Social Media Tips to Promote Summer Events at Your Church
Want to spread the word about your church’s summer events but not sure where to start? Social media can be a game-changer for getting the word out and engaging your community. From behind-the-scenes glimpses to live event updates, these practical tips will help you make the most of your church’s social media presence. Here are five effective ways to promote your summer events online. 1. Share Behind-the-Scenes Content People love a sneak peek behind the curtain, and showcasing behind-the-scenes moments is a fun, engaging way to bring your summer events to life on social media. Whether it’s your team setting up for Vacation Bible School (VBS), preparing craft supplies, or volunteers cooking pancakes for a Summer breakfast, showing these real-life moments creates a relatable connection. Behind-the-scenes content doesn’t have to be perfect. In fact, the more “raw” and unpolished, the better. It allows your audience to see the human side of your church community—leaders and volunteers having fun and working together. This type of content not only increases engagement but also makes your church feel approachable, encouraging people to volunteer and get involved. 2. Create Shareable Posts and Invitations Make your social media posts easy to share and encourage your followers to invite their friends. One simple way is to post about your summer events early, especially for large events like VBS or Summer picnics. Share a visually appealing graphic or event flyer with a call-to-action asking people to tag a friend or share it with their network. For instance, when you’re promoting VBS, create a post asking followers to tag their friends who might want to bring their kids along. Encourage shares, and make sure your social media settings allow for easy commenting and sharing. Social media is all about engagement—use it to build excitement and connect with the local community. If you’re looking for content ideas, tools like Ministry Pass offer ready-to-publish social media calendars. These templates save you time and help ensure that your posts are shareable and engaging throughout the summer. 3. Leverage Event Hashtags Hashtags are a powerful tool to increase visibility for your events. Think about how weddings and graduations often have their own hashtags like #SummerWedding2025 or #SpringGrad2025. You can do the same for your church events. Create a unique hashtag for each major event and encourage attendees to tag their photos on social media. Post your hashtag on event signage to remind people to share their photos and tag the church. If you want to take it a step further, find a service that automatically generates a slideshow of all photos tagged with your hashtag. This visual feature can be displayed at the event, and it’s a great way to get people excited about your church and engaged in the event both during and after. 4. Go Live Before and During Events Live videos are one of the most engaging features on platforms like Facebook and Instagram. Before your event, go live and talk about what people can expect. Show off some of the event setup, introduce volunteers, or give a sneak peek of the fun planned for the day. Once the event is underway, go live again! Live videos create FOMO (fear of missing out), and they let your audience feel like they’re right there with you. Don’t worry about perfection—authenticity is what makes live videos shine. Invite some other leaders or volunteers to join you on camera, and interact with your followers in real-time. 5. Post Event Recaps to Keep the Buzz Going Once your event wraps up, keep the energy alive by posting a recap. Share photos, videos, or even testimonials from attendees to highlight the success of the event. Event recaps do more than just celebrate the occasion; they also build anticipation for future events. For example, after a Summer Fun Night, you might post: “We had an amazing time last night! Thank you to everyone who joined us—mark your calendars for next week’s event…” This not only creates excitement for your next event, but it also shows potential newcomers what your church community is really like. By regularly posting photos and videos, you show that your church is a place full of life, fun, and connection—not just a space where people show up on Sunday. These recaps help fill your social media with real, engaging content that tells your church’s story long after the event is over. Keep Going: Social Media Impact Takes Time Building your church’s presence on social media takes consistent effort, but it’s worth it. Try these social media hacks to promote your summer events, and don’t get discouraged if you don’t see instant results. Social media success isn’t built overnight—it’s built through regular interaction and engagement. Keep experimenting, keep showing up, and involve your team or young people for fresh ideas. This summer, bring your church’s social media to life with behind-the-scenes content, event hashtags, live videos, and engaging posts. By creating shareable content and staying consistent, you’ll be able to amplify your summer events and reach more people in your community than ever before.
