Leveraging Social Media to Create Stickiness
Greg Lee
Mary Beth Stockdale
Leveraging Social Media to Create Stickiness
What is Social Media?
Social Media – any web space or application designed for the following:
• Idea exchange
• Information/Support
• Personality snapshots
• Photo/Video/Link share
• Connection
Some more widely used (mostly free) Social Media
• Blog
o WordPress
o Blogger
o TypePad
• Microblog
o Twitter
o Plurk
• Social Networking
o Facebook
o LinkedIn
o MySpace
• Video Networking
o TokBox
o Ustream/Ustream.tv
o Mogulus
o Skype
• Your church website?
Leveraging Social Media to Create Stickiness
Ten Social Media Traits/Values Shaping Ministry
1. Interactivity / Participatory / Conversation
2. Decentralization / user generated content valuable
3. Ubiquity / everywhere / all the time / 24/7
4. Open Source / un-walled content & access
5. Personalization / customization / mine
6. Networked / no time/space boundaries/ glocal
7. Mobility / desktop to laptop to cell phone to embedable
8. Immediacy / Instant / on demand
9. Youth-driven / youth inspired / youth dominated
10. Free
Leveraging Social Media to Create Stickiness
First steps your church can take to implement Social Media
1. Website
• Podcast
• Interactive
• Stories
2. Pastor blog
• Find an Audience
• Find a Groove
• Find a Voice
• Find a Conversation
• Find a Partner
3. Facebook
Here are some ways your members can promote your church and tell others about Christ through Facebook:
• Post comments about doing church activities in your “what are you doing right now” feature.
• Post pictures from church events.
• Blog about church sermons or Bible studies
• Syndicate the church’s blog in your profile.
• Post videos from church events.
• Add church events to your profiles, “Events” application.
• Become a “fan” of your church’s Facebook Page.
4. Twitter
Sign up for a free account, let your church know you are there. Some benefits you may find:
• Sermons can become more relevant – you’ll know your congregation better
• Remove pulpit – pew barrier congregation needs to know your humanity
• Intensify your prayer life – seeing needs, hurts , frustrations
• The Reason Your Church Must Twitter – eBook by Anthony Coppedge
References
• churchmarketingonline.com
• www.churchsolutionsmag.com
• Social Media Breakout Session – GroupLife Conference Oct ’08 – Cynthia Ware
Panel Interview
DJ Chuang serves as the Director of Digital Initiatives, Asian American Pastors Leadership Community, and Multi-site Churches Leadership Community for Leadership Network and also the Executive Director of L2 Foundation - developing leadership and legacy for Asian Americans. Questions may be emailed to dj.chuang@leadnet.org
Tony Steward has a passion for people and the radical change that happens in their life when God gets a hold of it. Tony is also fascinated with better ways of doing things, which has led him to specifically research technology and the dynamics of the social web. Tony is the Online Community Pastor at LifeChurch.tv on the Digerati Team and is a part of taking Church Online every week.
Cynthia Ware is a consultant with an in depth expertise in two areas: online technologies and strategic church development.
Equipped with two decades of pastoral ministry and a Master’s Degree in New Media, Cynthia helps Christian leaders develop online communication strategies to compliment their ministry goals. She consults pastors, churches, ministries and non-profits in how to use their online presence to enrich and expand their ministry reach.
Besides consulting, she is an active public speaker & writer. This year she has presented at Biola University, the Internet Ministry Conference, Willow Creek’s Group Life Conference, the Dynamic Church Conference, Innovation3 and The Idea Camp.
Her personal blog, The Digital Sanctuary, encourages Christian leaders to explore, embrace and employ participatory media technologies to serve the Kingdom of God. Additionally, she is a co-contributor to several other online sites including Digital, the Leadership Network’s technology blog. She is also an officer for many online Christian networks, websites and internet resources.
Workshop Speakers
Greg Lee is the Lead Pastor of Suncrest Christian Church. He has served Suncrest since shortly after its launch and is passionate about Suncrest reproducing itself at all levels through church planting, multi-site, and at the core levels of community groups and leadership. He picked up blogging as a ministry tool two years ago and now posts nearly every day at Unique Chairs, www.greglee.wordpress.com, to carry on a conversation with the Suncrest family and other church leaders.
Mary Beth Stockdale is the Connect Director at Suncrest Christian Church, where she oversees the Small Group Ministry and works to engage newcomers into the church family. She has recently begun to explore social media and technology as tools for keeping the Church relevant in today's culture. She is passionate about church leaders sharing their wins and working united as a true Body, and expresses this in her blog, breaking point, www.marybethstockdale.wordpress.com. She is also a blog contributor to Digital @ Leadership Network, digital.leadnet.org.