8 Guidelines as you post on social media

These eight guidelines might help you think about the way you show up on social media as you bring the distinctive presence of Jesus through your interactions, comments and creativity.
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When you post something on social media, it is public and it is permanent. Even though there is a feeling that social media is free-flowing and easy going and that a little jibe, or a poke or something worse won’t do any damage. You would be mistaken. There are people at the other end of a post and we need to seek to love them as God loves them.

Most weeks there seems to be an apology of some kind issued by someone for historical tweets that were damaging or hate-filled. As Christians we have an opportunity to approach things differently, to show up as salt and light, to create engaging content that is anointed, engaging, even if sometimes offensive (because the gospel will offend some), but always seeking to love others.

“Putting it another way, I would rather post one Holy Spirit inspired post, than one thousand flesh driven posts. There’s no comparison.”

Putting it another way, I would rather post one Holy Spirit inspired post, than one thousand flesh driven posts. There’s no comparison. In fact, this is a good lesson for the way we communicate across the board. When I send an email, when I open my mouth to speak, when I deliver a talk, I’m often asking God’s help to anoint it, to glorify him through it, and to love others with it. None of us are perfect though, and the chances are we have made missteps along the way, but if we’re proactive and intentional about the way we approach posting on social then it will only serve us in the long run.

The other day I tweeted eight things that could help serve as guidelines for posting and they seemed to get a bit of traction so thought I would share them again here. 

Before you post, I think we need to ask ourselves:

1. Is it kind?

By that I mean, is it kind! Does it treat others with respect. Kindness of course is also a fruit of the Spirit, and the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5.22-23 could also be a good grid through which to review your content. 

2. Would it be ok on BBC news?

A tweet or a post is public and just because it’s shared with your community, doesn’t mean that it’s not out there in the open. Think about your posts as having a much broader reach. Would you post it if it were to appear on the front page of a paper or on the news? This is an encouragement to treat our posts as public and having a potentially global reach.

3. Does it provide value?

Value isn’t the only thing that we need to provide every time we post something. For some of you, building an online community will be a combination of posting questions, polls, quotes and valuable thinking. It’s not one or the other. Behind this is a question about why we’re posting. If you are clear about what you’re trying to do, then it will always provide value because each post is attached to a larger aim. 

4. Does it move the conversation forward

I’m not convinced some of the conversation on twitter actually moves the conversation forward in a positive manner. We need to be able to step back from the immediate conversation and work out, what is the best way forward here: sign post them to further reading, ask a question, pause the conversation for another time etc.

5. Should it be said in private instead?

Sometimes when we post we can treat our public feed as though it’s a private room. Actually, it’s public. If you’re engaging with a thread or a conversation and you want to resolve a discussion, why not suggest a zoom call. Seriously. Why does it have to be thrashed out in public on the twitter for example?

6. What would your mum say about it?

Always a good grid. My mum is always loving and always points me to Jesus. That’s a good philosophy for posting on social media.  

7. Is it actually just passive aggressive? 

We can post to get the upper hand sometimes on social media or try and score points even if said in humour. Underneath though you know it’s a cover for anger. Relax. Talk to someone else about it. Unfollow someone. Curate a feed that builds you up and helps edify your life. 

8. Does it honour others?

Much of what has been said above, but when I’m engaging in conversation in person and face to face, I want to honour that person in front of me. Whenever people showed up at the vicarage, I always wanted to treat them as I would the Queen if she turned up at our house. Isn’t it the same online. We need to honour others.

There are lots of great resources out there including the Church of England digital charter which is another helpful and practical guideline to help us stand out online. If we want to bring the fragrance of Christ to the internet, it will be through micro-interactions and the way we show up in conversation, debate