Social Media:TGIF

Thomas G. JamesResource Manager

Lewis Center for Church Leadership

Outline

• Why Social Media?• Facebook, Twitter & others• Which Social Media platforms fit my needs

best?– P.O.S.T. Strategy

Consider Marketing Stats

• Using Statistics from BrandON– BrandON! marketing.technology is a marketing

and strategy firm focusing on integrating the latest technology and social media

http://www.theconversationprism.com/

Facebook

Groups vs. Fan Pages

Fan Pages: What to share

• Upcoming events• Follow up from past events• Share stories about people who are involved

in Christian Education• Tag photos of past events

Group Pages: What to share

• Upcoming events• Follow up from past events• Share stories about people who are involved

in Christian Education• Tag photos of past events• Facilitate conversation• Prayer requests / Life changes

Facebook Study Groups

• Create a new group online– Example:

Twitter

growing your follower list

Grow Your Twitter Audience

• Follow other people / people in your church• Use #hashtags• Use @replies• Learn how to use the search function

– #stumin – #collegemin– #cmconnect– #fammin

Grow Your Twitter Audience

• Shorten your tweets– 140 characters is allowed maximum, try 100– Allow for hashtags and RT information

• Share spiritual practices– Don’t ask for long, drawn out disciplines

• Set a schedule– Don’t become addicted, pace yourself– Allow for emergency news, but find a common time

for tweeting – people will learn your schedule

Grow Your Twitter Audience

• Be conversational– Ask questions – provoke responses

Patch

free advertisinglocal news

What is Patch?•A community-specific news and information platform providing local coverage for individual towns and communities•Helps users learn about and participate in what’s going on in their community

• news and events• photos and videos from around town• local businesses information• Discussion forums• Announcements, photos, and reviews

Social Media

• General Rules– UPDATES– Not a Personal Account– Spice up your FB / Twitter pages

• Pagemodo• TwitBacks, FreeTwitterDesigner

– Logo and/or people … not church buildings

Social Media Strategy

• What do you currently have in place?• P.O.S.T. Method

– People– Objectives– Strategy– Technology

People

• Who is your audience – what are their capabilities?– What are the best modes of communication?– When is the best time of day to communicate?– Different forms of communication will reach

different groups of people.• Who will be executing the plan?

– Who will be sending out messages? – Who will NOT be sending out messages?

Objectives

• What are you trying to accomplish?– Are you creating a platform to listen or to

converse?– Is your social media usage for evangelizing or

energizing?• How will you measure success?

– First, establish an objective– Second, determine how you will measure success

Strategy (or Next Steps)

• How will relationships inside and outside the church change by using social media?– What aspects of your church’s culture does social

media challenge?• Budget• Staff / volunteers• Existing structures and processes

• Imagine the end point, and allow that to determine where to begin.

Technology

• Your social media strategy is not A technology.– Facebook, Twitter, blogs, email, website … these

are tools to help your ministry succeed in carrying out your strategy

• Once you have determined your people, your objectives and your strategy, choose your technology

• Continue to learn how social media is changing, and adapt your use accordingly

Questions

www.churchleadership.comLeading Ideas e-newsletter