Today apparently is Social Media Day. I’m not sure who proclaimed it, but I’ll accept the opportunity to celebrate the development of the many relationship-building tools it offers.
Maybe it’s because I am a bit of a news junkie and have a natural curiosity, but I really enjoy what Facebook brings to my life. People whom I knew only by name through my work are now 3D friends. I know about their families, their special interests, their political views…all kinds of things. And I appreciate them even more for sharing their joys, frustrations, personal victories and defeats. When I read posts on my wall I am sometimes led to prayer, other times burst into laughter or simply smile at a simple reflection on life. The kind of reactions friends have when meeting face-to-face or on the phone.
The cool thing about my Facebook friends is that I often have the opportunity to meet them in person. But we don’t have to do so much “catching up” because we’ve been following each other!
Facebook builds relationships and if your Christian faith is integrated into who you are, it will be evident as you interact on social media. Friends of mine who have little or no interest in Christianity see my posts, and those of others that talk about faith issues. I know one person who is a pastor but on Facebook he is better known as an amazing photographer. He told me that as a result, he has had wonderful faith-related “conversations” with fellow photographers who otherwise may have never “friended” him.
So, happy Social Media Day! I believe the Lord has given us these new tools to share His love in new ways to His honour and glory.
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Always keep the big picture in mind
The growth in social media is catching the attention of an increasing number of churches. They are venturing beyond websites and starting Facebook pages sending out messages on Twitter and generally exploring all the networking opportunities social media brings.
This is all good if it is done for a reason. So often we jump into the next big thing because it’s the next big thing. We need to stop and ask “Why do we want to be on Facebook or Twitter?”
Social media is just one element in an overall integrated communication strategy. Church communication embraces things like your church sign, Sunday bulletin, monthly newsletter, e-mail, posters, newspaper ads, Sunday announcements, website and vehicles like Facebook and Twitter. Each should have a defined purpose and should be related to each other.
Here are some tips (feel free to add more in the comments ):
• Your website address, Facebook name, Twitter ID and e-mail address should appear on every piece of printed material and every e-mail from your church. These are the 21st century equivalent of your telephone number!
• Your website should invite people to join you on Facebook and Twitter
• Your church sign should at least have your website address (People will find you online before they will walk in the front door.)
• Stories from your newsletter should appear on the website, not necessarily as a PDF, but as part of your website
• When a news item or new story is posted, let the followers on Facebook and Twitter know about it
• Decide what information should appear in which medium for maximum impact
• Establish an e-mail list for the congregation. Decide what information is best communicated by e-mail. Sometimes you may want to provide a link to information on your website to provide a reason for members to visit the website.
• An unsupervised, enthusiastic teenager should not be responsible for Facebook or Twitter just because they may know how it works. Content and presentation are important and require direction.
Remember, your church sign, website, Facebook page and Twitter account are the public face of your church. Your church bulletin is likely the only piece of information a visitor will take home with them.
This is all good if it is done for a reason. So often we jump into the next big thing because it’s the next big thing. We need to stop and ask “Why do we want to be on Facebook or Twitter?”
Social media is just one element in an overall integrated communication strategy. Church communication embraces things like your church sign, Sunday bulletin, monthly newsletter, e-mail, posters, newspaper ads, Sunday announcements, website and vehicles like Facebook and Twitter. Each should have a defined purpose and should be related to each other.
Here are some tips (feel free to add more in the comments ):
• Your website address, Facebook name, Twitter ID and e-mail address should appear on every piece of printed material and every e-mail from your church. These are the 21st century equivalent of your telephone number!
• Your website should invite people to join you on Facebook and Twitter
• Your church sign should at least have your website address (People will find you online before they will walk in the front door.)
• Stories from your newsletter should appear on the website, not necessarily as a PDF, but as part of your website
• When a news item or new story is posted, let the followers on Facebook and Twitter know about it
• Decide what information should appear in which medium for maximum impact
• Establish an e-mail list for the congregation. Decide what information is best communicated by e-mail. Sometimes you may want to provide a link to information on your website to provide a reason for members to visit the website.
• An unsupervised, enthusiastic teenager should not be responsible for Facebook or Twitter just because they may know how it works. Content and presentation are important and require direction.
Remember, your church sign, website, Facebook page and Twitter account are the public face of your church. Your church bulletin is likely the only piece of information a visitor will take home with them.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
How's that working out?
This year we are spending Easter away from home. While away, we will attend Easter services at another Lutheran church. So, I went on line, found a church near where we will stay and found no listing of Holy Week services. I could read about the church's Advent and Christmas schedule, but nothing for Lent, Holy Week, Good Friday or Easter!
Why do churches not understand that the first place a potential visitor will look for information is on line? Had I not asked by e-mail, I would never have discovered the time for Good Friday's service.
Lutheran Church–Canada offers each of our 320+ congregations a free listing for the times of special services on our national directory of congregations. At Christmas 83 congregations provided information. For Easter this year, 62.
Can I assume the others have updated their own information on their websites and therefore don't need a national listing?
If pastors and members look for things on line, you can be sure non-pastors and non-members are also looking online and may be looking for your church information.
It's not like websites are anything new, so what's the deal?
It all goes back to the title of this blog "Think digital first."
The local newspaper will likely be paid for an advertisement in the "religion" section but have you looked at the readership of newspapers lately? Is it money well spent from an ever-declining local budget?
Changing information on a website is free!
When our Lord rose from the dead, news spread quickly. It's a good thing He wasn't relying on church websites to spread the news!
