How to Be a Christian Influencer

How to Be a Christian Influencer, Jacqulyne Horbrook. InterVarsity Press (ISBN: 9781514009925) 2026.

Summary: Social media for Christians beginning with mission and authenticity and finishes with strategic excellence.

Jacqulyne Horbrook grew up with a Christian influencer. Her father engaged in street ministry in the city of Chicago, preaching on a bullhorn, handing out tracts, and leading people to faith. She also discovered a calling as Christian influencer, only not on street corners with a bullhorn. It began with a social media page to reach students at the university where she worked. Before she knew it, she was “Jackie the Educator” and eventually the host of a YouTube show titled Higher Learning reaching a global audience. As she wrestled with the challenge of defining and reaching an audience, she realized she wasn’t the only one. This led to creating Black Christian Influencers, an effort to empower others in impactful ministry.

Horbrook not only realized social media is a powerful tool that may be used well or misused. She also realized that she was an influencer who could use these platforms to make disciples of Jesus. In fact, one of the things I appreciated about this book was its clarity about defining Christian influence: to publicly share one’s belief in Jesus Christ, to live a godly life so that your character and content align, and to never lose sight of the Great Commission.

She then walks through a number of practicalities of Christian social media influence. One is to be clear about one’s message and mission. Then comes marketing excellence. This involves finding one’s target audience, focusing on expertise, strategizing for results by creating online spaces you control, and creating content that connects. She offers ample how-tos for each step. She shares lessons she has learned about impactful storytelling, especially the importance of vulnerability. In fact, vulnerability is the first of her four components of influence, complemented by transparency, originality, and relatability.

Then she follows this with a number of tips about growing one’s platform. She begins with a warning. Don’t sacrifice integrity for numerical growth. However, you do want to make your content so good people share it. You need to know your niche and start there. Use bold statements, visuals, and compelling questions to be seen. Then pay attention to what people are sharing and engaging (and what they are not). At this point she hits “pause” and invites the reader to work through a Platform Growth Checklist and a Content Planning Worksheet–hugely valuable exercises.

The final three chapters center on larger issues for maintaining integrity and authenticity. She offers a chapter chock-full of advice on navigating social media. She addresses everything from the characteristics of different platforms, to dealing with negative comments, safeguarding one’s privacy, and protecting one’s mental health. And she emphasizes fact-checking oneself. Horbrook discusses making disciples and the vital importance of community versus isolation. Finally, she addresses stewarding influence well. She re-emphasizes themes she has touched on: depth over breadth, boundaries, to not define one’s worth by engagement, and have a community of accountability.

As a fellow Christian who uses social media to influence, I found so much with which I resonated. I especially appreciate her discussion of the alignment of content and character. I consciously strive for people to perceive the character of Christ in what I post, how I engage, and the “vibe” I create in curating my platforms. Horbrook pushes me in thinking about engagement with and shareability of content. Most of all, she models accepting and stewarding the influence one has for God’s, rather than personal glory. This is a book for any Christian working in social media spaces!

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Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for review.