Using Social Media to Beat the Summer Slump in Giving

Get a story, work your story, tell your story, and people will give money to help support that story. That is one of my long-time mantras. You are starting into one of your most exciting ministry times of the year and one of the most challenging giving times of the year. I want to share with you how telling your story can and will increase your giving. Today, there is no better place to tell your story than on social media. So, as we prepare to defeat the slump in summer giving, this Coach is entitled Using Social Media to Beat the Summer Slump in Giving.

I just finished reading James Emery White’s Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian Digital Age. He has a section entitled “The Importance of Social Media” with these statistics:

• The World Economic Forum revealed that shopping through social media has increased by 30%.
• They also found that 64% of Gen Z and 62% of Millennials use social channels for product research or that social channels influence their purchasing.
• The rise of visually driven media has resulted in 95% of all teens watching it saying they can’t live without it. It’s also the primary place they get their news. ^1.

One point White makes is that now the Internet is the front door of the church. With so much now being visually driven, shouldn’t your church be there too? Of course. So, here are my thoughts on how to use social media to beat the summer slump in giving.

First, let’s get the tools we need, and those we already have, ready for use—three things specifically: your online giving platform, your church website, and your social media platform.

• Digital Giving Platform – It’s not enough to only provide online giving through your webpage. We must give multiple options by which people can give. While also providing for them all the ways possible to give. For instance, if you want to connect with younger generations, you better provide texting-giving options. If you don’t have all the current, up-to-date options, contact https://www.onlinegiving.org/.
• Website – Think of your website’s giving page as the main platform of your digital giving strategy. Spend time updating it, telling the “why” behind summer giving. As you will see in what follows, I recommend regular and consistent social media posts, telling your story and providing the URL link back to your website’s giving page. I recommend using the same URL across all digital platforms. Here is a tip, take time to look at the site on all your smart devices. An increasing amount of your giving is coming through handheld devices. Make sure your site is enhanced for mobile giving.
• Social Media Platform – The next thing you need is a plan for communicating the message, the why of the offering. Right now, there is no better place to get your message out than social media. Not only is this now America’s Front Porch, but also …

In the world of social media, there is no day or night. It’s always open and always on. We, the Church, need to think 24/7/365. After all, technology has now created for us a 24/7/365 day offering “plate.” So, let’s get social, social media.

What does the rise of social media mean for giving to your church? Social media gives you the perfect place to show and tell the amazing stories of life change your church does every day. When you show what your church is doing, it better positions you to ask people to support your work.

When it comes to increasing giving through social media, I have developed what I call the three A’s of social media strategy for my clients. When it comes to increasing giving, we use social media to:

Raise Awareness of what your church is doing and will be doing. We start telling the story of what we are attempting to raise funds for weeks in advance. We post pictures of the ministry or mission endeavor that the donations will support. We are helping your people become aware of the need for which you are going to ask for donations. What do you want your donors to be aware of this summer that might touch their hearts?

Call to Action in support of what your church is doing. During the period of our offering push, we post pictures with captions like, “Your generous gift now will enable us to __________. Please donate at…” We then put the link to our online giving page, the URL making it easy for them to give immediately. What can your donors do right now to help make a difference in lives this summer?

Give Appreciation for the impact their gift made to the Kingdom of God. Take the time to report back on how the generosity of your members allowed you to meet the need of the appeal. We try to have pictures of the result of the appeal. Simple text attached to those pictures says in essence, “Thanks to your generosity, ___________. Thank you, church!” Thanking your donors and showing them the results of their gift with pictures helps you set the stage for the next appeal.

I use social media to provide education, inspiration, and especially as a call to action. The number and degree to which you post giving related material depend upon each church’s culture and context. However, when we are attempting to offset a decline in giving during summer, at a time when we need more funds, you had better have a social media plan to support your now 24/7 offering plate.

Be sure and check out my Bonus Section for more help and advice for using social media.

Summer will be here before we know it. The work you do now will help you come July! Let’s keep you fully funded!

Mark Brooks – The Stewardship Coach
mark@acts17generosity.com

Missions and Ministry Moment (aka Offering Talk) – To access my Offering Talk Vault, go to https://acts17generosity.com/. Look for the Free Offering Talks link at the top and follow the directions. This week’s talk can be accessed after you register at: http://acts17generosity.com/simple-file-list/Offering-Talks/2023-53-Talks-for-53-Sundays/May-7th-Vacation-Planning.pdf.

1. James Emery White. (2023) Hybrid Church: Rethinking the Church in a Post-Christian, Digital Age. Zondervan.