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Brand strategist with a passion for helping causes connect with their communities | Founder of AspireOne.com
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Leading Social Media as a Church Volunteer: An Insider’s Story

“Once upon a time there was a ministry that had so many resources and help, it was just CRUSHING all of their social channels. Engagement levels were insane, everyone got plenty of rest, and happiness rejoiced throughout the land.” << Yeah, right. Even though this is a fairy tale for most churches, it IS possible to find a happy ending in social media stories.

I had the privilege of meeting Caitlin Laxton recently and was amazed by her story. Five years ago she offered to post set lists to Facebook and now leads the church’s social media efforts as a volunteer one-man-band of sorts.

I asked if she’d be willing to share her story to help inspire and encourage others. (Content emphasis is mine) Enjoy!

Tell us a little about what you do and how you got involved

I am the social media manager for The Journey Church in Chesapeake, VA. My role is to create and share content that reflects the mission and values of The Journey Church and engage the community. I communicate regularly with the pastors and team leaders to plan posts according to their team’s needs.

I’ve been involved with the The JC since it was planted 7 years ago. After the first two years, I noticed our lack of social media presence. I didn’t know why at the time, but I felt we needed to be more active online, so I reached out to our Creative Pastor and asked if it would be helpful to him if I posted Sunday set lists every week to our Facebook and Instagram pages. He happily handed the responsibility over to me and I’ve been managing and developing it ever since.

What was the hardest part about getting started?

The hardest part about getting started was that I had no idea what I was doing. I didn’t know what to post or how frequent it should be. I just knew our church needed more consistency and engagement online.

What do you wish you knew then that you know now?

There are two things I wish I knew:

1. Quality over quantity. The quality of the content you create matters. Yes, it is great to post frequently and consistently, but if the content you are sharing is not capturing the attention of viewers and stopping their scroll, then what good is it?

2. Use social media to do ministry, not promote it. There’s a time when promoting an event or missions opportunity is needed, but don’t get caught up in just sharing those things. Remember to share God’s Word and how it applies to our lives.

“Use social media to do ministry, not promote it”

-Caitlin Laxton
What advice would you give someone starting out as a volunteer in social media?

Know your church. Know the mission and vision so well that it is reflected in the content you create.

Start small and be consistent. It can be as simple as sharing a quote from the sermon every Monday or, like me, share Sunday’s set list every Saturday.

What do churches/ministry leaders need to know to help this role succeed?

Social media can be used to minister to those who spend hours scrolling on the different platforms daily. When a church uses social media, they have the opportunity to stop the scroll and point people to God and the truth of His word. If they are churches, like mine, who do not have their own space yet, then social media is a great way to stay connected with others throughout the week.

Be open to new ideas from your social media team. For example, stepping aside before or after service to record a quick video to share scripture or encouragement from the sermon to be shared on social media. These quick and simple videos can make your presence online more personal than sharing a clip of your sermon.

What are some of the wins you’ve seen come out of this role?

It has shown me the importance of community engagement, especially during the COVID pandemic. During that time, we hosted Facebook coffee chats before our online services and posted graphics with questions to help keep the conversation and bond with others in tact.

On the business side of things, my role has supported the Creative Pastor and allowed me to network with other churches to better serve the online community.

Any other advice or tips you’d like to share?

Don’t be afraid to learn and grow. Join Facebook Groups specifically for church communications or social media content creators. Canva for Church and Social Media Managers are groups I follow in addition to Church Communications. These groups will be a place you can ask questions or simply just learn from what others are sharing.

Be in consistent communication with your pastors and other ministry leaders so that you all are on the same page with what needs to be shared and when. For example, I ask my pastor ahead of time what sermon series is coming up and what information he’d like to share with me about it so that I can prepare posts.

** WEIGH IN ** If anyone else has comments or ideas they’d like to share as a social media volunteer, (or staff member working with volunteers) feel free to share them in the comments!

