How to use Facebook Events to drive engagement with your online service

Everything is fighting for the attention of consumers everywhere. Many churches were already using social media and other online platforms before the novel coronavirus, Covid-19, disrupted our world and led other churches to pursue digital channels to bring weekly content to viewers.

Across the nation, online metrics climbed with a peak on Easter Sunday, 2020. Since then, almost across the board, metrics started slighting downward, some plummeting. One question is, how does my church maintain engagement with current viewers? A second is, how does my church reach new people in a season where many people are not introducing themselves to others outside their immediate circles?

One tool that can help if your church has a Facebook Page, and I believe many churches do. Is to leverage the Facebook Event tool. I outline what to do below. 

Create a single Facebook Event. 

Create a Facebook Event. Cohost your event with other church pages, groups, and pastor pages if your pastor has a page. Doing this will notify all people who have enabled notifications on those pages.

The image. 

Create an image that teases what viewers can expect. The image could be around a big idea. Pro-tip: Do not use a picture of your church building. Instead, use an image that highlights the message title or bottom line. 

Invite. 

Invite is a standard church term. It’s nice to use a word we are used to using during a season of disruption and distributed everything via digital means, instead of having to use terms like share or post. You literally can click invite to invite your neighbors and friends. 

Events are mini Facebook Groups. 

Post in the event itself to point people to your service. If the goal is engagement and not just Facebook engagement, then share the other links and ways viewers can engage with your service. Be sure to ask them to enable notifications to your page to know when you go live. 

Bonus Tip. 

If you want to increase awareness with a new audience in your local community, then boost the event with as little $5-$10. Doing this will draw new people to your page and potentially first time viewers who will engage with your service. 

I hope this has been helpful for you as you try to use all the tools in your toolbelt to amplify engagement. Give it a try. Tell me about your experience in the comments below, and share this article if it has been helpful to you.