A few weeks ago the Facebook page I manage for our church was close to a milestone, 1,000 Likes – which for our smaller-medium size church is a pretty big milestone. I would not have thought about the milestone other than Facebook reminded me that on this day two years ago we hit 500 likes. We had come along way from 500 and were now 35 Likes away from 1000.
Some might see the Likes as meaningless numbers, however I see them differently. Every single Like on our page equals one person that has the opportunity to hear about Jesus and what we do at Fairborn UMC. Put into that framework, those “Likes” are incredibly important.
I could have promoted the page via a paid ad to get over this milestone marker, but I did not want to do that. I am not fully opposed to promotions, but I chose another option this time. I instead provided a post from the church inviting others to share the page, in so doing I shared it on my personal page and then gave ten reasons as to “why” people should follow our church on Facebook.
This was so helpful to us as a church, I wanted to share it with you. The more people know “why you do what you do” the more apt they are to join you. Often we assume others know the answer to “why” and the reality is they don’t. So here is my post with a few explanations and thoughts on how you can ask similar questions.
1. Meghan Howard. That’s why. ?
Me. I included my name in this to be a little funny, but also because I wanted my friends to know that I am part of this organization and I have a vested interest in what happens. I also know that unlike other pages out there most people will not just arbitrarily follow a church, but they are more likely to follow a church (physically or digitally) if they are invited by a friend. My friends trust me and are more likely to trust those things I am part of.
How can you communicate the same to those you are connected with about your church or organization?
2. Jesus. As a church, we strive to move people closer to Jesus with everything we do – including our content and information online.
This one covered our overall vision at Fairborn UMC. This is the foundational element of “why we do what we do.”
When thinking about your church or organization what is the vision you want people to know about? How can you capture your vision and goal in what you communicate?
3. You hear about things we do in the community of Fairborn and provide ways you can help, give back, and get involved.
We are heavenly involved in Fairborn community and want to make sure others are aware that by being part of what we do they too can give back to their community.
This is one of our Core Values as a Church.
How can you communicate your core values with what is communicated digitally?
4. Weekly we provide inspiration that hopefully helps you move along in your faith journey.
We want others to know that they can find inspiration on our digital channels if they are having a rough week, or are seeking to go deeper in their faith.
What do you share on a weekly basis that helps others move along in their journey? How can you provide inspiration for others?
5. We seek to answer the life questions you are asking.
People ask questions a lot. We want them to know that we do not shy away from answering or attempting to answer those questions.
How are you helping to answer questions people are asking?
6. We rock the GIF’s and any other fun and entertaining meme – that is church FB appropriate.
Having fun is essential to us, and in the midst of our current worldly state it is necessary to have some light-heartedness floating around the digital space.
How can you share something fun or entertaining with the people you are connected with?
7. We love to pray with you and for you with what is going in your life. We ask this question once a week, but welcome prayer requests anytime.
The more we can offer to pray for those in our community the stronger our community is. We regularly seek to pray for others. Some weeks we get flooded with requests, others just a few. Regardless we pray and invite others to pray with us.
How can you take time each week to pray for others?
8. We love to hear about your world. Church is about community and relationships – both in person and in the digital world. We love to keep those relationships going throughout the week, not just on Sunday.
We love relationships – this is also one of our Core Values as a church. We listen and engage weekly with those we are connected with.
How are you building relationships online? How are you listening and engaging with others in the digital space?
9. You will hear about events coming up that you would be super sad if you missed.
We try not to make our digital space a billboard of events only, but it is a great opportunity to share what is happening that we don’t want people to miss. There is a reason behind our events and we try to communicate that reason any chance we can get.
What events can you share with your followers? Also help them understand why missing this event would matter? What would they lose or miss out on? Again provide them a glimpse into the importance of the event.
10. We love to provide a glimpse into the life of the church that some don’t often get to see.
Not many people are around during the week or early on Sundays so we try to provide a behind-the-scenes view of what happens. We do this because it gives a broader picture of who we are and what we do. Plus sometimes the process is a little entertaining – and again it helps provide some clarity and explanation.
How do you give a behind-the-scenes view of your church or organization? What would people find interesting about what you do throughout the week? How can this image help provide clarity and explanation in your setting?
Bonus: Physically and Digitally – We want to be the place that when you are having a bad day you can seek out for strength, prayers, help, guidance and comfort. We want to be the place when you are having a good day you will know we will celebrate with you. We want to be the place that when life is just moving forward one small step at a time we can be the encouragement for you to continue on.
This was the final answer to “why” someone should follow us. We are not just here for the likes and the notoriety, we are here to help and be the place that others seek out in every moment of life.
How are you answering the “why” of what you do as a church and organization?
You might be wondering, in two days times we surpassed the 35 Likes needed to propel us past 1000 Likes. Invite others to follow you online and offline, but more importantly share with them “why” following you will matter in their life.
So, why should someone follow your church? Why should someone follow your organization? What do you provide that is unique to you that will add value to their life both online and offline?
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