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Rethinking the Role of a Communications Director

I’m sharing a post I wrote for Phil Cooke’s blog about how the role of your organization’s Communications Director needs to be more intentional now than ever.

https://www.philcooke.com/is-it-time-to-re-think-the-role-of-communications-director-at-your-church/

A few key characteristics to consider moving forward include:

• Strategic thinker—Able to see the big picture, this person typically is on the executive team or working closely with senior leadership

• Team builder— Even if your church is in a hiring freeze, these skills are invaluable as it includes building teams of volunteers. You’ll only grow as far as the person leading your efforts, so aim high.

• Collaborator — This person needs to work with various ministry leaders as well as creative types. So knowing how to understand WHAT needs to be communicated and HOW to translate that creatively takes spirit of collaboration (and the ability to speak fluently in the languages of both strategic thinkers and creatives)

And this is very important to understand: creative technical skills like graphic design or video are helpful, but much lower on the priority list since these can be outsourced if needed.

Communicating the vision of where your organization is headed is critical right now. This is actually more important than this weekend’s message or your service offerings. People want to know where you’re going and why this matters to them.

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It’s Not What You Say, It’s What You DO

I’ve been working with churches for almost twenty five years to help them reach people more effectively. But sometimes I wonder if my efforts are making any kind of a dent at all.

A good friend of mine doesn’t go to church. He’s not a fan and believes people who go to church are all just hypocrites. And he feels those who lead churches are the biggest offenders.

He runs a company that does commercial electrical work for large and small organizations, and recently told me of a large, multi-site church in a metropolitan city he did work for six months ago that still hasn’t paid him. Every time he asks about the outstanding invoice he gets another excuse, even when connecting with senior leadership.

“The check is sitting on the Executive Pastor’s desk– he just hasn’t had time to sign it…”

“We’re just so busy, but we’re planning to mail it soon… “

“It didn’t go out yet? Really? Um, I’ll have to check…”

Every time he asked over the course of six months, another excuse was given that eroded their credibility. He finally said he gave up trying to talk to anyone. “It’s not like they don’t have the money,” he said. “They’re opening up a third campus”

It doesn’t matter how much you spend on marketing, branding, promotions, or buildings to reach people if you can’t walk the talk.

This includes people who do work for you.

 

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Free Replay 10/7

If you weren’t lucky enough to score a ticket to the ThatChurch Conference in Atlanta last month, they are replaying sessions **FOR FREE** on Monday & Tuesday.

Be sure to check it out: https://live.thatcc.com/?sc=TXWatiZ9&ac=HPdzOwKG

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ThatChurch Conference Notes

 

First, I want to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone who came to today’s session! As promised, here is a link to view the notes so we can all make the world a better place and save a few trees in the process.

If you have questions, or want help thinking about how to level up your current website, feel free to reach out: dnicole (at) AspireOne (dot) com

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RFP Questions to Ask

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1) How would you help us solve this problem?

2) Who else have you helped?

3) What will it take to get us there? (time, budget, resources)

That’s it.

Don’t get me wrong. I understand where a Request for Proposal comes from and the purpose it can serve. But oftentimes an organization believes it needs to know HOW to solve the problem when creating the RFP and subsequently compares costs against executing that solution.

But it doesn’t matter which car we drive if we’re headed in the wrong direction. Don’t feel the pressure to figure out the how—That’s a big part of what you’re paying for.

Instead, tell them what needs to be fixed and look for a team that truly seeks to understand your needs, your culture and has the experience to back them up. Chances are high the proposed solution may not be what you expect but you’ll be delighted with the results.

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Six Lies About Logos

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Okay, “lies” might be a bit extreme, but it’s true they’re often misunderstood or misperceptions.

When done right, brand identities can be an instant way to communicate the vision, values, and what someone can expect at your church or ministry. They can break down barriers, pave the way to connect new people, and focus your culture. When done wrong, it can reflect an inaccurate image, create divisions, or even be misleading.

So without further ado, let’s cover six of  the most common misperceptions ministries have about brand identities.

Lie #1 : Identities Don’t Matter Much

Brands, logos, and marketing are basically all just fluff anyway, right? Wrong. We live in a visual culture and how we communicate matters. People form impressions about who we are and what we do based on how we communicate. Having an identity that accurately reflects the heart, vision, and culture of your church can go a long way in reaching people and overcoming misperceptions.

But before you start sketching up ideas, be clear about what you want to communicate, and who you’re communicating to.

