social ministry

Maximizing Social Media for Churches & Ministries.

socialministry.tumblr.com

today’s goals1. Why your church/ministry

should be engaging in social media

2. Which networks are right for you?

3. What kind of content should you post?

4. How to manage social media when you’re short on time

5. How to integrate social media with your current website & print materials.


socialmedia

ministry

social media ministry

SOCIAL MEDIA

✢ Finding Old Friends

✢ Sharing Information

✢ Convenient/Easy✢ Fun✢ Time-Waster

SOCIAL MINISTRY

✢ Powerful✢ Potential✢ A “Team Sport”✢ Discipleship✢ The Future!

why engage with social ministry?

1.Connect2.Engage3.Inform4.Location, location, location!5.It’s Free!


social ministry usage #1: connect

Yes, we are in ministry, but networking and communication are required! ✛ Be more easily found by people looking

for a church✛ Connect with volunteers✛ Connect with other people who do what

you do and get quick access to quality resources that they share on their own tweets, blogs, or Facebook

✛ Supporters will have a greater sense of being connected with you through more communication.

(Consider using Facebook & Twitter lists to stay organized)

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social ministry usage #2: engage

You have a unique story to share, and your voice is important!

✛ We have an opportunity to join in a global conversation going on all around us every day, and to engage in ministry every day.

✛ Disciple your volunteers/campers long after they’ve gone home for the summer (consider using Facebook Groups to do this)

(??) 2

social ministry usage #3: inform

Social media provides a great platform to quickly reach a large number of people.

✛ Sharing – Not only can you reach people, but by reaching your fans/friends/followers, you enable all of THEM to join the team, and to easily pass along invites and information to family & friends.

✛ This, in turn, increases awareness for your ministry. 3

social ministry usage #4: location

EVERYONE IS ALREADY THERE!

8 years ago, all we had were websites. But…✛ Websites will NEVER see the

kind of traffic that Social Media will.

✛ Websites will never have the kind of personal investment/engagement from your users that Social Media will.

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social ministry usage #5: cost

It’s FREE!

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also…• Jesus was masterful at communicating spiritual

truths in settings and with language that connected with his listeners.

• Paul strived to be fluent in the language of his culture (1 Cor. 9:22).

• When used wisely, social media is a powerful tool for church leaders serious about this rich legacy of contextualized communication.

• This is the language of our listeners!

the negatives1. Time Consumption2. Distraction3. Escapism4. Security

✛These can all be helpful ministry tools depending on how they’re used, and how you feel most comfortable communicating.

✛God will use whatever He needs to use to accomplish his purposes.

it’s all in how you use them…


so many choices, where to start?What social networks should your church/ministry be on?

which social networks should your church/ministry be on?

1. WHO IS YOUR AUDIENCE/COMMUNITY✛ Know your community. ✛ Recognize what is the best tool to communicate

with them.

2. CHOOSE BOTH FOR AND AGAINST…✛ Are you intentionally not using a specific

social network because it’s not the best tool for you?

✛ Or are you unfamiliar with it?


facebook

facebook pagesFor public figures, organizations & businesses.

✛ Page Administrators (there can be more than one) can be private for added security or public if it makes more sense.

✛ Liking - People and other pages (churches, other ministries, businesses, public figures) can connect to your page by “liking” your page and becoming your fan.

✛ Work hard to form connections with logical ministry partners, and network with influencers who might extend your ministry’s reach.

✛ Your page’s content is distributed virally when your audience responds to or shares it.

✛ You can use facebook’s insights to track what content is most relevant/most viral for your audience.

(Note: See your resource guide for how to best use facebook’s new “timeline” feature for your church.)

facebook events• A great way to inform fans about upcoming events• Upon creating an event, a News Feed story with event

info will post to your Page or Profile, and your audience can RSVP.

• You can increase RSVPs by posting status updates leading up to the Event, emailing lists, and linking from your website/blog.