But wait!
He is relying on churches and their websites to spread the news. How's that working out?
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Facing the reality of Facebook
While doing some research for a presentation I discovered that Facebook in Canada attracts a different demographic than in the US. Based strictly on numbers of users, Canadians aged over 35 years old outnumber their American counterparts in the use of the social network. Some think it's because of Canada's thin line of population along the Canada-US border. Canadians who move for jobs or education may find themselves moving further away from family and relatives than in the US. Therefore, older users are keeping in touch with family and friends through Facebook. Another reason may have to do with the overall usage of Facebook. More than 34% of Canadians are on Facebook--the fourth largest percentage in the world. Only about 20% of Americans use the social networking site.
Canada Population: 33,618,000
Canada Facebook: 11,556,180
Percentage: 34.37%
Source: http://www.nickburcher.com/2009/04/facebook-usage-statistics-by-population.html
In the US the Facebook users skew very highly in the under-30 group.
So members of church congregations are more likely to be on Facebook in Canada than in the US. That is something to keep in mind when you want to keep in touch with fellow members outside of the church context.
Canada Population: 33,618,000
Canada Facebook: 11,556,180
Percentage: 34.37%
Source: http://www.nickburcher.com/2009/04/facebook-usage-statistics-by-population.html
In the US the Facebook users skew very highly in the under-30 group.
So members of church congregations are more likely to be on Facebook in Canada than in the US. That is something to keep in mind when you want to keep in touch with fellow members outside of the church context.
Saturday, September 12, 2009
Extend your reach
A pastor friend of mine offers a Saturday morning class designed "help folks reduce daily stresses." When I saw the tweet about it I thought to myself, that's something a lot of people could use. I asked if he'd considered making it a webcast (depending on the class format of course) and he admitted he hadn't. (TDF!)
Then my mind wandered to all the potential webcasts a congregation could make available. Do you want to share the basics of the Christian faith? Webcast an adult information or confirmation class. And what about Sunday morning Bible study? It doesn't matter if viewers are in your city or even your country. The point would be to make the class available to a wider audience. Jesus preached to thousands at a time!
Even a younger person's confirmation class is a potential webcast.
Webcasting is not rocket science.
1) You need a laptop computer, webcam and microphone or a connection to a sound system if you are webcasting something like a church service. (Make sure you have a reasonable amount of light on the main subject for good video.)
2) Set up an account with a free streaming service like Ustream.tv or Livestream.com.
3) Embed the feed onto your website (the streaming service gives you the information)
4) Let people know you are going to webcast and where they can watch. Post the information on Facebook, send out a message on Twitter, promote it on your website, in your Sunday bulletin, announcements, newsletter and the sign in front of your church!
5) Lights, camera, action! Once you are streaming, make sure you welcome the online audience as you would any visitors.
If you are webcasting an instructional class, the viewers have the opportunity to comment in the chat features of the streaming service. This means you can do Q&A with the people in the room as well as online.
With any event or weekly activity, think of ways to extend your reach beyond the four walls of your church or school by thinking digital first.
Then my mind wandered to all the potential webcasts a congregation could make available. Do you want to share the basics of the Christian faith? Webcast an adult information or confirmation class. And what about Sunday morning Bible study? It doesn't matter if viewers are in your city or even your country. The point would be to make the class available to a wider audience. Jesus preached to thousands at a time!
Even a younger person's confirmation class is a potential webcast.
Webcasting is not rocket science.
1) You need a laptop computer, webcam and microphone or a connection to a sound system if you are webcasting something like a church service. (Make sure you have a reasonable amount of light on the main subject for good video.)
2) Set up an account with a free streaming service like Ustream.tv or Livestream.com.
3) Embed the feed onto your website (the streaming service gives you the information)
4) Let people know you are going to webcast and where they can watch. Post the information on Facebook, send out a message on Twitter, promote it on your website, in your Sunday bulletin, announcements, newsletter and the sign in front of your church!
5) Lights, camera, action! Once you are streaming, make sure you welcome the online audience as you would any visitors.
If you are webcasting an instructional class, the viewers have the opportunity to comment in the chat features of the streaming service. This means you can do Q&A with the people in the room as well as online.
With any event or weekly activity, think of ways to extend your reach beyond the four walls of your church or school by thinking digital first.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Fallen and can't get up? Tell your friends on Facebook.
When you read that kids are using social media all the time you have to wonder if it's true. Read this story: http://mashable.com/2009/09/07/trapped-girls-facebook/
What this shows is that a younger person's first priority may not be using the telephone, but sharing information with as many people as possible on Facebook, hoping someone else calls for help.
Is this common? I don't know. If I had a cell phone and could either call or update I would call, but then none of my friend would know I was in trouble. The social networking would be limited to the emergency operator until I was rescued. That loses all immediacy which is the hallmark of social media.
Some say social media is a fad. Others claim it has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. Were the girls in this story just immature or using their primary electronic communication vehicle?
What this shows is that a younger person's first priority may not be using the telephone, but sharing information with as many people as possible on Facebook, hoping someone else calls for help.
Is this common? I don't know. If I had a cell phone and could either call or update I would call, but then none of my friend would know I was in trouble. The social networking would be limited to the emergency operator until I was rescued. That loses all immediacy which is the hallmark of social media.
Some say social media is a fad. Others claim it has fundamentally changed the way we communicate. Were the girls in this story just immature or using their primary electronic communication vehicle?
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