Using Social Media in Your Congregation

These general principles may help guide congregations in their social media use. A sample Facebook Policy from the Emerson Unitarian Universalist Church (PDF) is a great starting point for congregations looking to develop similar policies.

Consider the Big Picture

• Before creating a social media presence on one or more sites, discuss questions like “What is the mission of our congregation and how will that mission be furthered by use of new media tools? What kinds of conversations do we want to have online and what kinds of information do we want to share? What are the larger goals of our social media use?”

Welcome Visitors

• Any public site will be seen by people who are new to your congregation, as well as by congregants.
• Put the congregation’s best foot forward; avoid unnecessary airing of “dirty laundry.”
• Your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other new media site might be the first point-of-contact that a newcomer has with your congregation; help them take the next step to get more engaged.
• Link to your main congregation’s website and if there’s a place to do so, post basic information like your congregation’s location, contact information, and service times.

Update at Least Weekly

• Keep your social media presence up-to-date by posting content on a regular basis (whether that’s once a day, once a week, or somewhere in between). Hopefully, people will look forward to reading your blog, listening to your podcast, or otherwise engaging with your congregation online! But if your content dries up without explanation, newcomers may be confused and regular listeners or readers may be disappointed.

Engage the Congregation

• Facebook pages, Twitter feeds, blogs, etc. that represent the congregation should be authorized by an appropriate congregational committee or process.
• Share administrative access to the congregation’s social media tools among relevant leaders and staff within the congregation. More than one person should have full administrative access to the congregation’s Facebook page, Twitter feed, blog, or other new media sites.
• Announce the establishment of a new Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other congregational social media endeavor. Good venues for such an announcement may include an e-mail to the congregation, a story in the congregation’s newsletter,  a poster on the congregational bulletin board, or a post on the congregation’s existing social media sites.
• Encourage congregants to participate in the congregation’s social media presence. For example, welcome congregants to post comments on the congregational blog or write on the wall of the congregation’s Facebook page.

Consider Safety and Confidentiality

• Use a tone in your text, audio, and video content that reflects the values of your congregation. Establish clear expectations for behavior by both content creators (i.e. the people writing blog posts, wall posts, Tweets, etc.) and commenters (i.e. the people who are commenting on a blog, responding to a wall post, responding to Tweets, etc.)
• Content moderation policies are a good way to clarify what kinds of comments and feedback are allowed on your site. The UUA’s Facebook page policy is:

  “The UUA has the right to delete any inappropriate content from this page, including but not limited to: irrelevant content, hateful content, attacks against an individual, financial solicitations, endorsements of a political candidate or party, and content that violates Facebook’s terms of use, code of conduct, or other policies. Content that violates Facebook’s policies may also be reported.”

Covenant

You may also find it helpful to have a covenant among people who manage and produce content for the congregation’s social media tools.

• Consistently enforce the stated policies.
• Err on the side of honoring reasonable expectations of confidentiality.
• Do not post photos of children unless you have the consent of their guardian.
• If an event is being recorded or photographed for the congregation’s blog, Facebook page or other online site, notify participants in advance and at the event, and provide an opt-out option if possible.

Learn More

How do these suggestions fit with your congregation’s experience? Are there other issues that should be considered as part of a congregation’s new media policy? Join the UU Social Media Lab on Facebook to discuss them.

• Webinar: Harnessing the Power of Social Media for Our Congregations: by the UUA Central East Regional Group (CERG)
• Sample Social Media Policy of the UU Congregation of Atlanta from UU Planet Media