{"id":12995,"date":"2021-03-23T09:45:00","date_gmt":"2021-03-23T13:45:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/?p=12995"},"modified":"2023-05-02T14:08:39","modified_gmt":"2023-05-02T18:08:39","slug":"how-to-use-social-media-to-encourage-connection","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/womensministrytoolbox.com\/how-to-use-social-media-to-encourage-connection\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Use Social Media to Encourage Connection"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"Tried-and-true<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

One of the biggest struggles women\u2019s ministry leaders faced in this last year was finding creative ways to connect with their women between physical meetings<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media became a tool for leaders to use to encourage connection.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While many leaders set up closed Facebook groups for their women\u2019s ministry (see this post if you need help getting started<\/a>) and others have launched ministry Instagram accounts, it has still been a struggle to get women to respond and connect on a regular basis<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We can feel like we\u2019re throwing spaghetti against the wall. Maybe this will be the post that gets our women talking. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I\u2019ve spent almost 10 years learning how to use social media to cultivate connections and now I\u2019m using those skills in my own church to connect with our women via our Facebook group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today I\u2019m sharing some of the things I\u2019ve learned that will help you encourage connection through social media that carries over into real-life relationships.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before we talk about what to post, we need to think about WHY we post.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything we post should: <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Glorify God<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Encourage unity in Christ<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing. 1 Thessalonians 5:11<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable\u2014if anything is excellent or praiseworthy\u2014think about such things. Philippians 4:8<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    How we post is as important as what we post.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    The biggest mistake leaders make in using social media is that they speak AT their women instead of WITH their women.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    More often than not, social media feels like a blowhorn. We make announcement after announcement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    But what women want<\/strong> is for it to be engaging<\/strong>. They want to feel like they are gathered around a table, sipping coffee, and sharing with one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We tend to shovel information at women instead of creating conversation.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Here\u2019s the thing – conversations lead to connection.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

    To create a more conversational and engaging<\/strong> social media presence I recommend:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    • 20% of your posts be announcements<\/strong> \u2013 event publicity, etc.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • 80% be engagement <\/strong>posts \u2013 posts that encourage women to answer or comment<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n

      Announcement-type posts are our default, but we often struggle to create engagement posts. I’ve got some ideas to share that I think will help!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Examples of engagement post ideas:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

      1. General icebreaker questions<\/strong> provide opportunities for women to connect over shared experiences and preferences.  Questions related to food almost always get groups talking. What are you having for dinner tonight? What\u2019s your favorite flavor of ice cream?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      2. Spiritual icebreaker questions<\/strong> can subtly encourage women to spend more time in God\u2019s Word and be bolder in sharing their faith. What have you learned recently about the Bible or God? What is one Bible verse that gives you comfort in difficult times?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      3. Ask women to respond to a poll.<\/strong> You can use this tool to help with event plans, but you can also use polls as icebreakers. What do you drink first thing in the morning? Water, Coffee, Tea, Juice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      4. Ask women to respond using a GIF or emoji.<\/strong> Show us using only emojis how your time in God\u2019s Word was this morning. Share a GIF that describes your week so far.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      5. Share an article<\/strong> from a Christian website and ask your women to comment on it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      6. Host a Scripture reading challenge<\/strong> and ask women to share their reflections each day. Challenge women to read one Psalm a day or one chapter a week of a shorter book of the Bible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As women respond, you\u2019ll begin to see connections forming<\/strong>. As they share pieces of themselves with one another, relationships will begin to deepen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      A couple of weeks ago, I asked our women to share their favorite ice cream flavor during an unseasonably warm spell. The responses poured in! We discovered chocolate and butter pecan were clear favorites. Women responded to each other in the comments asking where they could purchase unique flavors that piqued their interest. One of our women even suggested we have an ice cream tasting party.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      One of the great things about encouraging women to connect online is that it can spill over into in-person interactions.<\/h4>\n\n\n\n

      One women\u2019s ministry leader shared with me that a post asking their group to share their favorite restaurant for lunch turned out better than they ever could have imagined. Not only did women share some great lunch spots, but they began making plans to eat together! I pray you\u2019ll see similar results.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      As I\u2019m sure you\u2019ve experienced, social media can be a rather divisive place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      To help our women stay focused on Christ and to encourage unity, there are some things I do not post:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Anything political, divisive, or sarcastic<\/strong>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      2. Quotes from authors, pastors, or speakers that do not align with my church\u2019s beliefs<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        To help you get started on creating connections through social media, I\u2019ve created a free resource<\/strong> for you \u2013 50 Ministry-Minded Social Media Questions<\/strong>. To receive the resource, complete the form below. It will be delivered to your email box.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Signing up for this resource will automatically place you on my email list, however, you are welcome to unsubscribe at any time.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

        <\/div>\n