Have you been on Facebook for over a year but yet you only have under 1000 followers? Are you posting content 2-3 times a day but yet your engagement is low? Do you have a huge following but your content isn’t getting many likes? You are probably making 1 of these 5 mistakes that a lot of Pastors are making on Facebook. Don’t worry. For each mistake, we have a solution you can put into practice today to get results.
Mistake #1 Not Knowing Your Audience
Not knowing who you want to communicate with on Facebook will waste your time, energy, and money. A lot of Pastors make the mistake of wanting to reach everyone. Out of the 2 billion people on Facebook, it’s impossible to reach everyone. You’re competing for your audience’s attention along with the millions of other ministries on Facebook. And if we’re honest, not everyone will be attracted to your ministry. You will have a unique set of people who are called to you and your ministry.
Solution # 1
Think about who your ideal person is, the one who will really engage with your content, the one who will like and react to your post. Think about your sermon messages. Are they geared toward women? Are they more for men? Think about your style of preaching. Are your messages “old school” or do they resonate with millennials? Once you think this through, it will help you serve your ideal person better. (PS it’s ok if your online audience is different from the members at your physical location)
Mistake #2 Thinking your fan page or ministry page is all about you.
It’s easy to get caught up in your ministry agenda that you miss your opportunity to serve. You have to realize that your social media page (although your name is on it) is not about you. It’s about serving the people connected to you. Ever heard the saying; the Customer is always right? Well in this case your audience is number one.
Solution # 2
Build content based on what your audience needs.
Think about the questions you get asked on a regular basis from people in your church. You can turn the answers for those questions into a content you can post on Facebook. Also don’t be afraid to ask your audience how can you serve them. You’re in ministry right? Don’t be afraid to serve.
Mistake #3 Not posting enough
You can’t just post one time on Facebook and walk away. You have to remember you are fighting for people’s attention alongside so many other ministries and companies. It’s easy to get distracted on Facebook. Depending on the size of your page you need to post consistently and regularly. People interact better with ministries who are consistent and have a regular posting schedule.
Solution #3
Get some type of content calendar or a consistent strategy to post regularly at least a few times a week. Facebook has a scheduler where you can upload content months out and once its scheduled that’s one less thing you have to worry about.
Mistake # 4 Using your personal page instead of a fan page.
This is way too common with ministries but it’s also not the best strategy. Your personal profile should not be used like you would a fan page especially if you are selling anything or asking for donations. This is a huge violation to Facebook terms of service and if you get caught your account can be shut down. Keep your personal profile as a way to connect but don’t do business from there.
Solution # 4
Create a fan page. Use that to interact with your audience. If you ever want to advertise to your audience, you can’t do that from a person profile. It’s ok to minister on your personal profile but any type of business dealing should only be done on a fan page. For the Pastors that don’t want all types of friend request and people invading your privacy always use a fan page.
Mistake # 5 Asking for seeds and donations before establishing a relationship with your audience.
You can’t create a few posts, get a few likes and expect people to sow into your ministry. If it were that easy, everyone would be doing it. Ministry is about relationship. Your online audience is different from your church members. Your church members know you but your online audience is getting to know you. Like any relationship, it takes time to grow. You have to remember that you’re not the only ministry online asking for seed and donations. Chances are that your online audience has seen and heard it all. What makes you different?
Solution # 5
Build a relationship. How do you build a relationship? By showing up, communicating, and helping your audience solve their spiritual problems. A good relationship takes time and this is not an overnight process. People will need to hear and/or see you at least 7 times before they ever buy into your content.