• Be careful about creating an event and people thinking that an RSVP there is “good enough” if you want them to RSVP online.

(TIP: Creatively promote your next event with more than just a simple announcement. Maybe a video? Fun photos?)

facebook groupsFacebook Groups are a great resource for private communication.1.Control who sees your group (3 levels of security)

• Secret – only members can see the group and what members post.• Closed – anyone can see the group. Only members can see the posts.• Open (public) – Anyone can see the group and what members post.

2.Share with the group• Post updates, questions, photos & more• Chat with the group (You could have set ‘office hours’ to communicate with the members

of your group) • Create shared docs• Schedule group events

3.Stay in the know1. Get notified about new posts so you never miss an update2. Connect off Facebook using the group’s shared email address.

(www.facebook.com/groups get started & find out more!)

http://www.facebook.com/groups

http://www.facebook.com/groups


twitter

what is twitter?Twitter is a worldwide information network made of no more than 140-charater messages. ✛ The users are generally the “influencers” of

society (politicians, celebrities, public figures, organizations), although it’s also used by many individuals.

✛ Messages are short & sweet & frequent!

The Rules✛ 140 character Max✛ You can’t tweet too often!


facebook vs. twitterFACEBOOK TWITTER

✛ Facebook is for good for connecting with people that you already know.

✛ Local news/events✛ Help on an issue✛ 500 million total users

• 46% men, 54% women• 70% located outside the US• 41% login every day• 88% of people in the world are

aware of Facebook

✛ 310 million daily unique visitors

✛ Twitter is good for connecting with people who share common interests

✛ Breaking news✛ New learning & discovery✛ 106 million total users

• 48% men, 52% women• 60% located outside the US• 52% update status daily• 87% of people in the world are

aware of Twitter

✛ 22 million daily unique visitors

✛ 600 million searches daily**

so….who’s on twitter?✛ Twitter has the largest division of users with a

secondary education✛ 37% have at least a bachelor’s degree.✛ Twitter has the largest division of wealthy users

with 27% earning 75k or more

the twittonary

✛Tweet - the message itself✛Tweeting – the act of posting a message to twitter

✛Followers – your “friends” or subscribers on Twitter

✛Follow – to subscribe to their Tweets and updates on the site

the twittonary✛@ (Mention) - the @ sign is used to call out

usernames in Tweets, like this: Loved hearing from @socialministry1 @wheatonbible today…wow, #SocialMedia is awesome! When a username is preceded by an @ sign, it becomes a link to a Twitter profile. This is also called a “mention.”

✛DM (Direct Message) – These tweets are private between only the sender and the recipient. Regular tweets become DMs when they begin with d Username (like d lizcarverdesign) to specify who the message is for

the twittonary

✛ReTweet – The act of forwarding another user’s tweet to all of your followers. Often used to spread news or share valuable findings on Twitter. Often abbreviated by RT.

✛# (Hashtag) – Hashtags are used to categorize your tweet and tag it in a global tweet “cloud.”

(Example: So excited for what God is doing in Spain #Larcada #CCISpain)

how to get started on twitter…1. Find people you know & follow them.2. Find like-minded users.3. Find people in your area.4. Get a desktop or mobile client (TweetDeck or

HootSuite)5. Start tweeting!


video1 in 4 Americans watches a video online each day

youtube

✛ Over 3 billion video views per day✛ Over 35 hours of video uploaded per minute✛ More video is uploaded to YouTube in one month than the 3

major US networks created in 60 years✛ YouTube’s demographic is broad: 18-54 years old✛ Nearly 17 million people have connected their YouTube

account to at least one social service (Facebook, Twitter, Orkut, Buzz, etc.)

✛ There are more than 500 tweets pre minute containing a YouTube link

✛ Millions of subscriptions happen each day.

