While you’re embracing that urge to clean, rearrange, and start anew, don’t forget about the intangible elements in your life, like your social media presence. Specifically, your church’s social media presence, which can overtime reflect content from 5-6-years ago that no longer is in-line with your values, venue, and congregation.

We can forget that everything posted on social media remains there permanently, unless we do something about it. Much like your home, which can collect dust and mold, social media posts can do the same thing. As new viewers stumble upon your pages, many of them will scroll back to 2014, 2012, and so forth if given the chance. Do you know what they are seeing? Are you proud of your content from back then? It’s probably time to reacquaint yourself.

7 Tips for Cleaning Your Social Media Profiles

Here are a few ways in which you can spring clean your church’s social media this month:

1. Clear Out Blurry & Incorrectly Sized Photos: All of us were guilty of this when we first got on social media. If you have old profile pictures, cover photos, and initial posts that were of blurry images taken from the internet, or incorrectly sized logos, delete them. With each passing year, the pressure to perform on social media is increasing, which is why you want your image to be crystal clear and highly millennial. Get rid of the first stock photos and hard-to-see logos that make it look like you are out of touch with reality.
2. Update Profile Pictures and Banner Images: Next, when was the last time that you uploaded a new profile picture? Was it 3-years ago? Take some time to make a new one and change everything up to date. It tells followers that you are active, and that you care about your internet presence. Plus, it’s just fun to throw up some new imagery for your existing congregation, too.
3. Check for Vanity URLs: On Facebook, you can make your own URL for your church page. Sometimes, that URL is not available. Check to see if it is, or if there is a variation that is now available. If you can get a URL that closely resembles your church’s name, people will be more likely to find you and follow you.
4. Respond to Comments: As you go through your pages and potentially delete photos or posts, be sure to respond to every single person that took the time to write to you. Although you should be doing this in real-time, there’s never a time like the “now” to say thank you. People want to feel heard, and if they think your church is listening, they will be more likely to come in and pay you a visit.
5. Check Out the Competitors: What are the other churches in your region doing as far as content marketing is concerned? Are they investing in more media production? It’s always a good idea to do your homework and check out what your neighbors are up to. We aren’t suggesting that you copy them verbatim; simply use their media as inspiration for your own.
6. Review Your Descriptions & About Us Pages: Many times, we feverishly write an About Us on a new Facebook page to get it over with, failing to update it in the future. Was your About Us written in 2013? You probably want to update it with the refined marketing message that you are using today. Plus, if you are offering new services, or have changed locations, ensure that your church hours and address are updated on all sites.
7. Review Your Post Analytics: Facebook makes it easy by telling you if a post is performing 85% or 90% better than previous posts. It also displays the reach and engagement on each post retroactively when you go through your page. As you spring clean, take note of these numbers. They are invaluable analytics that are being provided to you completely free. Which kinds of posts performed the best? Were they photos? Videos? Articles? Jot down some notes while you spring clean to help you better target your congregation in the future.

Worship Times

Here at Worship Times, we know how important social media marketing has become for everything from businesses and brands, to churches and nonprofits. That’s why we offer full-scale church social media management, so you can focus on running your church. We engage in regular spring cleaning to ensure your church’s social media presence is pristine, perfect, and alluring.

If you don’t know where to start, feel free to get in contact with our team today! We can help provide guidance, assistance, or even take over managing your social media accounts for you! We are only a single click away!

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