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Keeping up with the flock

Very often I hear people poke fun at Facebook and Twitter updates. Usually the comment makes mention of how silly it is that people will post updates about what they had to eat for dinner.

They’re right. It is silly. But, that doesn’t make it unimportant.

Obviously, knowing that someone went to Taco Bell for dinner isn’t earth-shattering information. But, for ministry leaders this can be extremely important information in keeping up with those within their church if it’s is taken into account within a larger picture. Social media activity can be used to gauge the overall life status of a church member. Do you notice any patterns that have altered that might clue you in on a problem that person may be having or if there is some sort change in his or her life?

These details can be picked out only if you’re paying attention. If a normal pattern alters, it could be worth paying attention to. This can take the form of mood shifts, post types, locations and who comments. These are all clues to a larger picture that may or may not be obvious, and it’s from these clues that give ministry leaders tools and in-roads to effectively minister to someone in their flock sooner instead of later.

Here are a few tips to help you on your way.

1. Skim posts, don’t stalk people. If you do, don’t be obvious about it, people find that creepy.
2. Don’t jump to conclusions too soon. Patterns emerge over time, so give space for the ebb and flow of life.
3. Make mental notes of red flags or things of interest. These can be great conversation starters when you actually are sitting down with the person.
4. Remember your purpose is to minister to those who need you, not to be nosey.
5. Have an online personality of your own. Remember that social media is a social environment. Engage with people, post the silly things in your life and let people respond.

The 1st Amendment

When it comes to writing this blog, holidays can make life easy or complicate matters. For example, today being Independence Day, on the surface, seems like it could be a pretty straightforward topic: Freedom. But this isn’t your average everyday church blog. We’re about communication ministry, and so to keep things topical and relevant to our cause we need to keep our focus.

So here goes.

Back before we were the United States and still colonies of England, there were a lot of restrictions on what could and couldn’t be printed. For starters, nothing could be printed without permission of the British government, and secondly, there were libel laws that made it illegal to print anything that was negative about the king or any public official. Published in 1690, the first newspaper in America, Publik Occurrences (yes, it was really spelled that way) lasted one edition. It was started without permission and after printing some rather unflattering (though true) details, it was promptly shut down. When the colonists started to get unhappy about these conditions and to help refund the expense of the French and Indian War, the British government installed the Stamp Act, which applied a penny tax to every printed document. It wasn’t long after that tea started getting dumped into Boston Harbor.

What many people fail to recognize is that several of the founding fathers were in the printing business. Benjamin Franklin, most notably, but also Paul Revere, and these guys had serious financial interests in the printed word. Irritation at their limitations fueled the printing and distribution of anti-British pamphlets, which fueled the colonial fires.

We all know what happened next.

So it should come as no surprise that the first amendment of the United States Constitution not only prohibits the making of any law respecting the establishment of any religion or impediment of practicing any religion, but also establishes that no law will ever be written to limit the freedom of speech or press of any U.S. citizen.

There are lessons to be learned here.

1. The freedom of speech and religion are core to who we are as a nation.
2. The First Amendment is about giving people the right to believe and say what they wish. Even if we don’t agree with it.
3. Too many people have suffered and died to give you the freedom to believe and communicate what matters most to you. Don’t waste it.

Happy Independence Day.

Twitter in Worship?

It seems that not so long ago we were fighting battles to put video screens in church sanctuaries. For some it seemed like heresy to have a projector hanging from the ceiling and song lyrics and videos projected on the wall. I suppose in some churches it still is. For my church, the argument lasted until the older generation realized it was easier to read than the hymnal. After that it was a no-brainer.

But there is something new afoot that I can’t help but think is just around the corner for worship.

Twitter.

I say that because it’s at every major conference I attend, and I’ve seen it at a few special services at technologically progressive churches. At this point I’ve seen it used to offer prayer requests and ask questions of the pastor during a Q&A-style sermon. Both seemed legitimate and appropriate at the time. As a teacher, I can insert a Twitter feed into my PowerPoint files that will allow students to ask questions as I lecture.

