Ep. 027 | Clark Campbell: Harnessing the Power of Story

Social media can be more than just a bulletin board to share ministry events and announcements. Social media is a tool for ministry to share what’s happening in your church and the impact you’re making. There is so much power in using social media to connect and engage with people.

When it comes to social media, people are looking for two things:

1. To relax and be entertained.
2. To be inspired and equipped.

One fundamental way to inspire and equip your audience is through storytelling. Viewing social media from a storytelling lens allows you to create content that brings people together, engages your audience, and trains your church body to grow in their faith. This mindset could change everything and give your audience a new way to build community and connection.

Practical Social Media Strategies for Churches

Every church has a powerful message, but where do you begin? Every audience needs hope, inspiration, and even funny content occasionally. Creating content that is different and interesting wins on the internet daily. Consider following the 70-20-10 rule when structuring your content:

• 70% of your content should be focused on adding value to your audience
• 20% of your content should be focused on sharing what is happening in the life of your church
• 10% of your content should be focused on inviting others in and asking your audience to participate

Consider how you can connect with your audience for the other 164 hours in the week outside of Sunday services by using social media as a tool. Don’t just focus on what is happening on the stage every Sunday, but tap into what’s happening through the life of your church.

You can do this by sharing behind the scene footage of your staff, giving insight into your church culture, and creating unique and interesting ways to build a connection with your audience.

How to Leverage Social Media For A Mid-Size Church

When leveraging social media for a mid-size church, consider the people in your ecosystem that may be available to lend their expertise and knowledge.

First, you will want an excellent communicator to manage your social media channels. They may not have all the skills of a creative, but they will have a passion for learning what your audience cares about and an understanding of how to leverage words well.

Next, find someone who is just dangerous enough to edit videos well and has a knowledge of social media to work within the platform to build out your content. Having these two people is key to creating content that brings value to your audience and can communicate a compelling message that people care about and want to listen to.

Although challenging, don’t be afraid to give your social media away to people with more knowledge and understanding. You can give clear direction by setting guardrails and expectations for how you want your channels to be run.

But at the end of the day, entrust the people that you’ve equipped and allow them to have the opportunities to grow and try new things while on a mission for the church.

How to Add Value to Your Social Media and Videography

How can you create great video content without feeling overwhelmed? This is a common question for many church leaders. The best approach would be to build out your team. Find a passionate volunteer, rising high school student, or person on your staff who is eager and excited about social media.

They may not know everything, but they desire to learn, grow, and add value to your team. Believe in them, mentor them, and help them grow to be better.

With technology today, you don’t always need the latest and greatest equipment. Most of the time, you already have everything you need in your pocket – your iPhone. 

In today’s world, messaging matters, and authenticity is critical. Creating content that tells a story, encourages, and is relatable will help others better understand your mission and message. People are no longer looking for high-quality content, but they are now looking for interesting, relatable, and entertaining content.

Consider how you use videography and social media to amplify and reflect what God is doing inside your church in a fresh and creative way that adds value to your audience.

Final Five:

What book would you recommend? Communicating for a Change by Andy Stanley and Building a StoryBrand by Donald Miller

What advice would you give to church leaders? In times of change, learners will inherit the earth while the learned will remain beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

What is one thing you want to communicate to church leaders? Quit consuming emotionally charged content and become a better communicator and focus more of your time on communicating well with what message we have.

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