The Top 4 Mistakes Churches Make on Social Media And How to Fix Them

Most churches want to show up well online, but social media isn’t always easy to navigate.

Challenges like time, resources, and skill make it easy to fall into patterns that hold your church back without even realizing it.

If your church is struggling with how to navigate social media, you’re not the only one. We’re going to go over four mistakes that churches make on social media and how to fix them.

1. Posting Without Knowing Who You’re Talking To

What this looks like: Sharing posts without a clear sense of who the message is meant for. Is it for members? Visitors? Parents? Teens? Your local community?

Why it happens: Churches serve so many people that it feels impossible to choose. So the content stays vague, broad, or inconsistent.

The fix: Identify your primary audience. This audience is the main one you want your content to speak to.

For many churches, this is something like: “People who attend our church and people who might be considering visiting.”

Once you know who you’re talking to, your posts will be easier to write.

Inside Shine Online, we spend time clarifying your audience so your content has a consistent voice and purpose.

2. Trying to Be on Every Platform

What it looks like: It’s when you feel like your church needs Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Threads, LinkedIn, and whatever releases next Thursday.

Why it happens: Pressure. Comparison. Not knowing which platforms matter to your church.

The fix: Focus on one or two platforms you can do well. For most churches, that’s Facebook and Instagram. If you try to post everywhere, you end up getting exhausted and then you post nowhere.

A strong presence on fewer platforms is more impactful than a weak presence on many.

In Shine Online we walk through which platforms make the most sense for churches and how to choose the right ones for your team.

3. Oversharing or Not Protecting People’s Privacy

What it looks like: Posting photos or stories that include kids’ faces, personal details, or sensitive moments, even if you have good intentions.

Why it happens: Churches love sharing life together, but the online world requires extra caution.

The fix: Create a few clear, non-negotiable guidelines, like:

• No posting kids’ faces without written permission
• No sharing private pastoral-care details
• When in doubt, ask first
• Get a “yes” before posting someone’s photo

This protects your congregation and builds trust.

In Shine Online we cover safe storytelling and privacy best practices in the course so your church can share authentically and responsibly.

4. No Plan for Storytelling or Engagement

What it looks like. Posting announcements and only announcements. Posting things like service times, event reminders, or information.

Why it happens: Announcements are easy. Storytelling takes more thought, but announcements alone rarely grow engagement or connection.

The fix: Mix in posts that share stories, encourage people, celebrate volunteers, or give a glimpse behind the scenes.

People connect more when they see what your church is really about.

Shine Online includes content on storytelling and how to plan posts that build engagement.

You Don’t Need to Be Perfect

These mistakes are common because churches are busy, volunteers are stretched, and most people were never trained in church communications.

You don’t need to be perfect. You just want to be intentional, consistent, and clear.

If you want guidance, templates, and simple systems that make showing up online easier, that’s exactly what Shine Online is designed to help you do. This easy-to-follow course is designed to help churches confidently develop a social media strategy without feeling overwhelmed.

Sign up for free.