Should Your Church Be on Instagram?

Instagram is much more than pretty pictures and viral dances: it’s an incredibly powerful platform that your church can use to spread The Message in a powerful way. Instagram users gravitate towards content that is meaningful and tells a story. 

We’re kicking off a four-part series on Instagram for Churches: things you need to know, inspirational ideas, and ways to use IG to complement your outreach strategy.

Should your church be on Instagram? Let’s find out.

Who is on instagram?

There are over 1.21 BILLION users on Instagram every month – and that number is expected to increase by about 7% each year. You just might be surprised by how many of your church members and community are on Instagram every day. 

Do you know the median age of your church members? How about the age of people you’d like to share your message with? Turns out, you can probably find both on Instagram.

Instagram Users by Age

Here are a few more statistics to help you understand just how valuable this platform can be:

• 59% of United States adults use Instagram every day.
• Users spend an average of 28 minutes on the app daily.
• Instagram has one of the highest engagement rates of all social media platforms. 
• 91% of active users watch Instagram videos weekly. 

The Great Commission says..."go"

Let’s talk about the bigger picture: The Great Commission. After all, Jesus specifically calls on us to go out into the world and preach the Gospel. Social media represents an unprecedented opportunity to reach more than half of the world’s population… from where you are standing this very second. I believe “Go” has an additional meaning today - based on the technology we have at our very fingertips!

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

Matthew 28:18-20

Be a Light

Almost 70% of adults and over 80% of teens in the U.S. use social media on a regular basis. Sadly, social media has also been widely linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety, cyber bullying, isolation, and more. 

So why should your church be active on social media with all of the negative effects? We think it’s pretty simple: you are a church with an incredibly positive message. If people are spending their time on social media, we should be postingThe Message that we have been commissioned to share with the World. 

Benefits of Using Instagram

There are numerous benefits of using social media. Here are some that we’ve seen:

Did we mention social media accounts are free? You can pay to advertise or boost your posts to a wider audience, but posts themselves are free to make. All you need to invest is your time and some creativity and you’ll see great returns!

Instagram has some benefits that differentiate it from the other social media platforms

It’s photo-centered. This is the best platform to visibly display your church’s culture and presence in the community. Think of gorgeous photos of your congregation in fellowship or gritty images of your youth group volunteering to clean up a neighborhood. Stories are told with photos.

Instagram has a strong youth presence making this the best platform to focus on the next generation of Christians. 

Instagram generally delivers 58 times more engagement per follower than Facebook, and 120 more times than Twitter. 

So, what do you think? Should your church be on Instagram? If so, keep your eyes open for our next article where we’ll be discussing some Key Instagram Elements you’ll need to get started. 

Rethinking Evangelism^® – by delmar^®

Our team is passionate about helping churches grow. Our blog talks about ways to build and reinforce your community’s perceptions about your church – so be sure to follow along for more tips, ideas, and advice. Subscribe so you don’t miss out!

If Instagram is something you’re interested in, but you don’t have the capacity to take this on yourself, we’re happy to work directly with your church. Simply contact us to start the conversation.