A great example of a successful youtube channel is World Relief: www.youtube.com/user/WorldRelief

vimeo

✛ Sharp quality✛ Most popular with artists and businesses who want to

show their rich and digital media savvy✛ The first (2007) consumer-accessible video hosting site

to offer high definition playback✛ For businesses – Vimeo Plus…this is where Vimeo

TROUNCES YouTube. It allows businesses to put their own logo on embedded players, gives clients analytics tools that rival those provided by Google for web pages, and even allows clients to create custom portfolio websites to represent their products and values.

Check out World Relief http://vimeo.com/worldrelief

http://vimeo.com/worldrelief




blogging & rss

blogging

Blog (a blend of the term web log) – can be a noun or a verb.✛ A blog is a type of website or a part of a website

supposed to be updated with new content from time to time.

✛ Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video.

✛ Entries are displayed in reverse-chronological order.✛ Good quality blogs are interactive, allowing

visitors to leave comments. This interactivity distinguishes them from other static websites.

types of blogs

Although most blogs are textual, some focus on different topics:✛ Art (art blog)✛ Sketches (sketchblog)✛ Links (linklog)✛ Photographs (photoblog)✛ Videos (vlogging or video blogging)✛ Music (mp3 blog)✛ Audio (podcasting)✛ Spam (splog)✛ Microblogging – very short posts✛ Mixed media types (tumblelog)

blogging platforms

Which platform is right for me? (all free, of course!)✛ Wordpress - a free hosting solution that has the

powerful wordpress software behind it.(lifeatwheatonbiblechurch.com)

✛ Blogger - The features of WordPress but with more control over design.

✛ Tumblr (a tumblelog platform) - A hybrid between Twitter’s micro-blogging sensibilities combined with the full, entry-based approach of a traditional blog. No expertise needed! (vidaenidp.tumblr.com)

how to get started blogging

1.Choose your platform!2.Name your blog & determine your “voice”3.Connect it with other social networks (send your

posts to facebook, tweet your posts, and feed your tweets to your blog)

4.Tell the world about your blog!5.Get writing. Integrate it into your daily routine.6.Subscribe to other relevant blogs, and share

content readily.


photoSharing, Storage & More!

flickrFlickr is an image hosting (and video hosting) website and online community✛ Widely used by bloggers to host images that they embed

in blogs & social media✛ 51 million register members✛ Hosts more than 6 billion images✛ The Flickr social shareability includes an RSS feed and API

enables independent programmers to expand its services. ✛ Works as the primary storage site for many

organziations.

World Relief’s Flickr STREAM: www.flickr.com/photos/worldreliefbend/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldreliefbend/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/worldreliefbend/

instagr.am“Fast, beautiful photo sharing for your iPhone”Includes photo taking, photo editing, and photo sharing – all in one! (27 million users to date)

Each photo is shared to Instagram & can be shared to other social networks as well:✛ Facebook✛ Twitter✛ Foursquare✛ Tumblr✛ Flickr


streaming contentLiveStream, Ustream,

we all Stream!


which stream to choose?USTREAM.TV LIVESTREAM.COM

✛ Ustream allows you to stream anything live over the internet.

✛ Free to sign up for✛ Over 2,000,000

registered users who generate 1.5+ million hours of live streamed content per month.

✛ Livestream limits the viewer limit to 50

✛ Basically the same as Ustream!


location-based networks

The “Where’s Waldo?” of Social Networking

location-based networking✛ Location based services allow users to connect

with others based on their current locations.

✛ In most cases, people use their smartphones (iPhone, Android, Blackberry), to “check-in” to businesses like restaurants, bars and stores they visit.

✛ These locations are then broadcasted to their online friends.

why location-based networking is important!

1.Free word of mouth (if users see their friends check in to a location, they may be more likely to visit)

2.Reviews (most location-based tools allow users to write review of the places they frequent. These reviews are then shared with other users who check in to those locations.

3.Specials – sites allow businesses to unlock special deals by checking in. These specials encourage frequency, first-time visits, and competition among customers.

foursquareUsers “check-in” at venues using a mobile website, text messaging, or an app. Location is based on GPS hardware in the mobile device. Mayorship – if a user has checked-in to a venue on more days

than anyone else in the past 60 days, they will be crowned the “mayor” of that venue.

