Step-by-Step Guide to Creating a Catholic Social Media Strategy

Maria Pfeil

September 19, 2016

Creating a Catholic Social Media Strategy

So, you’ve decided to take the leap into the wild, uncharted territory of social media to spread the True, Good, and Beautiful. Maybe you’re a parish communication team that’s tired of bulletin boards, a Catholic organization looking to engage beyond the pews, or a religious educator who’s realized that chalkboards don’t quite have the same reach as Instagram stories. Whatever the reason, you’ve come to the right place. Buckle up, because we’re about to dive into the sacred art of crafting a killer Catholic social media strategy—Backflip style.

Who Is This Guide For?

Parish communication teams who need to make the leap from pamphlets to pixels.
Catholic organizations that think outside the confessional.
Religious educators with a flair for hashtags.
Social media managers in Catholic institutions who know that souls are won one “like” at a time.

The Steps to Crafting a Catholic Social Media Strategy
Conclusion: The Final Amen

1. Define Your Goals (And No, “Going Viral” Does Not Count)

First things first, let’s talk goals. You didn’t think we were just here to post pretty pictures, did you? We’re aiming higher—like, Heaven-level higher. What do you want to achieve? Here are a few holy grails:

For Catholic Marketing Companies:

Expand Client Reach
Showcase Success Stories
Promote Thought Leadership
Increase Lead Generation and Conversions

For Parishes:

Increase the Number of Parishioners
Disseminate Information about Parish News, Events, and Important Announcements
Increase attendance at Mass Services, Prayer Groups, and Parish Events

For Catholic Merchandise Companies:

Drive Sales and Conversions
Strengthen Customer Relationships
Promote New Products and Collections

For Any Catholic Organization:

Boost Brand Awareness
Educate and Inspire
Promote Dialogue and Discussions on Faith-Related Topics
Improve Your Website’s Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Whether you’re a seasoned pro or still figuring out how to tweet without offending your priest, it’s time to sit down and map out your top three goals for your Catholic social media strategy. Yes, actually write them down. St. Peter isn’t standing at the Pearly Gates with your mental notes. Fun fact: putting pen to paper kicks your brain into gear and makes you more likely to achieve those goals. Divine intervention? Maybe. And hey, don’t just set ’em and forget ’em—check in on those goals regularly (monthly, quarterly, possibly every Lent?) so they don’t get lost in the social media wilderness.

Now that you’ve written your top three Catholic social media strategy goals, it’s time to break them up into an actionable plan. Because, as St. Paul reminds us, “If I have Catholic social media goals, but have not an action-driven roadmap, I am only a resounding gong in the digital sphere.” Or something like that.

2. Create An Actionable Strategy

This step requires a little more personalization. You have your three goals, and now it’s time to break them into smaller, byte-sized steps. Let’s do an example together.

Setting the Stage:

You’re a Catholic marketing company, and your main mission for social media is to boost your website’s SEO. In the past, you’ve dropped some website links here and there, praying for a miracle. But now, you’re ready to get intentional—because let’s be honest, winging it only gets you so far. This might mean reworking and repurposing content, but hey, even the holiest plans need a little strategy.

Brainstorming Process:

One great resource to help brainstorm actionable strategies is Spok, the world’s first AI Marketer. But be warned – you have to pay for a subscription. Simply type in a prompt such as:

“What are some action steps for a Catholic marketing company looking to improve website SEO through their social media presence?”

And it generates 10 ideas before you can speed-run a Hail Mary. If your internet is working properly…

Here are some action steps that Spok recommended for improving SEO through social media platforms:

Post links to your blog articles, case studies, and other high-quality content on your social media channels to drive traffic to your website.
Use relevant keywords in your social media posts to align with your SEO strategy. This helps to create a consistent message and improve search engine visibility.
Regularly promote your website’s core pages, such as services, about us, and contact pages, through your social media channels.

