This article is reposted with permission from David Rausch.
Check out the Deeper Kidmin Blog and their amazing resources at ImDavidRausch.com
4 Ways to Improve Your Children’s Ministry Social Media
Let’s be honest. When most of us began our children’s ministry roles, our job descriptions didn’t mention learning to navigate the ever-changing world of social media.
Yet here we are. The last year has forced us to be more digitally connected than ever and, even as our churches begin to reopen, there’s no going back.
But that’s actually really good news! An engaging social media presence can serve as an incredible way to encourage, challenge, and invest in our families and volunteers Monday through Saturday.
Here are four ways to improve your children’s social media simply and effectively.
1. Schedule Your Posts
Do you know when it’s HARDEST to come up with content? When you HAVE to come up with content. So, plan it out in advance!
For example, on Sundays, schedule a post encouraging your families to share a picture of them worshiping from home or dressed up in their Sunday best! On Tuesdays, post the Bible verse or Big Idea from the previous weekend. On
Thursdays, post a question that helps families engage further with the lesson.
If you have special events coming up, plan to announce those on social media!
PRO TIP: Go! Curriculum comes with social media templates for every series that you can use to “create your own” posts using the unit graphics! We also give you post ideas on our own FB page.
2. Prioritize Engagement
Encourage your families to engage in your social media posts by giving them a reason to respond!
Post an engaging question and ask them to respond in the comments. Take a poll on a ministry-related subject. Ask them to share how they’re helping their children memorize the Bible verse from the previous weekend.
It doesn’t need to be complicated. Simply invite them into a social media conversation.
3. Make it Personal
Give your families a chance to know your volunteer team by featuring or even interviewing a different volunteer each week.
Ask them fun questions – their favorite candy, their favorite band, their favorite book.
Ask them more serious questions – how they came to know Jesus, why they began serving in children’s ministry, what they love most about serving.
Social media can feel really impersonal, but it doesn’t need to be that way! Make it personal by making more of it about people.
PRO TIP: Encourage your families to engage by sharing what they love and appreciate about the featured volunteer – then, make sure you volunteer sees all of the sweet messages!
4. Sign Up for Go+
Shameless plug.
We developed Go+ to serve as either a stand-alone service or to supplement the Go! Curriculum (it follows the same Scope and Sequence).
Go+ comes with a social media package (including images, captions, and hashtags) for every week. So, if you don’t know where to start, this is a great place to begin!
You can learn more about Go+ here.