Badges – badges are earned by checking into various venues. (On October 22, 2010, astronaut Douglas H. Wheelock unlocked the NASA Explorer badge by checking into foursquare from the International Space Station.)

Superuser status – There are 3 levels of superuser status, selected by foursquare staff for their helpful contributions to the community.

http://foursquare.com/business/

https://foursquare.com/business/



google+ Google+ integrates social services such as

Google Profiles and Google Buzz, organizes people into Circles, creates group video chat spots called Hangouts, and Sparks.

Sparks allow users to identify topics they might be interested in sharing with others.

Now integrates Picnik (online photo editor) and Picasa.

Google Pages opened on November 7, which allows users to set up profiles and the syndication of posts relating to organizations.


what should i say?What kind of content should

you be posting online?

facebook post ideas:1. Share an interesting article or video & ask for comments. 2. Encourage people to share prayer requests or stories of

answered prayers.3. Post written or video stories from people at your church.4. Ask people questions that allow them to quickly share

something about themselves (What was your favorite Easter memory? What are you doing for Christmas? What made you laugh the hardest this week?)

5. Use facebook/twitter to ask questions or generate conversation around sermon topics.

6. Ask people to share a photo. Create a “caption contest”7. Post photos from every event! Have them ready by the time

attendees get online. BE THE FIRST – AND DO IT BEST! 8. Remember – don’t just start the conversation and run.

Engaging with people means respond to comments.

twitter do’s and don’ts1.Do have a plan – spend time wisely by setting aside a

specific time in the morning and late afternoon to use Twitter for ministry purposes, sharing content and engaging with other users during that time.

2.Don’t over-promote – Use the 80/20 rule of marketing. Spend 80 percent of your Twitter time on activities that are NOT self-promotional. Offer diverse tweets in your stream.

3.Do integrate Twitter with other marketing initiatives – cross-promote your marketing initiatives in every way you can. (Follow me icon on website/blog/facebook, link in email signature and brand your Twitter profile)

4.Don’t get too personal or negative – Google indexes tweets and the Library of Congress archives them.

5.Do engage & interact – it’s not all about you!

Let’s Get Creative!

the next level of twitter…

the uniqueness of twitter: instant

feedback✛ Gather real-time feedback. People can send

questions and input to a twitter feed, which end up projected right there during lectures. Study other peoples’ insights.

✛ Answer Questions – streamline the process by allowing people to answer questions via Twitter rather than raising hands.

Mars Hill – At the end of sermons, Mark Driscoll answers questions that are submitted via Twitter during his message. The questions are real. The answers are raw. And it adds an element to the conversation that can’t be achieved otherwise.

the uniqueness of twitter: pitch an

idea

the uniqueness of twitter – research

get creative in 140 characters

✛ A two-minute testimony?✛ How about a 140-character testimony?✛ Play a fun story-go-round ✛ Set up a poll ✛ _______ of the day✛ Keep up with current events✛ Host a Twitter scavenger hunt✛ Fun with bible figures – The Bronx Zoo Cobra

going viral…“Viral marketing is basically anything that encourages people to pass on a message to others, thus creating the possibility for rapid growth in both it’s exposure & influence.”• In order to create a “virus”, you need to have “carriers”• The virus being your message, post, event, video, etc.• The carriers are Facebook friends & fans who after they

either become your “friend” or “like” your fan page will receive all your future updates through the News Feed.

• Friends like Friends like Friends like Friends.

SO, what are the steps to going viral?


going viral:increase social connections

Increasing fans improves visibility. Increasing fans builds credibility. Increasing fans spreads your information, and

therefore brand to a much wider audience

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going viral:have content that’s worthy

PEOPLE WILL SHARE IF IT IS…✛Hilarious✛Incredible/Unbelievable✛Deeply Emotional✛Agrees with our Worldview✛Makes us Stop & Think✛Isn’t covered by Mainstream Media✛It will make someone smile.✛It is dramatic.

