If we believe why we do what we do and how we do what we do matters, it is only natural to want to invite others to be a part of this community. But how do you do that effectively, personally, and in a non-intrusive way?
In years past, many churches spent thousands of dollars mailing out professional fliers or postcards, plastering the roadways with church signs, or hosting a “back to church Sunday” where all the members were asked to invite a friend to attend worship.
When you really think about it, what makes your church’s flier any different from the dozens of advertisements local residents already receive? Or how do any of these methods effectively set your church apart from the endless other options in town? How are any of these methods really telling the story of your community?
There is a much easier, cheaper, more effective, more personal, and more authentic way to expand our connection with Baton Rouge. It will allow us to tell the story of UBC through the eyes of those who are engaged in the community of UBC, as well as share the various initiatives in which we engage.
It is a simple method, really. It will not require much effort. In reality, you participate in this very thing multiple times every single day.
We are inviting you to repurpose how you use social media while you are engaging the UBC community.
In a world gone social, where 71% of adults are on Facebook and check-in to this social media outlet on average 110 times a day, it makes sense that we utilize it to expand our connectivity.
Whether our members are participating in a Sunday morning worship gathering, attending an connection group, participating in the Family Tree Café, or want to promote an upcoming initiative, there are a few simple things we can do to expand UBC’s reach:
1. Check-In During UBC Initiatives
Facebook and Instagram check-ins allow your friends to see what you are doing and what matters to you. When you think about it, it is a very non-intrusive way to tell the story of UBC. They’re the opposite of those awkward church invites that leave you wondering if your friend is now going to put you at a distance.
Consider that after seeing your repeated check-ins, a friend may ask what UBC is up to, what we are all about, or where UBC is located.
One simple check-in will allow UBC to connect with over 200 friends on social media. It is a personal referral to UBC, tells the story of our community, generates attention to UBC’s Facebook and Instagram pages, gives a map of where we are located, and generates an organizational rating which gives UBC more traffic on social media.
To check-in on Facebook, select to make a new post on your Facebook app. Select the “Check In,” type “University Baptist Church,” and pick the corresponding selection. Type a short message about what you are doing at UBC, what you love about this faith community, or commentary on the worship music, sermon, or other elements.
To check-in on Instagram, select to make a new post on your Instagram app. Add a new image (a selfie with another member, a group of people from the church, the worship guide, etc). Click “next” to filter the image. Click “next” and select “Add Location.” When the screen prompts you, type “University Baptist Church” and pick the corresponding selection. If needed, write a caption before sharing.
2. Invite Friends to “Like” and “Follow” UBC Baton Rouge Social Media
The more “likes” a Facebook page and “followers” on Instagram has the more attention Facebook and Instagram generates to the page or handle. This translates into more people hearing the story of our church community. It’s free advertising!
To invite friends to “like” UBC on Facebook, go to the Facebook app. Under the search bar find “University Baptist Church Baton Rouge” or “@ubcbr.” On UBC’s Facebook page, scroll down to find “Invite Friends,” and select this. On the “Invite Friends” page select the friends you want to invite to like UBC by selecting the “Invite” button next to their names. You can also search for specific friends you want to invite under the search bar on the “Invite Friends” page. Be sure to “like” UBC yourself.
To invite friends to “follow” UBC on Instagram, search for “UBCBatonRouge” and pick the corresponding selection. On the UBC page, tap the “…” (3 dot) option next to UBCBatonRouge heading. On the pop-up, scroll down to find “Share this Profile” and select it. Type in the name of the friend that you want to “follow” UBC, write a message (if needed), and select “send.”
3. Share UBC Posts
UBC will begin to schedule social media posts a few times per day about our various initiatives, core values, upcoming opportunities, and more. Each time UBC posts, Facebook generates and regenerates attention to the post based on the amount of traffic the page and post is receiving. If a post is getting minimal attention, then it will be washed in the sea of social media posts. If a post is getting great attention, it will appear more on people’s feeds and regenerate throughout the day.
To share UBC posts on Facebook, go to the UBC page on Facebook and find the post you’d like to share. If a post you’d like to share appears in your newsfeed, then the following steps apply, too. On the corresponding post, select “Share” at the bottom of the post. Provide a comment about the post and click “Share Now.”
To share UBC posts on Instagram, go to the UBC page on Instagram and find the post you’d like to share. If a post you’d like to share appears in your newsfeed, then the following steps apply, too. On the corresponding post, select the arrow icon at the bottom of the post. On the pop-up, select “Add post to your story.” On the next page, select the encircled plus sign “Your Story” at the bottom of the page.
Andy’s Investment for Your Simple Investment
While these might seem like three insignificant ways to expand our connection within UBC and the greater community, over time it will make a difference to the thousands of people who observed a check-in for worship, participation in a particular UBC initiative, the sharing of a post about why we do what we do, and heard the story about the church in Baton Rouge that serves the needs around them.
This is a simple investment with which we are asking you to help. In return, Andy will make a large investment.
For every check-in UBC receives, Andy will give $1 to a partnering organization making a difference in the world. That’s $1 of his personal money for every check-in.