From a communication perspective this all seems pretty cool, but I have to be honest. I’m not really sure how I feel about Twitter in a worship setting. Which also leads me to wonder if I’m turning into the techno-phobic person I used to get annoyed with. I don’t really think that’s the case, but I’m starting to wonder where the point is that technology begins to trespass into a land it doesn’t belong.

In terms of prayer requests, I can truly see the advantage. The anonymity of the format can allow for a freedom of voice that might not be expressed in the open-air format of “prayer request” time at worship. Watching a feed of heartfelt prayer requests and confessions can be extraordinarily powerful. The flip side is that anonymity can be achieved through other paths as well, just not broadcast at the same time.

The place where I’m having the most conflict is in the ability to focus -- not necessarily on the preacher or any particular song, but the ability to focus my attention on worship itself. And if focus is what I need, then just about the last thing I need is something to distract me --something, that is, like a scrolling feed of commentary, questions and prayers up on the wall.

When I have these moments of uncertainty, I often meditate on the word “sanctuary.” It’s a place of refuge and safety. Is Twitter helping or hurting it?

What do you think?

Social Media and Ministry: Why Don't We Have More Followers?

As we have continued through our series this summer, we have covered some very important content in relation to social media in ministry. After taking the suggestions and putting them into place, things are probably set up and ready to launch. However, it may have left some asking the question: why don’t we have more followers?

That is our topic this week. We will look at some misconceptions and also some ways in which your ministry can embrace your follower count.

Quality is better than Quantity

People want to have the most followers. They view social media as a competition. It isn’t. Every social media community is unique to its page. The reality is, in some instances having a large community isn’t the best scenario for a social media page. This is particularly true for ministries. Why would a ministry specific to a community want to have 1,000 followers? They shouldn’t, unless they are reaching out on a national level, or in a large community. What they should want are those quality community members.

The great thing is for a ministry this can be easy. They can take steps to gain the quality community members they are seeking.

Promoting within the ministry

The easiest way to gain the community members is to inform the ministry of the online community. This can come through simple announcement avenues. Since social media is typically an opt-in scenario, there is no way a ministry can physically add the community members. Instead there has to be a motivating reason for them to opt-in. This typically comes as a way to easily access information -- though at times some ministries may offer incentives for opting in as well.

Social Media Branding

If the above scenario doesn’t achieve the results wanted, then there is extension which should help add followers over time. This occurs in the ministry brand. Whenever the ministry sends out any printed or electronic information with its information on it, the social media is branded into that information also. This repetitive nature will help others realize the importance of the online community. This helps them see the relevance if the ministry is adamant about sharing their social media information.

So why don’t we have followers?

For some ministries these steps have been taken. Yet they still have not seen the results they were hoping for. At this point it might be noted that the ministry's community base is not active online. There really is no way to fix this issue. A ministry will simply have to embrace the place they are in.

Do you have any other suggestions on how to build more followers into a social media community? Leave them in the comments and we can start a conversation!

Social Media in Ministry: How Do We Use This Thing?

Hopefully you have been finding value in our social media in ministry series. We have covered several topics, which we feel are pertinent to ministries today. This week is essentially the crux. We will handle effective ways in which ministries can use social media. First, however, the ministry must be prepared to use its social media outlets.

The Preparation

We have covered how to safely use social media in an earlier post. Using those tips, a ministry should set up its site for maximum effectiveness. This happens through placing the important information on the social media platforms, including how to contact for further information (either through website, address or phone). A social media site should mimic the church's website in look and navigation. This ensures a more pleasurable user experience. The biggest part is to keep the site continually updated. Doing this will allow the following three uses to take place.

To Communicate with Ministry Members

This is probably the most frequent way in which ministries use social media. Since we live in a time where people are plugged-in, this makes sense. It is quicker, easier, and more effective to keep in contact through social media. The only downfall is some ministry members may not be a part of social media. What a ministry must do is evaluate the cost effectiveness of spending the time keeping its social media updated. This typically comes in the form of time spent, since most social media platforms are free. There are several positives that come from using social media. We will look a handful of them now.

To Promote Events

Everyone likes good event attendance. Social media is a great way to keep people updated about events. Through social media, event attendance can be tracked. People can be reached through social media who are not reached by other means -- either because they are new to the area, passing through, or simply not on the ministry contact list. It can provide a central location for attendees to learn pertinent information about the event.

