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Dear Church, Beware This TikTok Trend

I was shocked when I saw this. But a disturbing trend is only getting worse on TikTok.

Author

Brady Shearer
February 08, 2024 • Estimated Reading Time: 6 minutes

Hey, it’s Brady,

I was shocked when I saw this. But a disturbing trend is only getting worse on TikTok…

Here’s what you need to know:

As social media has evolved, different generations have claimed platforms as their own:

  • Boomers settled on Facebook

  • Millennials are at home on Instagram

  • And for Gen Z? It’s TikTok

Generations have their own music 🎵. And their own fashion 💃.

Now they also have their own social platforms 📲.

Recently, I polled you all asking: “Is your church on TikTok?”

To my surprise, just ~10% of you answered ‘Yes’.

Comparatively, more than 80% of you said your churches are active on both Instagram and Facebook.

Now listen, I’m sympathetic to the concerns of TikTok. But it’s also only getting more popular. Especially with Gen Z.

And I worry about the consequences from churches flatly ignoring the platform of the next generation.

This trend of churches being absent on TikTok? It’s worrisome.

Your Feedback

Here’s a bit of what you had to say in response to my concerns:

Rohn Starling of Transformation Church in Tulsa, OK

TikTok’s algorithm has a massive local component which leads to response like this

John started publishing sermon clips on TikTok. Within a month he got stopped at the grocery store when someone said, “Are you a pastor? I saw you on TikTok. My wife and I are new to the area and we’re planning on checking your church out.”

Church Social Media Post Of The Week

Recently, I got a DM from the pastor of @hm.church_. Here’s what it said:

The post that went viral is a sermon clip. It’s probably the most wholesome viral sermon clip I’ve ever seen.

Here’s the post that went viral for this church - Siri really be preaching:

Now, here’s the question Pastor Alex had for me: “Our church went viral, great! But now what?”

Here’s what you need to do:

  1. Instagram Highlights: Make sure your profile’s Instagram Highlights are up to date with your church’s most important next steps. Check out my Instagram Highlights to see how I like to design them.

  2. Bio Link: Double check your link in bio to make sure it’s relevant and up to date.

  3. Ride The Momentum: The next few posts you publish are going to outperform your average. This is exciting! Really be intentional on what you’re posting next to permanently grab the attention of your new followers.

  4. End Screens: You never know which post is going to go viral. If you’re consistent and publish content people enjoy, you might expect 3-5% of your posts to hit big. This is why End Screens at the conclusion of every sermon clip are crucial. You can invite people to like & follow for more or to watch the full sermon online. Both calls-to-action are super helpful at driving deeper connection when you reach new audiences.

In the graphic below you’ll find a pair of End Screen designs to give you an idea of what these can look like:

Underrated Changes Churches Should Actually Consider

I think we can all agree that serving in church in 2024 is challenging.

The younger generations are some of the least religious in modern history.

The gap between the smallest churches and largest churches continues to widen.

So what do we do? Especially if you feel like you've tried all the stuff that you always hear getting talked about.

This week on the podcast we discuss underrated methods every church should consider.

Thanks as always for your time, attention, and trust. Talk to you next Thursday. - Brady Shearer