Home Outreach Leaders Outreach & Missions How To's 24 Social Media "Dos" and "Don'ts"

24 Social Media "Dos" and "Don'ts"

DOS:

1. Promote the good, interesting, useful work of others; direct people to helpful resources that aren’t produced by you.

2. Share things you know your audience will find valuable. Think of their interests before your own. (e.g., If you are a food critic, tweet about the best new restaurant you’ve found. You’re audience is following you for your expertise in stuff like this).

3. Respond to people’s questions when they ask them; ask your audience questions. Interact.

4. Say thanks to people who say something nice to you or about you on social media.

5. Be positive, affirming, uplifting, earnest (rather than negative, cynical, critical, ironic).

6. When you do post about yourself, don’t be overly mechanic or self-aware. Be natural, real, authentic.

7. If you lead a church/ministry, be especially careful how you communicate on social media. You are representing your church/ministry, whether you want to or not. And for any Christian: you are representing Christ.

8. Let others talk up your books, articles or products on social media. On occasion, feel free to retweet the praise-giving tweets of others (but only rarely).

9. Use social media to bless others: share Bible verses, affirmative quotes … things that can brighten another’s day and/or spread the gospel. Those types of messages resonate.

10. Use social media to enhance communities but not replace them.

11. Quickly communicate important and timely information (e.g., if you are a church: service times, last minute venue changes, etc).

12. If you are a leader or respected figure, respond to local or world events with a comforting, wise voice of authority.