To Reach New Members

This is possibly the most important of points since every ministry wants to reach new members. And it can happen through several avenues as we tweeted (twitter.com/axletreemedia) a few weeks ago, church websites are one of the frontlines for people seeking new churches. We know that, when searching, social media sites will at times be ranked in the results above the church or ministry web site. A good social media profile can help reach new members. There are also avenues through which ministries can advertise in social media. Though this may be cost prohibitive, it is another way in which ministries can reach new members that is a departure from traditional means.

These three uses are the major ones we have identified. There are other ways in which social media can work for a ministry. How are you using social media? Click above and tell us in the comments!

Social Media in Ministry: Planning for the Future

After six weeks of discussing social media in ministry, we have reached the end of this series. We know we can’t just leave you with the information presented, however. Even though the information was a lot to take in, we want to continue to give ministries information to expand their social media reach.

This is why we are talking about planning for the future. That's the next logical step: create a plan.

What should a plan look like?

We are strong believers in consistency. Your ministry's social media plan should look very similar to your ministry's plan. Whether that is in promotions, events, or communications, everything should be fluid.

Since this is planning for the future, we must emphasize the importance of staying active. It’s great to start big. However, if you only keep it up for a month or two, what was the significance of your efforts? As we stated earlier, consistency is key.

The plan should include when posts should take place. There should also be a plan for how posts should be enacted. It should be a balance of posts which pertain to the ministry but also posts which show the personality of the ministry as well.

Putting the plan into action

As the plan is in put in place, make sure everyone knows his or her roles. This ensures a better user experience. It also ensures the longevity and success of the plan. The great thing about having a plan and putting it into action is using it to adapt. Not everything will work. But with a plan you can pinpoint where things need to be fixed.

Moving Forward

So now you're ready. You have information about social media for ministry and also some tips on creating a plan. Embrace the information. Take from it what you can. We want to see your social media ministry succeed. We are here to help that along too. Don’t hesitate to ask questions. We’d love to start a conversation here in the blog about social media and ministries. Let us hear from you!

We went viral...On Accident

There is a lot of talk about “going viral” these days online. Sometimes (most of the time) viral is not something which can be directly produced. Instead viral simply happens. Someone enjoys something about the item and shares; others pick it up and boom. We are left scratching our heads wondering how we “went viral.”

Over the next few weeks we will spend this time focused in on the term viral and what it means. We hope to help you further your understanding of viral and where we feel it fits in the current online experience.

What is Viral?

Viral (v) is when an item or subject takes off in popularity rapidly, practically to the point of becoming a household name. Most of the time viral happens with little to no fore planning of popularity.

Typically we see this happening with YouTube videos, though we do see it in other forms of media as well.

As stated in the definition, this happens typically in an unplanned fashion. That's why we refer to it as an accident in the title. As we delve further into the topic, we will look at how a ministry should respond if they are a part of a viral item.

We went viral, now what?

So maybe your ministry went viral due to a guest: http://youtu.be/2D5148rRIkw. Maybe it was due to a piece of media you created meaning well: http://youtu.be/1IAhDGYlpqY. Or maybe your ministry is simply changing and people find that interesting: http://youtu.be/Vg-qgmJ7nzA. There are several ways in which what your ministry is doing can go viral without you even realizing it.

But where do you go from there? Here are five steps to take should your ministry go viral on accident.

Take a deep breath. Things are about to get crazy.

2. Attempt to understand why the item went viral. We gave you a few examples but there are always different reasons. Try to understand them to the best of your ability.

3. Be prepared to talk to the media. If this thing gets real big, you need to have a story for the viral object and hopefully use it to point to your ministry in a positive way.

4. Understand things will be different now. Try to put together a plan for how to move forward past the viral situation. Either the positive how to continue to grow or the negative how to turn into a positive.

5. Don’t try to push another viral circumstance. As we will see in the upcoming weeks, viral doesn’t do well planned and when something does go viral, the replications very rarely maintain the notoriety of the original.

If you have any questions, do not hesitate to leave them in the comments section!

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