Stories on social media have been around for a number of years. Snapchat started them in October 2013. They were so popular that Instagram introduced them in August 2016. Facebook then followed with Stories in October of 2017. Even Twitter tried them for a short period of time.
Whether you are using Instagram, Snapchat or Facebook, Stories are a very popular feature. The social media companies love to highlight them and people like to watch them. That means that Churches can be and should be making different story posts on a regular basis.
Here are a few examples:
- Get to Know Staffers or Volunteers. Here you are highlighting a staff member or volunteer so that people can get to know them. It can be fun and encouraging at the same time. It can be something where you post throughout the day different facts about the person.
- Short Devotionals. Believe it or not, you can communicate a lot in a minute. Highlight a passage (and include the link to it in the Story for people to read) and share something that stood out to you. It's a great way to encourage people in their relationship with Christ. Hook them early with a question or a statement that draws them in. The first few seconds of your devotional will be whether or not they will watch the rest of your devotional.
- Event Highlights. One of the best ways to show what your Church or ministry is doing is to post pictures about it after the event. You can share videos and pictures of people enjoying the event. It can also be a good way for you to highlight a future event and get people excited about what lies ahead.
- Fun Questions or Polls. Not everything your Church posts need to be spiritual or about the Church. You could post fun questions about the time of year, what is happening in your community, favorite foods, music, memories or something else entirely. There are lots of questions you could ask or polls you can post.
- Build Anticipation. Throughout the year there will be a variety of events or big announcements that your Church will make or do. Use the different features to countdown and build anticipation for what lies ahead. It keeps it front of mind and can be very fun, too.
Stories are great ways to engage people in what your Church is doing. These are just 5 different types, but there are many other ways to use Stories. Try and experiment as best you can because, as with all things, the more we try new things, the more likely we will discover something that really sticks and helps reach and encourage people eery time you post.
What do you think? What are some other Story post options your Church can make? Share your ideas below or on social media.
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