You have a good promotion idea–one that you are sure families will love but the day comes and goes and nada. Nobody or only a few people show up. You feel disappointed (and rightly so) but you quietly tuck away 200 goodie bags and keep going. After the event, families are disappointed and amazed that they didn’t know about it. (Despite the many bulletin and newsletter postings.)
So where did your promotion go wrong? Perhaps you should widen the net! Social networking sites like Facebook allow kids ministries to create events, build excitement and enjoy a harvest.
No matter what size church you belong to, you can get noticed with an effective Facebook promotion. (You don’t even have to spend money!) Start by creating your event page if needed or post on your current Facebook ministry page. Work out the details and add them too. Some of these ideas could help bring the results you want:
Try a countdown: Every day, post a number graphic on the event page. For example, when it’s seven days away, post a photo of the number seven and write a blurb underneath. You can find tons of free graphics on Google. A blurb can sound something like: “Seven more days and Pastor Jack can’t sleep, he’s so excited!”
Post updates on an outreach: If you have a goal to gather 20 Christmas gifts for local seniors, post a daily status report. Post pictures of the items you have received or would like to receive. Post photos of the seniors your children’s ministry could help.
Show interviews with kids: We use a fake mic and an iPhone but it works! Catch kids after an event and ask them for an interview. It’s a good idea to get on your knees to get both of you in the picture. Also, ask pointed questions like, “Wow! You looked like you were having fun. Did you have a blast?” Post the interviews and share them on your Facebook and parents page.
Pass the kitten: “Who wants to pet sit this VIRTUAL kitten for me today?” That was the post, along with a photo of an irresistible kitten. We passed the kitten around from page to page. Every pet sitter got to name give the “kitten” a name. It was a pointless promotion that built our Facebook presence. I highly recommend it!
Read more from Mimi on her blog at Tools for Kids Church.
Facebook Promos for Kids Ministry
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