Your identity is a channel for connecting people to your vision and needs to be viewed with a strategic lens.

It’s less about which color or font you like best, but what these things say to the people you’re trying to reach.

Lie #2 : It’s Critical to be Literal

I mean, how will anyone know this is a church if we don’t include a cross, dove, and a picture of the building? And of course we can’t forget adding a globe to reflect our heart for missions… Stop it. Just stop it. Your church is more than your building.

The best marks are the ones that allow room for you to fill it with meaning and point people back to the vision.

Embrace simplicity and create conversations, remembering the identity will always be delivered in context. If the logo is on your business card, chances are you’re handing it to someone. The sign on your building? People are on the campus. Your website? There are lots of opportunities to tell the rest of the story. The Nike swoosh is one of the most recognized identities on the planet and it’s not a picture of a pair of shoes.

Lie #3 : Copying is Okay

If we just copy what another church created, it’s not a big deal, right? What they’re doing seems to be working, so it’ll probably work for us, too, right?

Don’t get me wrong—it’s okay to be inspired by others. But when inspiration stops short and becomes imitation, you’re robbing your church of the unique identity God intended for your ministry. Invest the time to make the ideas that inspired you your own.

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Lie #4 : The More the Merrier

Some churches may think an identity isn’t important at all, and then there are others infected with logo-itis. It almost feels like Oprah showed up one day and stared handing them out. “YOU get a logo, and YOU get a logo…”

Unfortunately, when every ministry has its own identity, it splinters the collective identity of the church.

Worse yet, we’re setting these ministries up to compete with each other for the congregation’s attention. When everyone has their own look, feel, and voice within the same church, it runs the risk of brand schizophrenia.

There’s enough already trying to compete for people’s attention—the last thing we want to do is compete with ourselves.

A simple rule of thumb that’s worked for many churches is to draw a clean line in the sand: If a ministry has its own weekend worship service, it’s okay to have its own logo because they’re serving a distinct audience with distinct needs. (For example, Children & Students = Yes. Ministries such as Men’s, Women’s, and Redheaded Knitters Named Marge = No.)

Just remember to include your church’s primary logo on any mailings or communication tools these ministries use so everyone is clear your student ministry is still part of the church and not an island unto themselves.

Lie #5 : Rollouts Can Be Random

It’s painful to think about, but there are ministries large and small that have invested a ton of time, energy, and resources into creating a new identity but then completely dropped the ball when it came to introducing their bouncing new baby brand to the world.

One pastor thought if he just started casually mentioning the new name during his weekend messages, people would somehow subconsciously get used to it and be more open to the change. Another very large church thought it’d be okay to just start using the new logo on envelopes containing year-end giving statements before the new website (or anything else) was ready because, “It was just sitting there not being being used.” The congregation had no idea a change was even on the horizon in both cases.

When something as visible as your identity changes, there’s a powerful opportunity to cast vision and celebrate stories.

Don’t let it slip by. Take time to think about when the best time might be to roll out your new identity, how it might align with other opportunities, and above all, tell people WHY it matters.

Lie #6 : A New Brand Will Fix It

This happens a lot—Attendance is flat or has started to decline, the church wants to do a better job of reaching younger (or different) people than they’re currently reaching, the people in the pews aren’t as friendly as they should be, or perceptions need to be shifted to emphasize a focus on serving.

The solution? Maybe creating a new identity that feels more hip, diverse, friendly, outward-focused, or fill-in-the-blank will magically fix these problems and change who they are on the inside as well. Ah, if it were only that simple.

It’s true that a new brand identity can go a long way in recharging the batteries of a ministry, but ultimately changes need to happen on the inside as well for it to be effective. (And authentic)

 

Does this make sense? What misperceptions have you run in to?

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Shift: Uncovering New Opportunities for Growth :: WFX 2017

This is my first year speaking at WFX and I couldn’t be more excited to be here. THANK YOU to everyone who participated in the session. In an effort to save as many trees as possible (my planet-protecting daughter thanks you)….

**Here you can find the notes version of today’s session**

If you have additional questions, or if I can serve your ministry in some capacity, please feel free to email me: Dnicole@AspireOne.com