Social Media Engagement is More Than Likes

While likes, shares, and comments are all important measures of success on social media, we cannot underestimate the importance of the more hidden key performance indicators.

Social media managers should also hope for screenshots of their content, sends to friends and family through text messages, a spark of inspiration to pray again, or to return to Mass. Even helping to open a user’s eyes to evidence of God’s work in their lives is a big win.  

Since we can’t always measure and report the true success of a post, it’s critical to craft posts intentionally for both seen and unseen metrics.

Here are practical suggestions for creating shareable content that resonates with your Catholic audience and earns social media engagement. 

Educational Content 

• Break down Catholic teachings, even if it feels like basic info. Not every Catholic was educated equally. 
• Dissect quotes from prelates, Catholic lay leaders, encyclicals, the Catechism, and Scripture. Different voices speak to different people, so offering a variety of credible writing styles can reach a greater number of Catholic personas. 
• Explain why we believe certain things. Make it practical, speak in everyday language, and offer resources for a deeper dive. 

Take Inspiration from Engaging Content

• If you are the tastemaker, look at the content you connect with. What does the audience like—meaning, what is successful in the social space? Does your content need more resonance? Nuance? Arresting visuals? Humor? A more laid back voice? Practicality? 
• Test carousels and stories. I’ve seen social accounts focused on mental health offer some quote graphics that are uplifting, and others that address pain points. Don’t forget common experiences. Point out what’s hard about Catholicism, which likely takes some interior reflection and audience research.
• If you see something you love, is there a Catholic twist to it? Maybe not in messaging, but in visual style, format, or structure. Simple can still be effective. 

User Generated Content (UGC) Often Earns More Social Media Engagement

• Stories, people! Why has it become cliché? Because we’ve all heard it, and it’s still true. There is a lot of “storytrying,” and even more hooks without a satisfying payoff, while excellent storytelling is harder to find.
• Post videos, text posts, and carousels sharing testimonies, God moments (big or small), reflections, favorite parts about the faith, etc. Keep it concise, but impactful. We tend to trust our peers, or at least find it easier to put ourselves in their shoes.

Photography and Stories

• Take high-quality photos of your parish, your parishioners, and your beloved local spots. Pair them with something relatable. For example, post a picture of a religious sister praying with a description that the saints are the sinners who got up again. You could post a picture of a parent in Mass with their kids and write about how going to Mass is still a win, even if it’s chaotic. Try to tie photos to questions, doubts, and experiences that every Catholic has. 

Instagram Stories 

• Instagram has retained its popularity across generations. But it’s easy to use it poorly. Don’t crowd your feed with busy event invitations, especially if you have a lot of them. Try posting your invites on Instagram Stories. You can break them up into multiple stories and even post them multiple times in a week. Keep your feed clean and timely. 
• Utilize Instagram Stories buttons. There are polls, Q&A buttons, music, text, and more! Play around with them and test. Don’t be surprised if you have more engagements there than on the feed. 
• Show BTS; put your priest on video, and share photos of the church throughout the day. Use Instagram Stories to keep the Church personal.

When doing all of this, remember to focus on quality over quantity. Catholics are deeply lacking *quality* content, especially from parishes and dioceses. Team up with local influencers for help. Ask young Catholics to assist with social media. Start small. And when in doubt, take inspiration from successful accounts. 

Have thoughts on how to earn engagement? Join the conversation! Shoot us an email at info@yellowlinedigital.com and follow us on LinkedIn.