Do you “tweet”?
How many readers are checking your WordPress daily?
It seems that with the rise of social networking, we are seeing new social networking platforms pop up almost weekly. With newer companies like Instagram and Foursquare showing up on the scene, it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the Facebook or Twitter accounts that your church might already have. Perhaps you haven’t bought into the social media parade, and you still manage your contacts face to face rather than face to book. Regardless, the world of social networking can be daunting for beginners and downright confusing for even average users. The web is exploding, apps are taking over, word-of-mouth marketing has switched gears, and one out of every seven people on the planet is plugged into a social network. It’s time we hop on the bandwagon!
As a pastor or a church leader, it is extremely important to take advantage of the social media platforms in today’s information-driven society. Accessibility is at an all-time high with the popularity of smart phones and tablets rising. Mobility is important to today’s users, and in turn, information that is mobile, is just as important. So in order to stay culturally relevant, we must adapt our form of communication. Logically, our goal is to reach as many people as possible with the gospel of Jesus Christ, so we must choose the most effective mouthpiece. Enter Social Media. Never before could you type 140 characters, press send, and have it show up on the phones and inboxes of literally millions of people.
Before we can start reaching the world with our tweets and Facebook status updates, we must first understand what it takes to effectivly communicate in the social networking arena and why it is even important to take advantage of social networking at all. Let’s start with “why.”
1. It humanizes your church’s brand.
Yes, your church has a brand whether you realize it or not. Your church’s brand can either reinforce the things you say about yourself or it can confuse people because of inconsistent messaging. When you use platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or even blogs to constantly interact with individuals in a way that reinforces what your church stands for, then you bring a new dimension to your church’s brand.
2. It is cheap.
In ministry stewardship is important. Email blasts, tweets, and event pages on Facebook can be just what you need to help pack the house for your monthly outreach events or specialty services. Facebook and Twitter offer an even greater opportunity for users to directly ask questions and gather details. All of this costs less than the price of one stamp you would use for a mail out. For departments working on a budget, this is truly an excellent option.
3. Your target audience is using it.
As a church your target audience is people and A LOT of people are using social media all day, every day. It isn’t just young or old; there are users across all age ranges, enabling churches to reach out on truly multi-generational levels.
4. Google uses it.
Google uses social networks as a part of its page rank algorithm. If you aren’t using social media to boost your website’s popularity, then your page may not show up at the top of Google’s search results when people are looking for your church.
It is also very important to gauge the amount of information we are sending out, as well as its importance. Informational integrity is key. If people feel like you are giving them information that they care about or that is important to them, then they follow you closely. If you send out tweets about how cute your puppy is, then most likely people will begin to ignore you unless they have an affinity for canines. Your social media goal as a church leader should be to unite people through information. For example, if you have a special event coming up, post it on Twitter and Facebook, then encourage others to share or Repeat Tweet will help boost your influence. You have a responsibility to your church people to give them information that is relevant to their lives. We get hit with ads, commercials, and marketing campaigns every day. We as people are professionals at ignoring information. Combat this by sending out information that people can’t live without! Why? Because if they feel like they can ignore you, they will.
Update often. Not too often, not too little. Usually once a day is enough to keep your message on people’s minds. If you do it more often than that, they may start to ignore you; less than that and they may forget you altogether. For Twitter users, using hashtags (#followedbywords) can make or break you. Hashtag only phrases that are easily recognizable or easily reused is the best policy. #Don’thashtagyourentiretweet #and #don’t #add #a #hashtag #for #every #word. Moderation is key. Think of hashtags as a keyword that people can find your post with.
Finally you don’t have to have EVERY social media platform. If you aren’t going to be able to update it daily and answer feedback from your friends or followers, don’t use it. If it’s taking everything you have just to manage your Facebook page, then perhaps it’s not time to hop on Twitter. One will do you no better than the other if you aren’t able to maintain them and keep them flowing with information. Social networking can give you the influential edge you need in your community or it can make people pass your church by altogether. #thepowerisyours.
Josh Rogers is a Graphic Designer for the PCG and a member of the editorial staff for the Pentecostal Messenger.
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