Digital communications can feel like a moving target. One week it's a new platform, the next week it's another algorithm change, AI tool or feature you feel like you’re supposed to be using. Our team spends time paying attention to digital trends and when Instagram recently announced slide-specific captions for carousel posts, one of our first thoughts was, “Oh goodness. More writing.” Maybe you had the same reaction?
We took a beat. Paused. Set it down. Came back to it later. Here's the reminder we gave ourselves, the same encouragement we want to offer to you: you don't have to adopt every new feature the exact moment it arrives.
If a new feature, platform or tool …
- Genuinely helps you tell your church's story
- Creates better connection
- Serves your community
- Is a sustainable addition to your workload
… that's wonderful! Give it a try when you have the bandwidth or excitement to do so.
Lots to Juggle? We See You.
We know you’re juggling lots of social media accounts, content and the latest updates, so it’s okay to not lean into every single new feature every single time.
If you have capacity this week, great! If you don’t, that’s also fine! Digital communications isn’t all-or-nothing. Lean into a new feature or tool when you can. If you’re typically tight on time, make a little progress as often as possible and work to streamline and simplify ongoing. You’re not a robot. You’re a whole person who has lots to balance.
Questions to Consider
Every new platform, tool or feature can be filtered through the same set of questions:
- Does this serve our church and community?
- Can we do this sustainably?
- Is this a "must-have" or just a wish list item?
- Do we have the capacity to do it well?
Use these four questions to guide your planning. Social media content marketing is meant to both serve others and to be done in a sustainable, excellent way. Creating and publishing content that’s filtered through these four questions can help your team prioritize well.
If this week is already full, if your team is currently stretched too thin, if you're balancing social media alongside so many other things on your plate, it's okay to wait. It’s okay to pause. The goal has never been to use every feature on social media. The goal is faithful, consistent communication that points people to Jesus.
Digital Communications is Ongoing
More features will inevitably come. It’s expected! The digital landscape isn't slowing down anytime soon. So, don't measure your ministry by how quickly you adopt new features.
Measure it by whether you're communicating clearly, serving people well and building sustainable rhythms for the long haul. Lean into the features that serve your church. Put a pin in or disregard other features.
Encouragement for Church Comms Teams
Remember: Done is still better than perfect. Quality still matters more than chasing quantity. Compare less. Stay strategic. Avoid burnout. And if no one has told you lately: you and your work matter.
Keep showing up and serving your church well! The Kingdom doesn't need you to master every social media feature. It needs faithful communicators who can create sustainable, strategic, God-honoring content on an ongoing basis that makes an impact for our churches' communities and for the Kingdom!
