A HYPER-LOCAL APPROACH TO SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media offers a promise to reach the whole world. Should ministries focused on reaching a local audience even care about social media?

When we think about using the Internet for ministry, our minds are drawn to a global audience and a call to reach the entire world. After all, this is the “world wide web.” But as we say so often at MII, digital ministry is much more than reaching a wide audience. 

Social media was created to build community. Relational engagement is at the heart of most social media platforms, and these can be a powerful tool for ministries seeking to move people from the crowd to the core of their engagement efforts. For ministries called to reach a local audience, social media provides a great opportunity to quickly establish relationships with supporters, volunteers, and beneficiaries of your ministry. 

Knowing how to utilize social media to reach out to the local community can open new engagement channels for your ministry. Here are five practical tips for engaging with a local community through social media.

1) Engage in conversations: Use social media as a platform to start conversations and engage with local community members. Ask questions, join in on discussions, or post polls to get feedback from local followers. Digital conversations can be an effective way to open the door to meaningful face to face connections with people within the local area.

2) Showcase local events: If upcoming meetings or events are happening in the local community, post them on social media! Promoting ministry events is a great way to reach out, inform people of what’s happening in their area, and invite people into your gathering. Some platforms have reservation tools, or plugins that allow your audience to RSVP right from the post. 

3) Utilize familiar visuals: Photos or videos from the community can grab people’s attention and be an effective way to signal that your ministry is local. People are more likely to react to and interact with visuals they recognize and inherently care about things happening in the place where they live. 

4) Promote partnerships with others in your area: Is your ministry working with a local business or organization that is benefiting the local community? If so, promote your work together. Show people that your team cares about others and is actively working that out in your community. If you aren’t currently working with another organization, consider who you might partner with to better accomplish your mission.

5) Invite your audience to connect: Remember to make a strong call to action inviting your audience to engage with your team, if that is an outcome that you’re working toward. This is always good advice, but the advantage that local ministries have over a global team is that they have multiple ways to connect in person. Use this to your advantage and create opportunities to invite people into a deeper conversation with your team. 

Utilizing social media to engage with the local community is essential for any ministry looking to make a lasting impact within their area. By following these five tips, ministries can create content that effectively reaches out and engages with their local community.