We all know churches have to have a social media presence. That’s a non-negotiable in today’s world.
And, at least initially, it was easy enough to manage it on our own. A Tweet here, a follow there, and some icons in the footer of our websites and emails. Set-it-and-forget-it, right?
Well, maybe once upon a time.
Because now? Social media moves at the speed of life – sometimes at the speed of light if the headlines are compelling enough – so more and more churches are hiring full-time help to handle the 24/7 influx of activity, engagements and opportunities.
If you’re a church plant or a small-to-medium church, the thought of hiring someone to manage your social presence seems lofty at best, and decadently impossible at worst.
But there’s another way – in fact, there are two!
And here, we’ll break down two of our contractor services – Social Media Managers and Virtual Assistants – so you can decide which one is right for your church – and realize why you probably need one, like yesterday!
The Breakdown
Social Media Manager vs. Virtual Assistant |
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| Virtual Assistant | Social Media Manager | |
| Schedule pre-written and pre-approved social media content | ✅ | ✅ |
| Proof and edit prepared content | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compile free use stock photos, or images that already have licensing rights | ✅ | ✅ |
| Maintain basic editorial calendar | ✅ | ✅ |
| Monitor activity across platforms and alert and follow up when comments and messages need to be responded to | ✅ | ✅ |
| Establish regular social presence by sharing articles, blog posts and more to LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram | ✅ | ✅ |
| Research the best graphic design websites, social media tools and scheduling software for a team to implement | ✅ | ✅ |
| Compile basic social media posts such as quotes, relevant articles and stock photos for the purpose of brand awareness | ✅ | ✅ |
| Identify your audience on social media | ✅ | |
| Identify your target audience and engage with your audience/online community on social media | ✅ | |
| Monitor competing brands | ✅ | |
| Understand current trends and implement new ideas when relevant | ✅ | |
| Determine what content resonates with your audience | ✅ | |
| Define brand voice and objectives for social media to inform what to post | ✅ | |
| Create and maintain a social media calendar | ✅ | |
| Define your sales funnel and KPIs | ✅ | |
| Develop brand voice and social media graphic standards | ✅ | |
| Write all social media copy | ✅ | |
| Collaborate with your team to create content that complements existing marketing emails/campaigns for your products or services | ✅ | |
| Develop your ads strategy | ✅ | |
| Determine appropriate analytics and developing a weekly, bi-weekly or monthly report of findings | ✅ | |
| Do keyword research | ✅ | |
| Provide customer service support through social media messages and comments | ✅ | |
| Determine how frequently to post and on what channels | ✅ | |
25 Things You Can Delegate to a Social Media Manager Today
“That list is great,” you say. “But I don’t understand what it would actually look like for my church day-to-day.”
We get it. Often, a view of the forest from 30,000 feet is helpful. Other times, however, it’s better to see each and every tree from the ground.
By now, you probably already know that delegation is one of the most effective tools in a church leader’s tool kit.
You also probably already know that delegation empowers your team and helps you grow your church.
So here are 25 tasks you can start delegating immediately with the help of a Social Media Manager.
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- The Development, Implementation & Management Of Social Media Strategies On Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, & More
- Increasing Engagement & Followers
- Handling All Commenting & Direct Messaging Across All Social Channels
- Creating Smaller, Segmented Interest Groups In Facebook To Help Connect People
- Developing & Managing A Monthly Content Calendar In Collaboration With Your Team
- Managing, Creating & Publishing Original, High-quality Content
- Researching People Groups To Better Reach Targeted Audiences
- Building An Online Community
- Monitoring Mentions & Tags Of Your Church In Others’ Social Media Accounts
- Measuring The Success Of Social Media Campaigns With Metrics To Help You See Increased Engagement & Traffic On Your Social Media Channels
- Guiding Your Team On The Early Adoption Of New Social Media Platforms
- Collaborating With Your Team To Create Relevant Content Based On The Season Of Ministry Or New Ministry Initiatives
- Engaging With Your Community As They Ask Questions Or Look For Additional Information On The Church
- Guiding Social Media Engagements By Providing Next Steps For Additional Connection
- Developing & Establishing Key Metrics With Your Team
- Providing Weekly & Monthly Reports Based On Metrics Specific To Your Church & Its Goals
- Curating Produced Content For Future Use
- Evaluating The Benefits Of Paid Ad Placements
- Leveraging Social Media To Engage Your Local Community
- Creating Content With Your Team That Connects With Your Community Or Target Groups
- Engaging With Other Churches And Networks In Your Community To Build Awareness And Possible Collaboration Opportunities
- Communicating The Vision And Culture Of Your Church With Your Community
- Identifying Brand Ambassadors That Will Share Your Content Even If They Don’t Attend Your Church
- Help Your Church Support Your Local Business Community By Seeking Out Opportunities And Events To Promote Through Your Social Media Channels
- Work On Creating A Diversity Of Content To Demonstrate The Culture And Personality Of Your Church
Sure, You’re Managing Your Social Just Fine. But What If It Could Be Great?
Social media has in large part leveled the exposure playing field, and its opportunities are endless for churches to increase community awareness and new members – all without paying to play like in the traditional advertising media days of yore.
And getting started with a Social Media Manager is the easiest thing you’ll do today.
It just takes one quick call to get started.