Do you feel like you are trying everything on Instagram and nothing seems to be moving the needle forward?

If yes, you may be posting the wrong type of content on Instagram and wondering why the results aren’t what you thought they would be. 

By choosing and preparing the correct type of content for Instagram, you will get better results in the same amount of time. 

I want you to learn to shift your STRATEGY not add more time to your schedule. 

Let’s go over one of the most common church posts that you may need to consider removing from your Instagram altogether for now or completely changing your strategy on. 

I’ll help you decide if you should change it to make it work or if you need to remove this post type altogether.

The most common church post we’re going to dissect is: The Church Quote Post! 

Ok, before you tell me I am wrong and get mad at me for this one. Let me explain.

A lot of quote graphic posts don’t work on Instagram. Some do, some don’t for different reasons.

You may be seeing less engagement on those posts and if that’s you, I want to go over why that is. 

Why The Quote Post May Not Be Working For You

#1 Your Quote is Too Wordy

Your quote needs to be short, convicting and punchy. This way people can absorb it quickly as they scroll. 

If it’s too hard to read, too long or has too many filler words, people will scroll on by to the next post. 

Your quote needs to be convicting and punchy; meaning it gives you a little punch in the stomach, in a good way. If you know what I mean.

It needs to be a little edgy, controversial, or surprising for people to engage with it.

This shows also that your choice of quote is EVERYTHING. 

More than the design, the words you use are key. People respond to words. 

It’s not just about looking pretty. Thought needs to go into what words are put up there.

If the quote is good, even if the design is ugly, it will work.

#2 Your Design Looks Like a Stock Graphic

The aesthetic doesn’t matter as much on Instagram as the content.

But that being said there are still some basic design principles that need to be applied:

The text needs to be legible so that it can be read quickly and easily. It doesn’t hurt your eyes. And the color needs to be eye-catching. 

I believe the graphic needs to be original or simple. Somewhere in the middle usually doesn’t do well. 

For example, I am not by any means a graphic designer. So I go with the super simple design. Like anyone could make what I make ha.

But if you look at some of my quote posts, they actually do better and get more comments than most of my other posts! 

I notice which quotes resonate with my audience and which don’t and try to create more that resonate. 

If your quote post looks vanilla or cookie cutter, people will feel that and not be as interested. 

#3 Your Caption Doesn’t Inspire Engagement

Your caption needs to speak to the hearts of your community and people you are reaching. 

It doesn’t have to be long, but it needs to be genuine, encouraging and you need to speak directly into the needs and desires of your community. 

You can achieve that in one line, or a micro blog. However you choose to do it, think about speaking to the one person who needs this encouragement when you write your caption. 

How to Pull Off The Quote Post 

• Use an awesome custom eye catching design if you have a designer or go super simple and use only text on a plain background (Nothing in-between.)
• Make it a two slide carousel post to intrigue people to swipe to the next slide to figure out what the end of the quote will say. People won’t be able to help but swipe if the first line is intriguing. 
• Work with your team to come up with a list of approved quotes that you can work from 

Should You Continue Using The Quote Post Or Drop it for Now

The answer is to DROP IT if: 

You do not have access to someone who can make a simple or eye catching design or a person to choose and tweak the wording of punchy quotes. 

Also, drop it for now if you see your community is responding to them less and less and responding to other posts better.

It would be more effective for you to post all photos and videos on Instagram until you have that capability.

I’ve seen a lot of churches start with tons of photos and videos or even photos only until they had the capacity to branch out. I think this works great. 

It would be better for you to show photos of your church, people’s lives being changed and building community than a mediocre graphic that you probably spent too much time on. 

The answer is to KEEP IT if: 

You have access to a decent designer and someone who is willing to learn to be a great copywriter and experiment with it! 

Keep it if people respond well to your quote posts and engage with them and use these tips to improve! 

Conclusion 

So there you have it! Use these tips to decide if you should keep the quote post or ditch it for now.

Remember, if you aren’t getting any engagement you need to shift your strategy and that doesn’t mean spending more time. 

It means working smarter instead of harder. 

You got this!