Spok isn’t the only helpful tool for brainstorming actionable strategies. Consider using a free AI tool like chatgpt.com, surfing the web for strategies other companies have implemented, or conducting your own competitor research on social media. Still not finding what you need to be successful? Schedule a marketing consultation with Backflip! We’ve got you and your marketing strategy covered.

Okay, so you’ve brainstormed. You have ideas on what steps to take next to achieve your overarching goals. Now what?

3. Know Thy Audience (Hint: It’s Not Just Grandma)

Before you start blasting out posts, let’s figure out who you’re actually talking to. Is it the retired parishioners who still marvel at email? Or maybe it’s the recent college grad who’s obsessed with all things Catholic merch. Here are a few audiences to consider:

For Catholic Marketing Companies:

Catholic Gen X and Millennial Marketers: Because let’s face it, even marketers need a little marketing help sometimes
Entrepreneurs, Producers, and Directors in need of Faith-Based Marketing Services
Catholic Organizations/Dioceses: Check out our work on pastorate rebranding and web design!

For Parishes:

Parishioners of all ages: The faithful, the curious, and the “I’m just here because my mom made me come” crowd.
Catholic Youth Groups: They’re tech-savvy, but don’t be fooled—they know when you’re trying too hard.
Potential New Members: Those who might be one inspirational meme away from joining your flock.

For Catholic Merchandise Companies:

People who love your products: Consider doing a demographic survey of your past clients if you are not sure who your main audience is!
Devout Catholic Individuals: Individuals who actively practice their faith and seek religious items for personal use.
Catholic Families: Families who incorporate their faith into everyday life and seek religious items for home and family members.
Gift Shoppers: Individuals, including non-Catholics, looking to purchase meaningful and appropriate gifts for Catholic friends and family. Consider targeting specific events such as Baptisms, Confirmations, and Marriages.

Each organization will vary a lot in the specific audiences it seeks to target. Make sure your different audiences are well-defined before hopping into content creation – you will have a much clearer starting point!

Lastly, consider developing buyer personas to help you hone in on your target market. These personas can range from purely fictional to data-driven profiles, giving you a snapshot of your ideal customers. Built on real-world stats and potential customer insights, these personas push you to define exactly who you want to attract. This can guide not only your social media strategy but also your marketing messages and product development.

With a clear audience in one hand and a set of buyer personas in the other, it’s time to decide which social media platforms are the best fit for your content.

4. Choose Your Platforms

If you are unfamiliar with the general do’s and don’ts of platform usage, here’s the breakdown:

Facebook: The Swiss Army knife of platforms. Good for everything from industry tips and tricks to Mass Livestreams.
Instagram: For the aesthetically blessed. Perfect for saintly snapshots and divine designs. Consider getting an app such as SCRL to enhance your seamless carousels of content!
X: For the theologian with a taste for brevity. Spread your wisdom 280 characters at a time.
YouTube: Because why just preach to a congregation when you can preach to the world? Great for homilies, vlogs, and live streams.
TikTok: If you can distill a complex theological concept into a 15-second video, this one’s for you. And if you can’t, this one’s also for you (since they now allow long-form!). But, you should probably stick to short-form because of our collective decreasing attention span…

As always, make sure to consider your target audience when selecting the platforms you want to utilize. My general rule of thumb is that Facebook & X are more for Millennials on up, while Instagram and TikTok are for the younger audiences, especially Gen Z. YouTube is more of an all-play and using it just depends on if you have a long form video to post.

5. Create Engaging Content

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. I was distracted during your 25 minute long homily.

Let’s be real—if your content doesn’t inspire, educate, or at the very least, entertain, you’re going to lose your audience faster than the Israelites turned from God to build the golden calf.

