One of the most frequently asked questions about social media I get goes something like this “We want a social media presence, what should we do?” or “We have a Facebook page, and it sucks, can you look at it?”
It’s been on my mind for some time now that many people don’t actually know what social media can do for their church or non-profit. Many people are just catching onto the social media revolution which in my own humble opinion is (in the first world) the biggest revolution since the industrial revolution.
Are you wondering where to start? Or are using social media but it isn’t really working? Then this social media 101 guide is for you. I’m going to be writing especially for you over the next six months to share with you what I’ve learnt. If you are an experienced social media user for your church or non-profit add your voice in the comments below.
Before your church or non-profit does ANYTHING here is one question you need to be able to answer.
Before you even think about the social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare, Pinterest or Instagram. Or what tools and strategies you should be adopting, there are some fundamental questions you have to answer. Here is the first one:
What is your objective?
Why are you there? What do you want people to do? What is your goal? You have to be clear on why you are there in the first place if you are ever going to get the results you are looking for from social media.
Some of your answers may likely to include sell more stuff (businesses), raise/increase brand awareness, build community, drive traffic back to your website, to name a few. You may even have multiple objectives, that’s ok, just ensure you prioritise them in the order from most important to least important.
Why is having an objective so important? Because you can waste a lot of time on social media in the wrong places, doing the wrong things. It is also important because once you are clear on the results you want you can think of ways to get there. More than likely someone, somewhere has already done it and is willing to help you, if you are clear on how to get there.
It is also important because whatever you do has to fit into your church or non-profits mission and goals. If there is a disconnect then don’t waste your time!
I want this series to be very interactive, so drop a comment or a question below. I’d love to help you in any way that I can.
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Great question to start the series, Steve. If you don’t have an objective, you can’t measure it, and you’ve got no idea whether it’s working or not.
Thanks Steve! Great to hear your thoughts
We’re currently using Twitter as our only social media tool – with objectives to a) raise our profile in the community and b) maintain awareness of what we’re doing week-on-week.
Impact has been measurable – we know of people who attended one of our community events (the Olympic torch relay which passed our building) due to a re-tweet by our local radio station.
Good to hear David!
This is some outstanding information on utilizing social media. You helped my realize so much on the topic of social media for Christian based applications. Thank you !
You are welcome!