Thanks to Instagram’s algorithm, I have been seeing a lot of sponsored ads from pastors and preachers. For a while, the algorithm was showing me ads for dentists. Then there were basketball players. I have no interest in dentistry or basketball, so it’s been an interesting change of pace.
Lately, I’ve been clicking on these ads (which probably messes with the algorithm meaning I’ll have more ads like this show up). These pastors are from evangelical churches all over the country. Most of their posts are short clips from their sermons. They usually all look the same: trendy, somewhat hipster, white, male, and probably church planters.
Because of these ads, however, I’m quickly becoming convinced that too many pastors believe the lie that they must become social media influencers to have influence. Even more, because these are sponsored posts, they think they must buy their influence rather than be influential within their communities.
Now, I have to confess, I internally wrestle with this as well. As an author, preacher, and pastor, I have tried to increase my “followers and subscribers,” so I can have more page views on this blog, possibly book another speaking gig, and sell a couple more copies of my book. There was a time where my blog had thousands of more clicks than the few it has now. And as much as that might be a kick in the ego, I’m ok with it.
The one thing I have learned in intentionally spending more time offline and regularly taking time off of social media is that buying influence, increasing subscribers, and having more followers does not make you influential. Influence is not about the number of clicks, downloads, followers, or subscribers. It’s greater than that.
The people who have influenced me the most throughout my life were not on social media. And, they did not influence me through their social media posts.
Instead, their influence came because they were present in my life, not simply on my newsfeed or timeline.
We are all more influential than we think. Sometimes, we have to get off social media to realize it.
May it be so of all of us.