3. Create digital content for your community that is uniquely designed for each platform.
Each channel is designed to be used uniquely, so we must use each channel as intended. This means not all content needs to be shared everywhere. And not all content is suitable for every social media platform. Every platform has its own audience and style. And each audience has expectations for what they want to see on the platform. Getting this wrong, especially on social media, can affect how well posts perform.
While we’re on the subject, it’s called social media because it’s built to allow people to be social. That means asking questions, commenting, complimenting, and even complaining. If you don’t engage in social media just because of a fear of negative comments, that’s the wrong approach. If you don’t have an outlet for people to communicate their opinions, it doesn’t mean they won’t; it just means you may not see it and, therefore, can’t engage with it.
4. Create content that engages the heart, warrants a reaction, and elicits a deeper connection.
Content alone doesn’t lead to engagement or movement. Community and connection do. Where possible, content should create comments that lead to conversation and connection.
5. Invest your time and skills in the platforms where you will most likely reach and engage with your target audience.
We mentioned this in tip #3. Each platform has a mission, purpose, and unique audience. For example, Instagram is heavy on visuals. In contrast, Twitter allows you to inject some personality into your posts and engage with followers. You can’t do it all, and you shouldn’t try. That’s not strategic or intentional. Becoming more “hybrid” doesn’t mean you add every possible digital outlet. It does mean you add the channels that strategically support your movement model within the skills and resources you currently have.
But don’t miss this: your TARGET AUDIENCE is who we are trying to reach.
1. STRANGERS, FRIENDS, FAMILY, and FOLLOWERS. Each of these people groupings require a unique approach. And each digital option is best utilized for one or two of these categories.
2. Where is your audience? This is a critical question for us to answer correctly. So many church consultants push digital ministry as if we are all Life Church, North Point, or Hillsong. We are not attempting to reach the world. Our audience is our community. We’re trying to engage and move people from STRANGER to FOLLOWER. We can’t do that exclusively online. If you reach people outside of your community with your digital expressions, that’s fine. It’s great, in fact. But they aren’t our target. We are focused on our community. So where are they specifically? They are at home, work, school. They are on social media, they have email, and some listen to podcasts.
6. Ensure each digital channel adds movement to your discipleship pathway.
I can’t say this enough: We are creating a discipleship journey! Digital can play an essential role in our movement model IF we understand how each channel is best used AND with which category to best use it.
Let’s Use Digital Intentionally!
For so long, we’ve added digital options out of obligation. To maximize our mission, we must discover new and improved ways to leverage our time during the week and integrate our digital expressions into our in-person experiences. The better we use digital intentionally, the better we move forward our mission in the lives of the people we’re called to reach and serve.
This article on how to use digital intentionally orignally appeared here, and is used by the author’s kind permission.