Each audience and platform may require different forms of content, but here are a few content gems to get you thinking:

Inspirational Quotes: Share Bible verses, saintly sayings, or even a nugget of wisdom from the Pope himself.
Educational Posts: Break down the big questions—what’s a sacrament, anyway?—and show them you’ve got the answers.
Event Promotion: Get the word out about everything from pancake breakfasts to prayer vigils.
Photos and Videos: A picture’s worth a thousand words, but a video of Father Mike dancing at the parish festival? Priceless.
Live Streams: Because sometimes, the only thing better than being at the Eucharistic Congress is watching the keynote speakers from the comfort of your bed.

6. Develop a Content Calendar (So You’re Not Just Posting in a Panic)

Consistency is key, folks. You need a game plan—a sacred scroll of scheduled posts for when business gets busy. Here’s what to include:

Daily or weekly themes: Think #SundayScriptures, #FaithfulFridays, or whatever holy hashtag your heart desires.
- But be wary!! Sometimes these posting routines distract from your real social media goals that you listed in step one. Make sure to reference your goals to ensure you are moving in the right direction instead of posting just to post!
Key dates and liturgical events: Don’t miss out on the big days. Easter, Christmas, Lent—mark them all.
Special feast days and holidays: If there’s a saint’s day, there’s a post for that.
Regular features: How about a “Catholic Marketing Success of the Month” or a spotlight on your ministry’s unsung heroes?

Now, if all is going according to plan, you should have some ideas for content that will help you achieve your goals (as long as they align with the Father’s will). But where is a sacred space that you can brain dump all of these ideas?

There are many platforms you may want to consider when choosing a way to organize your content calendar. We are impartial to Notion and HubSpot, but another option is Sendible. When just getting started, you may consider looking up a free Google Sheets or Excel template.

7. Engage with Your Community

Social media isn’t just about broadcasting—it’s about dialogue. You’re not just preaching; you’re conversing. Here’s how:

Respond to Comments: Yes, every single one. Even the trolls. Especially the trolls.
Encourage User-Generated Content: Get your followers involved. Ask them to share their stories, their prayers, or their best church selfies.
Host Contests or Challenges: Who can recite the most Bible verses? Who’s got the best church potluck dish? The possibilities are endless.

As always, cater these to your target audience and platform of choice!

8. Monitor and Adjust

Finally, keep an eye on those analytics. You’re not flying blind here—data is your friend. Track what’s working and what’s not, then tweak your strategy accordingly. Look at:

Engagement rates: Are people liking, sharing, and commenting, or just scrolling past? What content is being engaged with the most?
Follower growth: Is your flock growing?
Reach and impressions: How far is your message going?
Click-through rates: Are people actually visiting your website, or are they just here for the memes?

Tracking Social Media Analytics is not a walk in the park. There are many different analytic tracking programs for each platform, as well as third party tracking systems. Here is the rundown:

Platform Analytics:
- Facebook Insights: For tracking metrics on your Facebook page.
- Instagram Insights: For insights specific to Instagram.
- Twitter Analytics: To monitor Twitter metrics.
- LinkedIn Analytics: For LinkedIn page performance.
- YouTube Studio: For tracking video metrics on YouTube.
Third-Party Tools:
- Hootsuite: Comprehensive analytics across multiple platforms.
- Sprout Social: Detailed reports and engagement metrics.
- Google Analytics: For tracking website traffic and social referrals.
- Buffer: Simpler reporting and post-performance metrics.
- SocialBlade: For tracking follower growth and engagement rates.

And if you are curious in learning more about what each of the different social media metrics actually mean, stay tuned for a future blog! Sign up for our email list to get notified when a new blog surfaces.

Conclusion: The Final Amen

Crafting a Catholic social media strategy that works is like preparing a homily—it takes time, thought, and a whole lot of faith. But with the right plan, you can create a digital space that’s as welcoming, engaging, and spiritually enriching as your Catholic organization itself.

The Mass(ter Catholic Social Media Strategy Guide) has ended. Let us scroll in peace.

Godspeed!