Choose comfy shoes for your journey

Have you ever thought about the importance of having comfortable shoes for a journey? Well, just like hiking through a jungle, navigating the digital arena can be tough, but with the right tools and strategies, we can thrive and succeed in the digital world.

As a church, we must consider where to advertise, recruit enough people, explore different search engines and social media platforms, and ensure we are well-equipped and safe. One critical factor to consider is that Gen Z, born between 1997 and 2012, are using social media as their primary search engine. Can you believe that 40% of young adults aged 18 to 24 are using social media platforms like TikTok and Instagram to find answers to their questions?

This shift in behavior has significant implications for churches. To stay relevant in the digital world and connect with young people, we need to focus on our digital ministries. For example, imagine if these young adults are also using social media to search for local charities or national causes they can support. By having a strong digital presence, we can ensure that our message and mission are reaching this important demographic.

The New York Times even proclaimed that "TikTok is the New Search Engine" for Gen Z. This means that churches must consider these platforms as a critical part of their outreach and engagement strategy. Moreover, social media is also central to Gen Z's news consumption. A Reuters report found that for this age group, much of the excitement and gravitas is on the periphery of the news space, such as infotainment, lifestyle, culture, grassroots, bloggers, and vloggers.

So, let's ask ourselves, are we doing enough to reach this audience? Are we exploring and evangelizing on the social media platforms where they spend their time? To capture the rise in social search, we need to incorporate keywords into our social media posts. By doing this, we can ensure that our content appears in Google's search results, including Instagram and TikTok videos.

To attract local worshippers, geo-tagging is another feature that can increase visibility on social media. Adding a geo-tag to our posts will make sure they appear at the top of the search results when someone searches for our location.

In conclusion, the digital world is a vast and ever-changing landscape that requires us to choose our tools and strategies carefully. As churches, we need to adapt to younger generations' digital behaviors and explore new ways of evangelizing. By embracing social media's search features, we can connect with new audiences and continue to grow our churches in the digital age. Let's lace up our shoes and embark on this digital journey together!