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Social Success

The keys to engaging people on Facebook and Twitter

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Seeing Social Media in action

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkHNNPM7pJA

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Who should lead the use of social media in your church or community?

Social media is about PEOPLE not computers, so pick a good communicator rather than an IT expert – it’s like the difference between a mechanic and a driving instructor

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1 in 3 people are on Facebook!50% of UK pensioners are on Facebook

Facebook is good for:• Keeping in touch• Sharing news stories and media• Organising events• Interaction and discussion

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What you need to know about Facebook:

• Individuals have profiles and organisations have pages

• Your personal Facebook profile has nothing to do with the pages you create and manage

• The new timeline means you have more control over who sees what

• The new timeline is an opportunity to share your personal or your church’s history – including milestones like when you were baptised etc.

• Facebook Groups are useful for a closed group of people – eg. a worship team

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How does Twitter work?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWCaXXKcHWE

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The Pope tweeted through Lent!

Good for:• Breaking news• Building a network• Asking questions• Sharing pithy statements/quotes• Discipleship eg:

http://storify.com/richardlittleda/crowdsourced-wisdom-on-prayer/slideshow

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What you need to know about Twitter:

• Everything on Twitter is public – it’s like being able to text the whole world!

• You choose who you follow – so don’t follow boring people!

• Conversations take place using hashtags – popular example is #bbcqt – if you follow a hashtag you’ll see ALL tweets containing that word, not just the tweets of those you follow

• You can search Twitter to see if people are talking about a certain topic and find trending topics

• Many tweets are sharing a link to an interesting article, image or video

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Before you start using Twitter or Facebook for church activities:

• Decide WHY you want to use social media – write down some aims

• Decide WHO will look after the social media accounts (more than one person)

• Decide HOW you will evaluate success/progress

• COMMUNICATE your plans clearly with the wider community & PRAY

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Principles of good engagement:

• Be interesting• Be encouraging• Be active• Be helpful• Be authentic

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Be Interesting

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Be Encouraging

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Be Active

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Be Helpful

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Be Authentic

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Things to do to keep engagement on your social media:

1. PLAN what you will say:• Fill a calendar ahead with key

public, local and internal events & consider what you could share on FB and/or Twitter

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Things to do:

2. SCHEDULE what you can:• Use a tool such as

hootsuite.com to write updates that are then set for certain times and dates

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Things to do:

3. Have REGULAR features• For example, share an

inspirational bible verse every Monday, something funny every Friday etc.

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Things to do:

4. Aim to post something at least once a day (not always you speaking – retweet or share someone else’s content as well).Have a team looking after the accounts who all know what the plan is and make sure you check your accounts every day.

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Things to do:

5. ENCOURAGE discussion, sharing and comments – ask people to share pictures, thoughts, ideas and ALWAYS respond to any feedback.Content should be 20% you and 80% others.

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What about privacy?

• Never think anything you put online is private

• You can moderate comments on Facebook etc.

• You are responsible for what you share online

• You control your own privacy online – each site has settings that you control

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What about safeguarding?

• Follow the rules of the site you’re using, eg. Facebook users must be over 13

• Always get permission to share photos/video – easy way around this is to get people to upload their own photos/videos!

• Use your own child protection policy – reporting suspicious activity in the normal way

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My 3 golden rules:

Don’t be afraid!Go for it, don’t be timid, you just have to give it a try.

Don’t be stupid!Don’t write anything you’d be embarrassed for a loved one or your boss to read!

Be yourself! Be authentic, people can spot a fake.

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Some other sites to be aware of

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Scenario 1:

Jenny just had her little boy baptised at your church. She comes to your mothers and toddlers group but not to church services. She uses Facebook and can access it on her phone.

How could you engage her through social media?

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Scenario 2:

You are running an Alpha course at church. A number of the participants use social media.

How could you use social media both to advertise the course and keep in touch with participants?

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Scenario 3:

You have a board at the back of church where people can put prayer requests.

How could you bring this into the 21st century using social media?

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Tips for getting started

• Don’t run before you can walk• Find out where people are – who in your

church is using social media?• Go where your congregation and

community are • Use what you’re comfortable with• If possible get a current user to manage

your social media accounts• If you set up a social media account be

sure someone is responsible for it – you can’t create something and then leave it

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Tips for getting started

• Once you have accounts, put links on your church noticeboard, posters and on your newsletter

• Encourage visitors to go to your social media accounts (blog, twitter, facebook)

• Consider how you can use your social media with different groups you run at church – eg. Mother and toddler groups, Alpha etc.

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Resources

• http://bigbible.org.uk/• http://digital-fingerprint.co.uk/• http://bryonytaylor.com • http://www.prayoneforme.org/• http://www.twurchofengland.org.uk/• http://www.dur.ac.uk/codec/about/• http://christiannewmedia.com/• http://ibenedictines.org/

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Thanks! Keep in touch! http://bryonytaylor.com I’m @vahva on Twitterbryony.taylor@gmail.com http://www.newmediacentreofexcellence.org.uk/regionaltraining

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Image acknowledgements 1. Monkey by coxy on Flickr2. Change by CPCBrass on Flickr3. Social Media collage by

Kdonovan_gaddy on Flickr4. Tools by zzpza on Flickr5. Web by puliarf on Flickr6. Tortoise by Mr. Thomas on Flickr7. Why by openpad on Flickr8. Mobile phone by Rakka on Flickr9. Facebook by Thos003 by Flickr10. Twitter by Rosaura Ochoa on Flickr11. Journal by Curtfleenor on Flickr12. Notice boards by Ingy the Wingy on

Flickr

13. Privacy by The Incredible how on Flickr

14. Guard by Splutterbug on Flickr15. Child by Leonid Mamchenkov on

Flickr16. Dinner table by Orphan Jones on

Flickr17. Prayer by bhsher on Flickr18. Start by Pobre.ch on Flickr