KINDS OF CONTENT:✛Articles & Blog Posts✛Interactive content (games, widgets, quizzes)✛Video & Audio (vlogs/podcasts)✛Infographics

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going viral:promotion

✛ ENABLE & ENCOURAGE SHARING: Include easy-to-use buttons for all major sharing sites on your blog/website, embed codes for images to encourage sharing, and use incentives for sharing (if we get to 1000 shares, we do X)

✛ TEAM PLAYERS: Team players share content on their own wall, on the walls of friends/family who would be interested, and engage in discussions.

✛ SPEND TIME WISELY: Worthwhile places to spend time:✛ The places where the “connectors” hang out – Digg, Reddit, StumbleUpon,

Delicious✛ Twitter – having a person of influence tweet something puts

it in front of a lot of people at the same time. ✛ Blogs – By finding bloggers of authority who are willing to post

your content, you can increase your awareness 3

viral marketing wrapup1. Increase Social Connections2. Have content that is worthy of sharing3. Promote

So…ask yourself…✛ WHAT CAN YOU DO TO INCREASE THE SOCIAL REACH OF

YOUR CHURCH?✛ WHAT SORT OF CONTENT DO YOU HAVE ALREADY THAT IS

WORTHY OF SHARING?✛ HOW CAN YOU BE INVOLVED INDIVIDUALLY IN SHARING?✛ WHO CAN YOU GET ON YOUR ‘TEAM’?

rss feeds explained

What is RSS?✛ RSS (Really Simple Syndication) is a format for delivering

regularly changing web content. ✛ Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online

publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.

Why RSS? ✛ You save time by not needing to visit each site individually. ✛ You ensure your privacy, by not needing to join each

site's email newsletter. What do I need to do to read an RSS Feed?✛ RSS Feed Readers and News Aggregators✛ Feed Reader or News Aggregator software allow you to grab

the RSS feeds from various sites and display them for you to read and use.


…but i have no time!

How to maximize social media with just a few minutes a day


be like goldilocksStart with what you

can, and STAY ACTIVE!✛ Make Social Media a

part of your daily or weekly routine, just as you check emails, do weekly chores.

✛ Remember not to start the conversation and walk away!

consider connecting facebook & twitter

Send Twitter Tweets to Facebook.twitter.com/about/resources/widgets/facebook

Send Facebook profile posts or page posts to Twitter. facebook.com/twitter

use hootsuiteScheduling Programs like HootSuite and TweetDeck allow you

to write your updates for a week in one sitting.

http://hootsuite.com/dashboard


where does print/website fit

in?Integrate social media into your current communication pieces

in print, use qr codes✛ Quick Response codes

are visual links to websites/any online content.

✛ Can be created easily by using a QR Code Generator.

✛ Can be printed in bulletins, on signs, can replace printed content for those who use smartphones.

online, use pinterest• A visual board-styled social photo sharing website and app

where users create and manage theme-based image collections.

• Mission statement: to connect everyone in the world through shared tastes and the “things” they find interesting.

• Users label and create theme-based image boards. Users can populate their own boards with media found online.

• Pins may be divided into pictures, videos, discussion & gifts.

✛Beautiful, addicting, and fun!✛Great for christmas gifts, creating visual bulletin boards, creating recipe books, etc.


The End.


Where to find me:

✛ Liz CarverCommunication Manger/Web & Digital MediaWheaton Bible Church [email protected]

✛ Social Ministry on Twitter @socialministry1✛ Social Ministry blog:

http://socialministry.tumblr.com✛ Social Ministry on Facebook✛ Social Media Powerpoints are available on

SlideShare: http://slideshare.net/lcarver1

mailto:[email protected]

http://socialministry.tumblr.com/

http://slideshare.net/lcarver1


social ministry

Education