Numerous churches lack a dedicated marketing or PR director to manage social media. An employee of the church with a multitude of other duties, an intern, or a volunteer must handle this duty.
It can be challenging to monitor all you need to do when it comes to social media, and it only takes one mistake to harm the church’s reputation as a whole.
The list of significant social media no-nos provided here is meant to assist you.
Opinions on Politics
Although this is true at all times, it is especially important to avoid publishing anything political during this divisive political season, even if you believe that the majority of your congregation shares your views.
The social media pages for your church are not the place for politics. You must take into account not only the members of your congregation but also those you hope to influence outside of your church.
You don’t want to reject someone because of a social media post before they’ve ever entered your church.
Questionable Memes
Even though most memes are amusing and not necessarily terrible, there are several that you should never share on your church’s social media pages. Anger or a contentious debate might arise from a message even when there was no malice intended.
You might unintentionally share something offensive on behalf of the church because individuals occasionally misinterpret the content or intent of a meme.
Any Inappropriate Behavior
Do not distribute, post, or comment on any inappropriate content. Even following questionable accounts is not an exception.
It may vary from church to church what is considered inappropriate, but as a general rule, avoid posting anything that contains profanity, graphic violence, nudity, or hate speech. Make sure your account is appropriate for family use.
Prayer Requests and Unauthorized Photos
Never publish images of members of your church without their consent. You must obtain parental permission before posting, especially when it concerns children. Many parents don’t want to see their children’s faces on the internet or social media.
Additionally, never discuss a prayer request from a member of your church in public without that person’s consent. Some people might prefer that their prayer requests remain confidential and only discussed within the church rather than publicly shown online.
The Incorrect Emoji
Emojis are widely used, and many of them have many meanings. Before you use an emoji, be sure you understand all of its meanings. You could feel awkward if you unintentionally use an emoji inappropriately, even if you mean well.
Internal Information
Sharing sensitive internal information with your congregation, such as an update on church finances or particular needs, is frequently a wise move. These must be handled delicately and never posted on social media.
Allow church leadership to share confidential internal information at appropriate times appropriately.
Conclusion
Remain positive or neutral while posting and commenting because you are doing so on behalf of your church. If someone leaves a critical comment, either take the high road or offer to talk about it privately rather than publicly offline.
If someone leaves an offensive comment, you can delete it and prevent them from engaging with your account in the future. You want to maintain a supportive and upbeat social media presence for your church.
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