Twitter Goes to Church
I’ve been approached by a Northern Ireland church to give some advice on whether and how they should start using social media as part of their efforts to reach out to the local communities and update members and attendees on new online resources. Following a little poking around, asking those already using Twitter, Facebook and the like for their advice, this is what I have concluded as a starting point for discussion.
Mini Studies, Daily Readings, Thought/Verse of the Day
All types of smaller snippets are tailor-made for social media. Most social networks offer an option to provide a short message combined with a link, to direct people to additional content on the main website. If there is an existing news page, it is advisable to make use of an RSS feed to automate these updates, to reduce the time investment required. Other tools such as Seesmic, Hootsuite and Tweetdeck can be used to make the most of a single status update, so that it is replicated where relevant across all social networks employed by an organisation.
Events
RSS feeds from blogs and news pages make it easy to automate updating social networks with new articles. If there is already a news page, then this is simply an alternative way for people to keep up to date. People can be offered options for subscribing to updates via email, an RSS Reader, Twitter etc. For very active churches, it might be best to limit this to unusual events or one-off workshops, otherwise multiple emails/updates become annoying.
Networking
Churches rely heavily on volunteers to get things done. If members and regular attendees are among the Friends/Followers/Contacts on the social media sites, then they could be used to send out requests for volunteers:
- Do you know someone who could mend a fence/do some gardening on the church property?
- Step in at the last moment to deliver a parcel/collect a guest speaker from the airport.
- Help out at kids’ club tonight?
Reports
Many churches collect and donate to charities around the world. Members and other who donate may be interested in seeing short reports and photographs on how donations have been spent. Including links to charity sites would encourage people to visit and keep up to date with the ongoing work of particular charities.
Live-Tweeting
Some business people live-tweet conferences. Might someone volunteer to live-tweet significant sermons/talks (from a church-owned Twitter account), such as those delivered at church conferences or special services at important dates in the church year? This may generate:
- Visits to the website from those who want to learn more.
- Questions/comments from people connected and unconnected with the church.
- Liasons/partnerships from across the world, with churches who hold the same aims.
Reaching Out
Many people have questions about church and spiritual matters, but have no-one to ask, or are afraid to speak out at a church workshop or conference. Social networks almost always have the facility to send private messages (much like email); this may be an alternative way for people to begin to engage with a church, without having to attend in person.
- People could send questions via Twitter, Facebook and the like.
- Attendees could ask or comment on sermons, or make suggestions online.
Spreading the Word
The basis of how organisations use social networks to “spread the word” about their products and services is as follows:
- The more places you are found online, the more likely you are to be found, by those who prefer to search for stuff, or engage with people, online.
- If your existing and potential “customers” are using social networks, you need to be too. Provide people with as many options for seeing you, keeping up to date and communicating with you, as possible. In Northern Ireland, the big FOUR are: YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
- Social media tools represent word-of-mouth marketing. People trust personal recommendations. I reckon that counts for churches and related services too!
Religious People on Twitter
- Bishop Paul Colton is on Twitter. He is a Church of Ireland Bishop in Cork and a PhD candidate at Cardiff University Law School. He regularly posts his daily agenda and reponds enthusiastically to people who tweet him.
- Tom Johnston is also on Twitter. He is a Senior Technical Writer for the LDS Church in Salt Lake City, who writes a fantastic blog of interest to other technical writers and other species of English language pedants (like me) with a technical bent, I’d Rather Be Writing.
Christian NI Business People on Twitter
Many NI Twitter users already share their faith, morals, comments on big events via their own personal accounts, and even from business accounts. Might some members and regular attendees be “encouraged” to help share church stuff (i.e. upcoming events) via existing accounts.
An example of a NI Twitter user who currently does – is Derek Hall, Owner of EO Creative.
I’d suggest very strongly though that people are not made to feel guilty, if they choose not to do so.
Thanks to @ellispratt; @theresecul; @webtwozero for all helpful suggestions and tips offered via Twitter, those who offered tips via Facebook. If you have any additional suggestions, please add them in a comment below. I’d be delighted to hear what you have to say.
Image credit: Dimitry B.
