The Biggest Church Facebook Page Mistake
In our previous post, we shared how we still find Facebook to be an important platform for faith communities and non profits to make use of.
The necessity of your Facebook page is very similar to the necessity of your website.
You need to have your Facebook profile set up to keep your community searchable online.
However, simply having an account set up is not enough.
Click here for the video version of this post.
And the Biggest Church Facebook Page Mistake is…
In fact, we would say the biggest Church Facebook page mistake that you can make is not being more intentional about your Church Facebook page
Specifically, you absolutely 100% unequivocally need to have your “About” information filled out to keep your account accurate and helpful.
I cannot tell you how many times we have landed on a Church Facebook Page and not been able to quickly or easily tell:
- Where they are located
- What their website is
- How to reach out to them
- Anything unique about them
- When their worship is
And so much more…
How to Set Up Your Church Facebook Page
You need to optimize it well.
That’s just fancy language to say you need to use your Church Facebook Page the way it was meant to be used: to provide people insight into who you are.
It’s not enough just to set one up.
Now, we don’t think you need to post every day on this platform.
Heck, we won’t even be mad if you can’t keep up with weekly Facebook posts.
But you do need to add the proper information to your page.
Let’s start with your…
Church Facebook Page Photo
If you have a logo, make this your profile photo.
If you don’t, consider going through the process of establishing one. This can be an extremely beneficial tool to help your followers remember who you are and recognize your account on multiple social platforms.
If you aren’t ready to go through that process at this point and are determined to use a photo, at least commit to consistency.
Use this same photo on every platform you sign up for, not different photos in different spaces.
Church Facebook Cover Photo
Yes, you need both a profile photo and a cover photo.
We recommend using your cover photo to showcase unique ministries of your community OR upcoming events and seasons that you want to keep top of mind for your people.
There is a user-friendly basic graphics design application called Canva that we recommend for creating beautiful cover photos combining photos and text about your ministry.
You can use the free version of Canva, purchase the Pro version, OR use your 501c3 status (if applicable) to apply for free access to the Pro version.
We have videos about applying for Canva Pro and making your first design on Canva in our Digital Ministry Training Hub, along with more videos outlining how to make specific designs using this application.
Update Your Bio Information
This small section is one of the first things users will see when they come across your Facebook page.
It will quickly tell them:
- Your community name
For us: Digivangelism
- The most important thing they need to know about you
For us: We exist to help progressive leaders of spiritual communities share hope, healing, and light online.
- What type of entity you are.
For us: Marketing agency… For you, church? Non profit? Synagogue? Ministry?
- Your email address.
For us: [email protected]
- Your website
For us: digivangelism.org
I know this all seems absolutely basic. But it’s also absolutely crucial.
You wouldn’t believe the amount of communities we come across who do not share this essential information on their Facebook page.
Unfortunately, that means anyone who tries to tag or show this community via their Facebook page, will be sharing a page that doesn’t lead people anywhere.
If people can’t find your website or contact information from your Facebook page, how will they ever reach out with a question?
And there are even more opportunities for sharing contact information in your “About” section…
Update About Section
As you can see here, there is space for your physical address, phone number, and social media links within your about section.
Maybe there will be more you’ll want to fill in or include, but these are the heavy hitters.
Facebook users who come across your Facebook Page need to know where you are physically located. They need to know how to call you.
And if you have any level of activity on your community social media pages, wouldn’t you want people who come across you on Facebook to know about it?
Many social media users may find you on Facebook through a tag, but ultimately be more active following your community on their favorite platform, which may not be Facebook.
- Instagram.
- TikTok.
- Twitter.
Connect only the social media platforms that you have been and will continue to be active on. There’s no need to share platforms that you have neglected for several years. Link them up only after you’ve started using them again regularly.
Optimize Your Facebook Page
Including essential information about your community on your Facebook Page is a good place to start with Facebook, but there is much more to be done as far as optimizing the page for users.
In fact, we needed two whole Hub videos to describe the process.
Become a Hub member to dive into these videos on how to optimize your Facebook Page for new eyes that may come across or search for your community through videos, “How to Optimize Your Facebook Page (Basic Version)” and “How to Optimize Your Facebook Page (Advanced Version),.”