The Oscars is a global showbiz event. Love it or hate it, there are many social media tips churches and church leaders can take away from this live event because it has leveraged social media to amplify their reach well beyond the live TV audience.
1. It’s okay to not be in control
The Oscars is the ‘night of nights’ for the movie industry. Actors, studios, films can get an incredible revenue boost from winning an award. Clearly from the photos going around social media today/tonight the image rights and being perfect aren’t the most important principle. There are plenty of examples of actors letting their proverbial hair down. Getting your image into the digital sphere is the biggest win, not having the best manicured look. It’s no longer just about the trashy magazines that have all the dresses from the red carpet a few days later.
2. Feel spontaneous
Forget about only having a highly polished and professional schedule for your social media. Sometimes the best social moments come from being in the moment. Handing out pizza at the Oscars. Priceless. Sure you can even plan a pizza moment, the probably did, but it looked so natural and normal right in the middle of a world-wide broadcast. (Oreo’s response at the super-bowl is another brilliant in the moment example.)
3. Set the tone for a social sharing culture
It can be daunting for someone to get their smart phone out in a church service. But if a leader socially shares a moment you start to shift a culture from what happens in the four walls of the church staying in the church, to being shared with hundred’s of your closest social media friends.
This is huge, if you can get others spreading the message your impact may be amplified by the thousands. Social should never only be limited by your corporate accounts.
4. Sharing spreads the message beyond the current audience
Believe it or not, not everyone are watching the Oscars. In the timezone I’m in Australia, it’s actually the middle of the day and I’m at work. The social sharing of people watching the show has told me just about everything I needed to know about who won what without going. Imagine if your congregations all shared with their friends and families on their own social networks. How are you giving your audience permission to share?
5. It’s not just about your hashtag
Your church service can have power social media users in your own congregation. Find out who they are. Encourage them to share their experience.
If only Bradley’s arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars pic.twitter.com/C9U5NOtGap
— Ellen DeGeneres (@TheEllenShow) March 3, 2014
Leveraging star power isn’t just good for you. It can be good for the power user. Ellen just picked up another one million followers on Twitter today alone. Not bad. Oh, and her tweet is the most retweeted tweet in history. For this week at least.
Your Turn
Love or hate the Oscars? Glam or Sham, It doesn’t matter. The Oscars knows how to ‘be social’. Agree or disagree? Drop a comment below.
