How to Use Facebook to Promote Your Church (Or Other Religious Non- Profit)

1. Facebook is free. Money can be an obstacle to church promotions, so free is good! If your church has budget constrints, take advantage of Facebook. (Even churches with big budgets can benefit from creating one or more Facebook profiles.)

2. Facebook doesn't require a lot of technical knowledge. Oftentimes, a church isn't able to establish a web presence because they simply don't have the human resources to do it. Facebook is extremely user-friendly. Anyone who's able to send and receive email would be able to establish and maintain a Facebook account for the church.

3. Facebook doesn't require a lot of time. Sure, everyone knows someone who spends an inordinate amount of time on Facebook, but that's the exception that proves the rule. Facebook itself does all the updates, security checks, and plug-ins for you. The only time required from the church is that of making the actual posts.

4. Facebook profile can be used in lieu of a web page. Today, more than ever, churches need to have a web presence. If your church isn't able to establish web presence with its own web page, use a Facebook profile instead. Reference your Facebook page in your print materials.

5. A Facebook page can serve as an on-line bulletin board. It's highly likely that many of your current members will "friend" or "become a fan" of your church's Facebook profile. Use this space to remind congregants of upcoming church events, volunteer opportunities, and special services.

6. A Facebook page can serve as a discussion room. Facebook is designed to have interactive on-line discussions in real time. It would take a lot of technical savvy to develop this feature on your own website, so take advantage of this Facebook feature!

7. Emergency announcements can be sent via Facebook. Facebook allows users to "share" with (meaning send a message to) up to 5,000 people at a time. For example, if your church services are canceled due to inclement weather, you could use Facebook as a medium to make that announcement.

8. Facebook provides broader exposure and visibility for your church. Facebook is one more way to get your church's name and message "out there". It's likely that a friend of a friend will see your church on someone's profile and check it out from there.

9. Facebook is designed for action. Media from the last millennium- TV, radio, print ads- were designed as broadcast tools. In other words, they provide one-way communication with no expectation of a response. Facebook is designed for immediate response. For example, if you posted a call for volunteers on your Facebook page; you're likely to get responses in the comment section of your Facebook page.

10. Facebook shows that your church is keeping up with the times. One of the major criticisms of organized religion is that it doesn't transfer into "today's world". What could be more "today" than having a Facebook page for your church?