Social Media 101 for Congregations

Fifth Annual Faith Community Leadership SummitFebruary 15, 2011

Richie Escovedo | @vedo

Lets talk aboutWhat and why social media Reasons and researchTools with purpose Examples and thoughts

http://www.flickr.com/photos/hippydream/385979449/

What is social media?

"Social Media is a social trend in which people use

technologies to get the things they need from each other, rather than from traditional

institutions."

from Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff

and it looks like this

http://www.theconversationprism.com/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/87765855@N00/3105128025/

hmmm...

Put simply, social media is people having online conversations.

Why social media for congregations?

Effective and efficient storytellingConnecting with people outside your churchExplain your church's mission and purposeCommunity awareness of church ministry People want to be a part of something goodBuild and maintain relationships

Churches increasingly fans of Facebook, other social media

Interesting stats from 2010 study...

47% of churches actively use Facebook.20% use social media tools included in church management software.40% don’t use any social media tools.Bigger churches more likely to use Facebook: 81% with 500+ use Facebook 27% with fewer than 50 people

78% of churches have a website.Less than half of those churches use their site for interactive purposes (prayer requests, event registration, streamlining church processes).15% of churches update their site more than once a week.40% update it once a week.42% update it once a month or less.7% update it once a year.

What keeps churches from providing more online content and services?

46% limited staff time41% limited financial resources39% limited volunteer time35% lack of interest or demand

What about age?

Remember: People want to be part of something good

To start, answer some questions

Who will post?Who is your audience?What kinds of content will be created/shared?When will content be shared (schedule)?How will you evaluate your social media use?How will you promote the tools plus maintain safety and ethics?What are you already doing that could be re-purposed for social media?

Where to start?Choosing the right tools is not an easy task. Follow the footsteps of success of others to help be your guide.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/mommypants/319568014/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alamodestuff/4351730264/

Blog to explore topics

Blog to explain ministry

Blog to share mission teams

Blog to encourage community

Tips for churches on Facebook

Make sure Facebook link is easy to find on websitePost links plus photos/videos and "tag" volunteersUse Facebook events and encourage church community to "Share" itAsk/answer questionsReply to feedback as appropriate

Tips for churches on Facebook

Teach your Fans to tag your church's Page.Using the “tag” (the @ symbol), they can tag the church’s Facebook Page in their own status that goes out to their friends.Shows active community on the church's Page Wall

Greet Facebook Fans with a welcome

Greet Facebook Fans with a welcome

Twitter is...

a free social messaging utility for staying connected in real-time (Twitter.com)a social networking and micro-blogging tool

Yes, but what is it?

connections, conversations, community, and content

For congregations, Twitter can be...a cost-effective (free) option to accentuate existing messages;a broadcasting tool to announce relevant information to specific audiences; and a (brief) conversational tool to appropriately respond to relevant inquiries and follow-up questions or comments.

Two Types

Broadcasteruseful if audience knows what they are gettinganother way to push informationworks best if you have good information to givecould fill a need from specific area or topic

Conversationalistprovides a "voice"seen as an authority and sourceROE - return on engagementa way to interact with those interested in the churchall about building relationships

Consider voice of individual or voice of a church

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sharynmorrow/18753251/

Use video to tell your story

Video content should be a key component of your social strategy.Some pastors find communicating through video easier than writing long blog posts.Most people would rather watch a video than read something.Many options, but stick with YouTube or Vimeo.Both free with easily embeddable videos for blogs/sites.Try to keep videos short (3-5 minutes) and relevant to your church.If you create video for worship services, they could be useful online as well.

Blend personality, mission, and ministry to reach a wider audience.

Think about branding, consistency, dynamic videos and channels

Self-hosted media contentYou control look, access, and share-ability

Live streaming servicesFrom the Baptist Press:"Using the social media site Ustream, [the pastor] was able to broadcast from his home while church members logged in online for the 10:30 a.m. service. [He] created a link to Ustream from Ebenezer's website to simplify the process."

If the congregation can't come to you, go to them.

Other toolsPodcasting/iTunes

Allows people to consume your content on-the-goProvides audio-only content, e.g., sermons Build a consistent audience for audio (or video) and automatically supply new content Reach iTunes user base

http://www.flickr.com/photos/emilybean/1216468104/

Other toolsLocation-based social networking (Foursquare) see who checks-in at your church Review sites (Yelp) see what people say about your churchMobile applications QR Codes (Quick Response) get creative with this technology

Listen to the conversation

Monitor what is being said about your church. Don't know what social media tools your stakeholders are using? Start by searching for your church's name, topic on interest, etc. on Google, Google BlogSearch, Technorati, Search.Twitter, Facebook and many others.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/herculie/2370039001/

Listen to your congregation

Those who use social media to only push out their church's messages miss the opportunity to have an engaging conversation with their online community.

Have an authentic voice that connects with your community. Tell storiesBe encouragingAppreciate and champion the followers in your online, and offline, community.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrvogt81/114975513/

Once you start using social media

Follow through and use the tools. You don’t have to use every tool. Avoid the shiny-object syndrome.Tailor your social strategy to fit your objectives. You need to have a thick skin. Not always going to be nice and friendly. Expect challenges to the Message.Above all, foster a positive community experience.

Sources & Additional Resourceshttp://www.marketingtwins.com/2010/ministry-nonprofit/7-easy-things-for-churches-to-do-on-your-facebook-page-before-christmas/http://stevefogg.typepad.com/blog/2010/11/21-ways-your-church-can-leverage-social-media.htmlhttp://www.sharefaithblog.com/2011/01/church-social-media-bad-practices/http://www.ministrybestpractices.com/2009/02/why-should-your-church-invest-in-social.htmlhttp://pewinternet.org/Infographics/2011/Generations-and-gadgets.aspx Generationshttp://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/The-Social-Side-of-the-Internet.aspxhttp://www.slideshare.net/UUANewMedia/social-media-and-congregational-missionhttp://www.lancemorgan.me/3-ways-to-strengthen-your-church-social-media-voice/http://rocketplantstudio.com/free-download-church-planters-guide/http://rocketplantstudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/ChurchPlantersGuideToSocialMedia_12012010.pdfhttp://www.ministrybestpractices.com/2011/01/never-having-to-cancel-church.html http://www.edstetzer.com/2011/01/this-morning-we-released-two.htmlhttp://www.lifeway.com/article/170637/ http://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/2011/01/church-web-social-media-research/

ContactRichie Escovedo E-mail: richie.escovedo@gmail.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/vedoBlog: http://nextcommunications.blogspot.com/LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rescovedo