social media

> social media... the cyber-reality

Jody WissingVisual Arts & Social Media Director

Preston Trail Community ChurchMinistryCOM presentation

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

> social media... the cyber-reality

Questions?Tweet them to @embracechaos


> reality #1

Social media exists and it’s not a fad.

It will evolve and change with technology, but it’s not going away. It’s changing the face of business and it’s altering the landscape of communication. It’s also changing the way people communicate and how they do life.


> reality #1

?Still think it’s a fad?


> reality #1

The Pet Rock was a fad.


> reality #1

Parachute pants were a fad.(thank goodness!)


> reality #1Social media is not a fad.


> reality #2

Social media is necessary.

If the majority of businesses use social media and people use social media, shouldn’t churches? Our job is to get the Word out to people. You want to create your own church presence on social media, don’t wait for someone to do it for you.

What I mean by necessary is you need to use some social media. One size does not fit all. You don’t have to be involved in all of it, but you can’t ignore it either.


> reality #3

Ignoring social media won’t make it go away.

For people that don’t like social media or don’t want to use it, look at it like this. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em... but do it for the right reasons.

For those of you who just need to know where to start, how to structure your social media or need tips for maximizing it, that’s what we’re going to talk about.


> get started

How do you get started?

If you’ve already started into the social media world, you will still find some of this helpful. Social media can be overwhelming whether you know a lot or a little.


> what is social media?

Social media is media for social interaction, using highly accessible and scalable publishing techniques.

Social media uses web-based technologies to turn communication into interactive dialogues.

accessible

interactive

A simple definition.(wikipedia)

Important key words here: accessible & interactive.


> options

Social media options. (types and examples)

blogs - blogger, wordpress

microblogs - twitter

personal sites - facebook, myspace

professional sites - linkedin

media sharing - flickr, picassa, youtube

search engines - google, yahoo!

bookmark sites - stumbleupon, digg, delicious


> options

Social media options.There are thousands. Choose the ones that are right for you.


> start here

Start with these.

Most popular

Go where the people are

Networked well

It’s free

Very popular

Easy to use

It’s free

Utilize current media

Share stories

Casual conversation

It’s free


> start small

Start small and incrementally add moreas you successfully implement each phase.


> do your homework

Look at what others are doing.

They’re looking at what you’re doing, especially if you’re doing it really well. Look at churches as well as businesses, non-profits and personal sites. Don’t copy what others are doing, but gain inspiration and stay culturally relevant.


> designate a team

Who will set it up? Who will maintain it?

It takes time to set up and maintain social media and there’s no social media fairy. If you find one, send her my way when you’re done.

How many people need to be involved in it?Should we use staff and/or volunteers?

What ministries and what people? Staff or volunteers? Most social media sites have administrators so several people can maintain it if needed.


> choose your media

text . video . images . audio . apps


> commit and go

Make a plan and execute it. Don’t wait.

Waiting for the perfect time and everything to be in place might never happen. Start small and simple. As you get systems in place, expand your social media.


> look at the big picture

Target audience

Demographicsage - gender - style - passions

Groupshobbies - age - interests


> technology options

What’s out there?

What’s available to you?

Budget and plan for technology needs.


> resources

Not just equipment, but time and money.

What resources do you currently have available?

How can you utilize them?


> plan & organize

People like to find media easily. Be organized.

All of your social media should work together.

Your social media should blend with your website.

Coordinate with marketing & communications.


> good reasoning

Why are you using a specific social media site?

Don’t use it because everyone else is.

Use it to reach new people.

Use it to interact with people.


> info

Build it and they will come.

No.

Build it, keep it organized, make it interesting,

maintain it and interact with people.

Then they will come!


> conversations

Social media is interactive, not an information download. Maintain conversations.

If you don’t converse with people, they will become inactive, therefore making your social media ventures unsuccessful.

If you receive a negative comment or feedback, take the opportunity to respond professionally. Don’t delete it. Chances are someone has already seen it and they’re waiting to see how you respond.


> information overload

Don’t add content just to add content.

Keep it organized with easy access.

Don’t get wordy.

Use page breaks and ‘continue reading’ tags.

Use keywords and categories when available.


> content is king

...without original and desirable content, or consideration for the rights and commercial interests of content creators - any media venture is likely to fail through lack of appealing content, regardless of other design factors.

A definition.(wikipedia)


> content is king

Everyone has their own media preferences. Have something for everyone, keeping your target

audience in mind on all posts and updates.


> utilize what you have

Marketing materials

Email communications

Event descriptions

Message content

The Bible

It’s good to utilize content you already have, formatting it for a blog, tweet or status update. This saves time and makes it easier to update.


> tips for ease

Set your priorities and plan ahead.If there’s one thing in this whole presentation you should walk away with, this is it. Prioritize and plan. Your social media success will reflect the time and planning you put into it.

Traffic is good, but not your goal.You want people to visit your site for the right reasons. People interacting, not numbers or ‘hits’.

Avoid private groups.These are not accessible and can exclude or alienate people.


> tips for success

Use metrics. Track what’s working well.

Don’t be afraid to use sites without metrics.

Encourage staff and pastor interaction.If your church leaders and pastors aren’t interacting, neither will your congregation or potential guests.

Get out of your comfort zone. Try new things.Social media is always changing. Try new things and new sites. Most are free or low cost. What do you have to loose?


> misc tips

Be a spy. What are people saying about you?What are people saying about your church? Your pastors? Your community? The new guy you’re about to hire? What are your staff people writing on their personal blogs?

There’s a fine line between personal & business.Your church staff are viewed as representatives of the church. Make sure they understand how personal interaction affects you church.

Nothing is private in social media.Your content will live forever.

Maybe not on your sites, but it might live on someone else’s.

Viral is good, but not necessary.


> online resources

• churchmarketingsucks.com - good ideas

• stuffchristianslike.org - funny with a good perspective

• bedeviant.org - good tips and ideas

• bestministrypractices.com - good tips and ideas

• churchcrunch.com - interesting tips and ideas

• digitalfondue.org - social media, digital art &

brainstorming ideas


> questions & answers

Thank you! :)

Please ask questions.

If you think of a question later and would like to continue the conversation, tweet it to @embracechaos


social media - the cyber reality [detailed presentation]

Technology

dont wait

good tips

embracechaos

sites

good

staff

free