Although created only in 2010, Instagram currently has 1 billion users and is the social media of choice among millennials. Instagram revolves around two things: photos and videos. The main idea is pretty simple — people share content and interact with each other.
Instagram sparks conversations with people from all over the world through the sharing of photos and videos.
Instagram has become a cultural phenomenon. Check out these statistics:
- 59% of 18-29 year olds in the U.S. have active profiles
- 90% of the users are younger than 35
- 75% of users are based outside of the U.S.
That’s great that Instagram is so popular. But what does it have to do with churches?
Churches can use Instagram to spread the gospel. By posting excellent content*, creating interactive stories*, and getting lots of followers*, churches can made an impact for Christ.
At Churchpress, we don’t just think that Instagram can be used to make an impact. We know that it can. We’ve seen this happen firsthand. Recently a pastor from a country where Christianity is illegal reached out through the *DMs asking for prayer. Maybe there’s a teenager who doesn’t have anyone to talk to or a missionary who needs encouragement and support to be meaningful connections. These aren’t just stories – they’re true events that we’ve experienced here at Churchpress!
So how do you go from a single post* on your Instagram profile and no followers to really having Kingdom impact!
Here are five ways that people on Instagram are making an impact:
- They build relationships with other Instagram users by commenting and liking their posts.
- They make posts at the most effective times during the day (early morning and evening).
- They create content that is interesting and distinctive. Use creative pictures and attractive visuals!
- They make stories that provide opportunities for engagement with followers. Take prayer requests, encourage scripture memory – whatever they think will help and encourage their followers!
- They go live* on Instagram and tell how God is working in their lives and the church.
These five methods are a great start to using Instagram for all it’s worth when it comes to making an impact for Christ. However, when we at Churchpress sat down to talk about Instagram and the Gospel, we didn’t stop at five ideas.
Or ten.
Eventually, we had so many ideas that we realized that we’d have to write a book to get all of them together.
So we did!
In our FREE Ebook? How to use Instagram to Spread the Gospel Further, Faster, we start with the most basic terminology of Instagram. All those words written in black? We break them down step-by-step. We teach you how to set up a profile, make your first post, begin to get followers, and then, of course, how to figure out what your followers want to see from you. We also include suggestions for using your new Instagram profile to encourage Bible engagement, create culture of prayer, share sermons, and raise money for mission trips or charities.
So, download the Ebook and get to reading! When you’re finished, be sure to tag* @Churchpress in a post to let us know that you’re on board with us as we strive to make an impact for Christ through Instagram!
*Don’t worry, we’ll teach you what this means in the Instagram world and how to use it in our Ebook!