This document discusses using social media for ministry purposes. It argues that social media should be used to meet one's audience where they are already present online through various channels, in order to better do ministry rather than for marketing or fundraising. It provides examples of using platforms like blogs, Facebook, Twitter, video and mobile to engage different demographics and stages of faith for the goal of spreading awareness, knowledge and investment in one's ministry. Metrics for success are discussed as well, focusing on engagement in conversations and participation over monetary donations.

1. Social Media and Ministry Steven KosterTodd HertzNRB 2010, Nashville

2. Philosophy

3. It’s About Ministry It’s about God’s Story Already unfolding in your life Wherever you are It’s not about technology It’s not about marketing or fund raising It’s about doing your ministry

4. We Speak Differently to Different People By Demographics Children Youth Younger Adults Older Adults By Faith Journey Pre-Evangelism Evangelism Teaching discipleship Devotional discipleship

5. Brand = Experience Brand = an expected experience It’s not your technology, it’s you. What makes you special? what experience do you promise? If you hang out with me, you can expect…

6. Brand = Experience So where can I hang out with you? Go where your audience hangs out already. Don’t expect them to come to you. Go to Your Audience wherever they are!

7. Multi-Channel One channel is a commodity. You are only one of many. Having a channel does not make you special or compelling. Technology does not make you special Multi-channel can be a presence in which you demonstrate your promised experience.

8. Use all the Tools for Ministry Media Technologytalk Radio [push] Video eNewsletter Internet Web [pull] Fixed Media (CDs) Print Online Forum listen Email [2-way] Social Media Phone In-Person Social Presence First Contact Awareness Engagement Relationship

9. Marketing Funnel Awareness Knowledge Interest Donor Sustainer Payoff!

10. Social Media ROI http://mashable.com/2009/10/27/social-media-roi/ ROI = (Return – Investment) / Investment If not dollars, trends Use analytics to spot trends Look for inflection points “Finding trends and tracking them back to their point of origin is the key to measuring ROI.”

11. It’s about Ministry, not Dollars Ministries don’t measure output in $ Dollars are a necessary input But not a measure of success How do you measure ministry? In your main channel? Same rules for other channels Cf. Good to Great for Social Sectors monograph

13. rate

14. vote

15. like / dislike

16. subscribe

17. download

18. read more

19. petition

20. advocate

22. Summary How can you meet your audience where they already are through all the channels available to do more ministry?

23. Examples Our Strategy @ ReFrame Media

24. Blogs Whom is it for? No CEO Blog (unless already blogger) Find your bloggers and let them go It’s a content monster; commit to feeding Groundworkonline.com (no blog!)

25. Blogs Examples Shine.fm Blog johnnymornings.wordpress.com Under the Radar: radarradio.net

26. Social Networks (= facebook) In US, facebook is increasingly the place to be

27. Social Networks (= facebook) 350 Million people log in once a month Averaging 662 pageviews a month

28. Our Facebook Strategy Facebook ‘pages’ for all programs and corporate (ReFrame Media) Goes to where the fans already are A dialogue and extension of discussions Not necessarily driving people to ‘our’ website

29. Facebook Needs investment It cannot just be there Use your people as advocates Cultivate your biggest fans Do something at least once a day Essential Apps on Facebook http://Mashable.com/2009/05/13/facebook-brand-apps/

30. Twitter Microblogging 140 letters at a time 50 Million tweets a day

31. Twitter: not just for kids! Historically, mid-age adults were largest segment Ages <24 are only now catching up

32. Our Twitter Strategy Twitter identities for all programs Plus corporate Plus personal identities All identities have a personality It’s a dialogue, not advertising

33. Twitter Tactics You’re there…Where’s the people? Find followers by being a follower It’s dialogue: who’s interesting? Broadcasting vs. Relating Be a “good date”, not a robot It’s dialogue: stop preaching or promoting If you’re only talking, they stop listening Auto-tweets are usually bad

34. Twitter Effectiveness Measuring Effectiveness Tools Raven Klout Twitalyzer What receives attention? What can you learn from that? It’s not the stats, but what stats mean

35. Twitter Tools Tools HootSuite, Co-Tweet, or Tweet Deck Twubs.com or Twibes.com Interest Groups NearbyTweets.com WhoShouldIFollow.com Find friends of friends 30 Twitter Tools: http://cot.ag/9EhYXF

36. Niche Networks In-house network or message boards Good for privacy Good for narrow focus BUT, why not go where audience is?

37. Niche Networks Examples The Christian Reformed Social Justice Office (justiceseekers.ning.com) Conversations at www.spotlightradio.net More from CIO.com StachePassions.com (Mustache fans) VampireFreaks.com LineForHeaven.com MatchADream.com (dream interpretation) http://www.cio.com/article/551513/Ten_of_the_World_s_Strangest_Social_Networks

38. Video YouTube: 1 Billion Videos a day Viral: What can you leverage? What are you already doing that could be on video? Like DVD extras: “Behind the Scenes” BlendTech: Will this blend?

39. Our Video What we do: WalktheWay.net Daily Video Blog RadarRadio.net Exclusives NRB vids for behind the scenes

40. Additional Social Media Give Others a Voice Ratings, Reviews Wiki Wikipedia Give your brand up Music Events

41. Mobile Media in small formats on the run Text and Photo messaging Smart Phones, iPhone Apps Mobile Web browsing Kindle, Ebooks

42. Mobile Uses (US adults) 86% have cell phones 25% of cell users browse web, email, etc. That’s 21.5% of all US adults

43. Mobile Devices (US) Blackberry 42% iPhone 25% WinMobile 17%

44. Mobile Devices (Worldwide) Nokia biggest, Blackberry second, But Apple is growing fastest

45. Mobile and kids A third of US middle schoolers have mobile phones And growing fast

46. Mobile Strategy Who’s the audience, why would they want it? Why would they want it on the run? What are we publishing already? Web RSS Podcast Simple Apps

47. Our Mobile Strategy List in stores (iTunes, Amazon Kindle) Simple apps for iPhone RSS based, ala AppMkr.com Mobile-specific web sites for other platforms (m.thinkchristian.net)

48. Mobile Resources appmakr.com Simple iPhone app based on RSS whoop.com Mini web sites for mobile devices Not device dependent

49. Resources

50. Resources Mashable.com Stats and News and what it means for you The Mecca for Social Media SmartBrief on Social Media Daily email digest of Social Media stories socialmedia@smartbrief.com http://www.smartbrief.com/socialmedia/

51. Resources Silicon Valley Insider (SAI) businessinsider.com/alleyinsider Chart of the Day! businessinsider.com/newsletter Social Media Examiner socialmediaexaminer.com Un-marketing.com Stop marketing, Start Engaging

52. Resources Groundswell by Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff Good to Great for Social Sectors

53. Resources On Twitter:@ReFrameMedia@RadarRadio@ThinkChristian@WalktheWay@TodayDevotional @ChurchJuice@SpotlightRadio@GroundworkRadio On Facebook:facebook.com/ReFrameMediafacebook.com/RadarRadiofacebook.com/ThinkChristianfacebook.com/WalktheWayfacebook.com/TodayDevotionalsfacebook.com/ChurchJuicefacebook.com/SpotlightRadiofacebook.com/GroundWorkRadio