In today's fast-paced digital world, churches have a unique opportunity to harness the power of social media and online engagement to further their ministry and connect with their communities through summer internships.
One way to do this is by offering a “Digital Ministry Church Summer Internship” program. Here's an overview of this concept that accomplishes multiple objectives in one program. You can create an initiative to recruit students and young adults to help build, plan, and execute a comprehensive social media strategy over a 10-12 week internship during the summer months.
The benefits of such a program extend beyond the immediate impact on the church's digital presence. Interns gain valuable digital skills and hands-on experience that can be a stepping stone to future career opportunities. They learn the intricacies of social media management, content creation, and online community engagement while working in a supportive and spiritually enriching environment.
Moreover, the program not only benefits the interns but also local businesses and organizations, as the church's digital efforts can help promote and support these community partners. The church, in turn, enjoys an enhanced digital presence, more meaningful connections with its community members, and the potential for increased reach and impact in its ministry.
Here's a list I've brainstormed below for you to consider this summer. From recruitment to execution, your interns can help go through the process of creating an enriching and mutually beneficial experience for all parties involved.
High school and college students can be valuable assets for creating effective communication projects, such as those listed below. It is important to ensure that your church invests in oversight, resources, support, and mentorship. However, much of the work can be accomplished even without having all the fine details and a perfectly crafted blueprint for these campaigns.
You're first step? Define several practical projects / campaigns that can be fully executed and established during a summer program, and then simply break down the process into a 10-12 week timeline.
7 Unique Social Media Campaigns That Break The Mold For Churches
Feature Fridays: Dedicate a day each week, such as “Feature Fridays,” to spotlight a local business, organization, or cause. Share their story, products, or services through an Instagram post, Facebook update, or tweet, and tag them to boost their visibility and reach.
Collaborative Events: Co-host events with local businesses or organizations, such as charity drives, workshops, or community gatherings. Promote these events on your social media channels and encourage followers to engage, share, and participate.
Cross-promotion: Partner with local businesses, organizations, or causes to create mutually beneficial social media campaigns. Share each other's content, host joint giveaways, or collaborate on a social media challenge, amplifying the reach for both parties.
Testimonial Tuesdays: Share positive testimonials or reviews of local businesses or organizations on your social media channels. By tagging the respective parties and using relevant hashtags, you'll increase their exposure and credibility within the community.
Social Media Takeovers: Invite local entrepreneurs, leaders, or representatives of organizations to “take over” your church's social media accounts for a day. They can share their stories, insights, and initiatives, fostering connections and awareness within the community.
Community Service Spotlights: Share posts highlighting the positive impact of local businesses, organizations, or causes in the community. Showcase their philanthropic initiatives, volunteer efforts, or sustainable practices, and encourage followers to support their endeavors.
Local Hashtag Campaigns: Develop a local hashtag campaign that promotes community engagement and supports local businesses, organizations, or causes. Encourage followers to use the hashtag when sharing their experiences, and regularly feature user-generated content on your social media channels.
These breakthrough, easy-to-execute strategies not only benefit third-party businesses, organizations, and causes but also serve as excellent opportunities for your church to build strong relationships with people, leaders, and entrepreneurs in town. Imagine if you can help nurture the leadership potential of young adults while accomplishing these multi-faced benefits for your entire community?
Sample 12-Week Outline for a Simplified Digital Ministry Church Summer Internship Program:
Week 1:
- Onboard and introduce interns to church staff and the digital ministry team.
- Provide an overview of the church's mission, values, and goals.
- Conduct social media and digital marketing training sessions.
- Assign specific roles and responsibilities to each intern.
Week 2:
- Define the social media strategy, including target audience, platforms, and content types.
- Create a content calendar for the entire internship period.
- Develop a list of local businesses, organizations, and causes to collaborate with.
- Begin engaging with the online community by responding to comments and messages.
Week 3:
- Launch the “Feature Fridays” campaign and promote the first local business or organization.
- Start planning the collaborative event with a local partner.
- Schedule and create content for the next two weeks.
- Monitor social media platforms and track engagement metrics.
Week 4:
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” campaign.
- Finalize event logistics, including date, time, venue, and promotion.
- Begin promoting the collaborative event on social media platforms.
- Reach out to more local partners for future campaigns and events.
Week 5:
- Launch the “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaign.
- Continue promoting the collaborative event.
- Schedule and create content for the next two weeks.
- Assess the performance of the ongoing campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
Week 6:
- Execute the collaborative event and document it on social media.
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” and “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaigns.
- Engage with local partners for future social media takeovers or community service spotlights.
- Monitor social media platforms and track engagement metrics.
Week 7:
- Schedule and create content for the next two weeks.
- Plan the social media takeover with a local leader or entrepreneur.
- Launch the local hashtag campaign.
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” and “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaigns.
Week 8:
- Conduct the social media takeover.
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” and “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaigns.
- Schedule and create content for the next two weeks.
- Assess the performance of the ongoing campaigns and make adjustments as needed.
Week 9:
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” and “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaigns.
- Engage with the online community and evaluate the overall impact of the campaigns.
- Schedule and create content for the next two weeks.
- Monitor social media platforms and track engagement metrics.
Week 10:
- Continue executing the ongoing campaigns.
- Conduct a debrief session with the interns and church staff to gather feedback.
- Start preparing a report on the internship program's results and achievements.
- Schedule and create content for the remaining week.
Week 11:
- Continue executing the “Feature Fridays” and “Testimonial Tuesdays” campaigns.
- Finalize the report on the internship program's results and achievements.
- Conduct an exit interview with the interns to gather their insights and experiences.
- Schedule and create content for the remaining week.
Week 12:
- Wrap up the ongoing campaigns.
- Conduct a debrief session with the interns and church staff to gather feedback.
- Host a recognition event to celebrate the interns' contributions to the church's digital ministry.
This simplified 12-week outline incorporates four campaign ideas: “Feature Fridays,” “Testimonial Tuesdays,” a collaborative event, and a social media takeover. This allows the interns to effectively manage their workload and still create a meaningful and impactful digital presence for the church and its community partners.
