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.

I had a call last week from an NI Libraries Information Librarian asking whether I’d get involved in the SELB Library events.  She’d seen the Welcome to the Blogosphere workshop I’m delivering for QUB’s Open Learning Programme and wondered if I could deliver a few demos on Social Networking and Blogging.  I was up for the challenge.  We’re starting with two demos and who knows where that might lead?  It’s nice to get asked.

So, why are people, increasingly professional people, interested in blogging?  In addition to The Slugger Awards, The Irish Web & Blog Awards are taking place in Dublin on 24th October.  I’ve had some thoughts:

1. Blogging is free.  One of the most popular is WordPress, which this blogger uses.  In NI, Blogger is also very popular.  There are no set-up costs with most online blogging software, though if you wish to customise a little more, some companies will charge for that.  In any case, set against the cost involved in getting a website professionally designed and written, the outlay is comparatively small.  We all love free stuff.
2. But, what is the draw for publishing your thoughts, opinions, articles, photos and in many cases, heart and soul, online? Well, the internet is a large part of our modern world.  Blogs are created and written by all types of businesses, universities, mental health charities, healthcare organisations and book vendors.  It’s not such a great leap to think that journalists, business people, writers, artists, bands, photographers, political and religious activists, individuals or mums and dads would also want to make use of it to claim their very own piece of the internet.  Why not?
3. A new community is created every time a new blog appears.  There those who simply read and do not participate in comments or discussions (‘lurkers’).  There are those who have opinions and want to share them.  They are the ones who will get actively involved in making intelligent (or not so intelligent) comments and keeping the discussion going long after the blog post has ceased to be current.   Some rant, some cajole, some persuage.  This feeds additional posts and ideas and more readers and commentors.  Some commentors will simply stick at that.   Some will develop their own blog and give birth to a new community, probably overlapping a little with the ones they are already involved in and so the mess of interconnections continues.  See Slugger O’Toole which has developed way beyond its original one-man show.  I can only think it is a good thing.  Why should the big news networks have all the news?  Why should the pro-bloggers of the world have all the subscribers?
4. It’s addictive.  Like any new phenomenen, it appears to many types of people for many types of reasons.  But, once you read your first blog post, you want to read the next, assuming the person can write and has something interesting to say.  And, once you’ve got into the habit of reading your first blog, you’ll want to return to see what is on their blogroll…  You’ll start off reading a work-related marketing blog and you end up at the hilariously addictive Well Done Fillet.  Ascerbic anonymity makes for the best personal blogs, in my opinion.

I often get asked about blogging.  People know I’m a blogger and they want to know first of all what a blog is.  Then they ask do I read lots of blogs?  They ask what my favourite blogs are and could I send them the link.  People also ask if I prefer blogs to people.  (It depends. )

I’ve been using Facebook for a while, as a way of connecting with friends now scattered to the four corners.  Recently though, I discovered that you can use Facebook for creating a page for your business (for free).  One of my customers is now a fan of Sensei on Facebook, no doubt others will follow.  He will receive updates on all our events in a way that suits him.  I’ve received (free) technical advice about how to fix computer problems from both former colleagues and tecchie friends via Facebook and Twitter.  LinkedIn has now become a useful tool for keeping up to date with former colleagues – even my mum is on there and my uncle writes a blog!

So, can these tools be of real use in the business world?  I’m hooked on the potential.  I’m excited by the possibility that we could begin to connect with more customers in a way that suits their lifestlye and interests.  Of course, website, magazines, email, networking meetings and word-of-mouth continue, but this is in addition.  And, you don’t have to be a nerd to learn how to use it; you may become one though (oo!).

I’ve started on a small scale, with a few events at QUB to gauge interest, Welcome to the Blogosphere: Blogging for Beginners and Social Networking.

And, after attending a networking event last night, organised by BEN, I realised that while some people are promoting it as a new way for businesses to interact with others, they are a very small minority.

So, I have taken up the torch.

If that’s the only type of conversations you have, then you’re sad! (my business partner).

I don’t really know much about technology… (older person).

Isn’t that just for teenagers?

Blogging’s only for people who are really into themselves… [as we say here in Northern Ireland]

OK, I get the deal.  It would of course be incredibly sad (in the true sense of the word) if you were only to have conversations online.  But, that is not what using social networking is about.  It is not some master ploy to make us all laptop-bound.  HOWEVER, if you are at all concerned about marketing your product or want your service to reach a wider audience and you have not got masses of gold on which to draw for television/internet or other advertising, then you’d better sit up straight.

Facebook, blogs, Youtube and the like are here.  Now.  They may no longer be here next year, but they are now.  Are you ignoring the elephant in the room?  Read Groundswell if you don’t believe me.  Their advice?  ‘…learn to ride the wave’.

If you were selling your house, wouldn’t you have it presented in such a way as to make it look as appealing as possible to a potential client?

Then, why do you remain with the traditional (and invariably expensive) methods of getting your good news out there?  80% of businesses in Northern Ireland are small businesses, employing less than five people.  Do you have a massive advertising budget?  No and neither do I.

That’s why I’m encouraging you to at least investigate what social networking can do for you.

Later.